My name is Ammar, and I am coming from Bihać. Currently, I am a Master’s student at the Faculty of Economics, University of Bihać, and I am a volunteer and activist at the local NGO Center for Sustainable Development. What motivates me and something that I am passionate about is volunteering, youth activism, human rights, and peacebuilding. I like to identify myself as a volunteer, student, learner and explorer. In my free time, I like to play chess, read books, and watch movies.
Most of my countrymen would say that peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina is mission impossible, but I do believe in peace, and I do believe in process of peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina. My opinion about the situation on sustainable and lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina is that is highly achievable and possible, although sometimes is not easy to deal with challenges and obstacles. When I say challenges and obstacles, I mean the complicated system, political situation, procedures, and also stereotypes, prejudices, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, and nationalism among people. Therefore, as long as we have all these challenges, I see opportunities for work, and engagement in the community. As much as we need more peacebuilders, to that extent we need individuals who will understand and apply terms of, intercultural dialogue, conflict transformation, reconciliation, inclusion, and nonviolent communication. One of my favorite quotes is “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding”, and I do agree with that. We need more understanding among and towards each other, and to empathize more. When we reach that level of comprehension, we can say that we achieved positive and constructive peace. My belief in peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina comes from all the friendships I have throughout the country and in every city, from the willingness to dialogue, from the willingness to help and support each other, from the willingness to learn, work and grow, from the willingness to understand each other. Thus, the only way through which we can achieve peace and keep the peace is by understanding, i.e. the readiness to understand and be understood. .
Young people are not aware of the role they play in positive social changes. I think that everyone can and should be a role model in their local community. Today, young people should be drivers of change for raising awareness and social action for the challenges that affect their lives. I hope that I will also be an example of positive social change and that I will positively influence young people to advocate peacebuilding and conflict transformation. We can accomplish this through education, sharing positive stories, and promoting campaigns in preventing violence and improving cooperation in initiatives for peacebuilding.
