In April, training sessions for high school teachers and students were successfully completed as part of the Creativity for Peace program, which aims to empower young people to become agents of change in their communities through peace education. The trainings were held for schools, teachers, and students from over 30 municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, with more than 220 participants completing the program.
During the multi-day workshops, participants were introduced to tools of peace pedagogy, enabling them to later use these tools in workshops they will lead for their peers in local communities.
Workshop Impressions
Amina Bitići from Vareš highlighted that the most interesting part for her was the practical component of the training, where they practiced what they would later be teaching themselves.
“What matters most to me is bringing as much positive energy as possible into every classroom, so even those who might not initially find this interesting end up enjoying it,” she said.
Mina Vehabović from Doboj Istok praised the approach of the educators:
“It was very engaging, not dry or just theoretical. Everything was presented in a really nice way, and I plan to pass it on to my peers in a similar way.”
War Childhood Museum Visit
As part of the program, participants also visited the War Childhood Museum’s permanent exhibition. Teacher Nedžad Jukan from Lukavac shared that many of the objects on display took him back to his own childhood, as he too belongs to a generation that grew up during the war.“Many things reminded me of what I used, what I experienced,” he said, adding that using stories from the museum’s collection in workshops encourages peace, tolerance, coexistence, understanding, empathy, and acceptance of diversity.
An important aspect of the program was also the interaction among young people from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Teacher Alma Mahmutović from Vareš noted that some students arrived with certain prejudices, but overcame them through shared experiences and collaboration: “These workshops are a fantastic way for children to connect and to learn what peace truly is.”
In the next phase, students will implement workshops in their own schools, with support from mentors from the War Childhood Museum and its partner organizations.
