From May 27 to June 1, 2024, a delegation from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), led by NED President and CEO Damon Wilson and Vice President of Programs Brian Joseph, traveled to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet with grantees and partners and discuss the country’s democratic progress and aspirations for the future.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has come a long way,” said Tanja Dramac Jiries, deputy director for Europe at NED. “Thirty years following the end of violent conflict, the country now boasts a new generation of political leaders and civil society organizations working hard to propel the country’s EU candidate status into full membership and create a more just society for citizens. Support to them is crucial amid a backdrop of democratic backsliding and security threats across Europe.”
NED’s delegation began their visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Srebrenica with a visit to the Srebrenica Memorial Center, honoring more than 8,000 Bosniak victims of the 1995 genocide. The Center highlights the country’s commitment to truth, justice, and remembrance. It also serves as an educational center to promote reconciliation among youth through various programs, including a Srebrenica Youth School implemented by NED grantee the Post-Conflict Research Center.
In Sarajevo, NED’s delegation was welcomed by key civil society partners, including Zasto Ne and the War Childhood Museum. Zasto Ne works to advance government accountability by informing citizens about elected officials’ performance and was the host of this year’s GlobalFact Summit. The War Childhood Museum is the first museum dedicated exclusively to highlighting the experiences of childhoods affected by war in the Western Balkans, a concept now replicated around the world.
During the visit, Wilson appeared as a guest on Perspektiva Plus’s television show, Perspektiva. Recorded at Sarajevo City Hall, more than 40 young people attended the show and engaged in conversation with Wilson to discuss their hopes and concerns for their society’s democratic future.
“Young people often feel disenfranchised, not part of the political system, and not included in those decisions. Yet, it is the dissatisfaction and pressure that comes from young generations that move the possibilities in society,” said Wilson.
Wilson also engaged with university students during a public discussion at the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Political Science alongside NED Board members Ambassador Melanne Vereer and Peter Roskam. The discussion focused on geopolitical challenges and opportunities for Bosnia and Herzegovina within the Euro-Atlantic framework.
The delegation met with President Zeljko Komsic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konakovic, where Wilson underscored NED’s support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in strengthening the country’s democratic institutions. With talks of a “foreign agents act” being enacted in the Republika Srpska entity of the country during the visit, Wilson also encouraged both President Komsic and Minister Konakovic to continue fostering an enabling environment for civil society and independent media to operate.
NED’s delegation also had the opportunity to meet with young politicians who have participated in the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute’s leadership development programs to learn how the new generation of political leaders is working to foster cross-party collaboration and advance democratic reforms.
