US Alumni Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Contact Information

• Where – Bosnia and Herzegovina (The Balkans, Europe)
• Contact Person – Elma Demir
• Email – elma.demir@gmail.com
• Address – Kralja Tvrtka 13, 71000, Sarajevo
• Other – Facebook

Areas of Expertise

The US Alumni Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina has expertise in a range of areas, including:

• Dialogue
• Youth Empowerment

Main Aims and Objectives

The US Alumni Association gathers around 1,900 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina who participated in academic and professional exchange programs in the USA. Using the US experience from its members, the Association works on realizing projects in a number of fields, including developing economic and political institutions, ethnic reconciliation, education and science, technology, and sustainable urban and rural development. The Association pursues its activities with the goal of fostering better living conditions for all citizens and positive social changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially strengthening democracy, peace and tolerance. A special objective of the Association is to strengthen relationships and enhance academic and professional exchanges between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States.

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

Through implementation of projects, the Association works to uphold and implement the Principles of Conflict Transformation. Each of the Association’s activities includes components of fostering inter-ethnic understanding in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wide region, as well bringing people from diverse ethnic, geographical and cultural backgrounds together to work on topics of joint interest.

Where and with Whom

The Association, which is supported by the US State Department and US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, works with universities throughout the country.

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

The Association is currently implementing a project entitled, “Youth for Change Program: Fostering Inter-Ethnic Exchange and Youth Activism through New Media”. Opportunities for young people to meet their fellows from other cities, ethnic and cultural backgrounds in Bosnia and Herzegovina are extremely limited; thereby creating further tensions concerning ethnicity, even among youth. In addition, an overwhelming majority of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina lack opportunities to bring their ideas, talents, and passion to civic and political life. In order to meet these challenges, this project aims to foster interethnic understanding and cooperation, educational achievement, workforce training and civic engagement of young people through the use of information and communications technology with focus on new media.