Youth Forum: Civic Identity as a Necessity, Not an Alternative

(Patria) - The Youth Forum of Krug 99 held a press conference and a session dedicated to the topic "Civic Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina – An Alternative or an Impossible Mission?", which openly discussed contemporary socio-political challenges in the country, with a special focus on the long-standing dominance of ethnic divisions that continue to strongly shape the political and social reality of BiH.

Participants warned that such a framework is increasingly discouraging young people, undermining their trust in institutions and reducing the prospect of staying in the country.

Anis Demir, a member of the Youth Forum of Krug 99, emphasized that ethnic divisions are one of the key factors driving young people to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to him, young people are increasingly used as instruments by political elites, while these divisions are instrumentalized to mobilize the electorate, without creating real prospects for the future.

He stressed that while diversity has historical significance, it is not adequately represented in political action. At the same time, young people remain insufficiently included, while a narrative of intolerance dominates, which, as he said, maintains the existing system in which political power is retained by actors who produce that intolerance. Therefore, as he stated, strengthening education on civic identity is crucial for opening space for social change.

Constitutional law professor Šukrija Bakšić assessed that the concept of citizenship allows for the complete individualization of each person and represents the best framework for protecting and realizing human rights, especially the right to political participation. He emphasized that, although demanding and long-term, the development of the civic concept is indispensable for the democratic future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Muhamed Hamzić, president of the Youth Forum of Krug 99, recalled that without affirming the principle of civic equality, any political system remains partial and incomplete. He stressed that civic identity does not imply the negation of collective identities, but their integration into a broader framework where individual rights take precedence. Such an approach, as he stated, allows for the preservation of identity diversity, but also ensures the equality of all citizens, which is a necessary prerequisite for a stable and functional democratic society.