Conference 'Youth Emigration from BiH: Opportunities and Challenges'

(Patria) - The Institute for Youth Development KULT is organizing a conference today on the topic of "Youth Emigration from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Opportunities and Challenges".

At the event, which will be held on Ilidža, 25 youth officers from BiH will share their positive and negative experiences with representatives of entity and state institutions responsible for youth, organizations, as well as representatives of the business community and educational institutions.

"Youth emigration, as highlighted by KULT, has been a burning issue in BiH in recent years, and according to the results of the Analysis of the Position and Needs of Youth, published by KULT in 2013, about 150,000 young people left BiH from the end of the war until 2013.

After 2013, sporadic analyses by non-governmental and international organizations have been published, indicating a continuous increase in the number of young people deciding to leave the country, but a phenomenon of entire families leaving has also emerged. According to an online survey published by the Institute in the summer of 2017, young people are leaving primarily due to lack of prospects, dissatisfaction with the education and healthcare systems, excessive corruption and nepotism, as well as unemployment.

The aforementioned situation implies the need for the involvement of all relevant actors in solving this problem, primarily through the creation of a strategic approach and all accompanying activities that will contribute to creating an environment in which young people will want to stay, but also return to. Particular attention is also given to the question of how Bosnia and Herzegovina responds to the needs and problems of young people who are staying and choose to stay, and how to create concrete measures for cooperation with young people in the diaspora," stated KULT.