Movement for a Civic BiH Founded - Call to Intellectuals and Organizations to Join!

(Patria) - In the spirit of universal values of freedom, equality, and the rule of law, and in the shadow of the BiH Nordic Forum held in Gothenburg on October 4 and 5, 2025, with the presence of numerous citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the diaspora, representatives of the non-governmental sector, the academic community, and political activists, the Movement for a Civic Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded.

"The Movement emerged as a response to the deep institutional and social crisis, exacerbated by ethnic divisions, blockades, and discriminatory constitutional solutions that have prevented the building of a functional, democratic, and legally ordered state for all its citizens for decades – regardless of ethnic, religious, or political affiliation," stated the press release from the Movement's Steering Committee.

In partnership with the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Krug 99", the Movement for a Civic State will work on developing and promoting proposals for constitutional changes leading to: the abolition of ethnic prefixes in political representation, the establishment of equality for all citizens throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, strengthening the rule of law and state institutions, and creating conditions for a democratic, European, and secular Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Goals of the Movement:

1. Civic Bosnia and Herzegovina as a political ideal – a state where all citizens are equal, regardless of collective affiliation.
2. Constitutional Reforms – aligning the constitutional order with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (Zornić et al.).
3. Mobilization of Civic Energy – gathering all progressive forces, at home and in the diaspora, around the idea of a civic state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4. International Cooperation and Lobbying – working with the EU, UN, and other relevant institutions to support the transformation of Bosnia and Herzegovina into a civic state.

The Movement for a Civic State calls upon all free-thinking citizens, the academic community, non-governmental organizations, the diaspora, and political actors who share these values to actively engage in the Movement's work, to fight together and in an organized manner for a civic state.