Youth Tennis Civic Engagement in Post War Healing and Reconciliation
This project's parent organization is Youth Initiative for Creative Engagement
It operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina
It uses Tennis
Entered the Sport for Conflict Resolution Award
More about Youth Tennis Civic Engagement in Post War Healing and Reconciliation
We contribute to community development and post war healing in local communities by recognizing youth as legitimate participants ; empowering their civic engagement in the development process and emerging democracy in BIH post war society through usage of sports,mainly tennis and soccer,floorball that has just been introduced in the center.
A group of approximately 60 young people ages 4 to 17 from different religious backgrounds (including Bosnian muslim,Catholics,Jews and Ortodox) are currently attending our tennis program and weekend camps brought together by YMCA Bosnia and Herzegovina monitored by YMCa World Aliance.We have half day and full day childcare program that from this winter consists not only of serious tennis practices as was the case for the past 3 years but of series of creative arts workshops/crafts workshops and digital media usage for empowerment at the center.
Through discussion on our indiviudla identity we come to common Bosniak Identity after sharing our own individual experiences exposing propaganda effects in the war and in the current reconcilation process .We expose how violence is created unoticabely,stereotypes and prejudice built in schools and through TV and Radio Programs. We present indirect alternative modes to recognition of the process we engage in everyday unnoticabely and formation of prejudice we ourselves have beeing that we are bombed by hatered and injustice from every corner.
We teach kids and youth how to deal with violent communication ,and youth is definitelly given a safe space where they express their identities, voice their needs frustrations and perception of the community they live in becoming better individuals themselves amazing athletes and cathalyst of positive change .Kids are encouraged to make sense of history but yet learn how to make right moral choices today unafeected of what have had happened.Our center offers them tremendous potential for healing and bonding based on common sports game they engage in ,tournaments,team play.