Insights from Sarajevo: Through the Lens of a Young Participant of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Summer School

Breaking Boundaries

I never imagined that a week spent in Sarajevo, surrounded by people whose worlds were so different from my own, would teach me what courage and resilience truly mean — and what it really means to call someone a hero in a place shaped by survival.

My name is Genta Abdiji. Growing up in a small village in North Macedonia, I felt early on both the spoken and unspoken limitations placed around me. As a young woman, I often witnessed how women’s potential could be confined by the belief that marriage should be the center of their lives.

My search for meaning and belonging eventually led me to peacebuilding.

I wanted to leave a place that no longer allowed me to move forward, so I studied in France, Turkey and Latvia. For me, education meant freedom — the possibility to ask questions, challenge boundaries, and shape life on my own terms. At the same time, I always found myself drawn to people, volunteering, and writing. Becoming a UNDP Regional Peacebuilding Fellow gave me a space to grow this part of myself even further.

That journey brought me to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Summer School, held from 22 to 26 September 2025 in Sarajevo, organized by the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies, with support from the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). The programme brought together young women and men from across the Western Balkans — people with different experiences but a shared desire to understand peace and their role in building it.

Witnessing Bosnia, Understanding Peace

As a child, I watched the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina on television. I could not understand its full scale, but I felt the weight of loss and the extraordinary strength of people who continued to move forward.

In Sarajevo, those memories gained new meaning.

Every conversation during the Summer School shaped us. Discussions about youth participation, gender equality, and the role of media in post-conflict societies reminded me of one simple truth: real change begins when those who were once silenced are finally heard.

Here, the WPS agenda was not just a policy framework. It came alive through stories — in the women rebuilding trust, in the courage to speak about loss, and in the everyday work of building peace at home, in communities, and across borders.

The programme gathered 50 participants from 11 countries, but what stayed with me most was not the number — it was the feeling of connection that grew among us.

My Hero: Adisa Likić

Visiting the War Childhood Museum confronted us with the reality of conflict in the most human way possible. Standing among stories of children whose lives had been permanently changed, I felt small in the face of their courage — but also deeply motivated to contribute to peace in my own way.

One encounter, however, stayed with me above all others.

Listening to the life story of Adisa Likić, founder of the women’s association “Zvijezda,” I felt profound respect. Adisa, a survivor of wartime violence, spoke with a trembling but determined voice. Her organization began by supporting women affected by war and has since grown into a network focused on healing, connection, and empowerment.

Watching her quietly yet powerfully lead women across the country, care for her community, and support her family left me with one clear thought: Adisa, you are my hero.

Her courage is not loud — it is lived, every day, transforming pain into solidarity and action. She reminded me what WPS truly represents: women who lead with empathy and turn their strength into change.

Reflection and Connection

Sarajevo became a mirror of my own journey.

My parents did not have much, but they gave me something invaluable — a home filled with books, conversation, and curiosity. Traveling and studying taught me that growth is not measured in kilometers, but in how deeply we learn to understand and connect with others.

Listening to people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I realized how universal resilience and empathy are. This experience gave me a global perspective, but it also deepened my sense of responsibility toward my own community.

Looking Ahead

I left Sarajevo with a clearer sense of purpose — to share what I learned with women in my community and help create spaces where their voices can be heard.

Peace is not a distant goal. It begins in small moments — in the courage to listen, the willingness to act, and the belief that empathy can rebuild what violence once tried to erase.