Results of the evaluation of grant applications received in response to the Grant Call of the Regional Program “Dialogue for the Future“

The team of the UN regional program “Dialogue for the Future” is thankful to all applicants who have submitted  more than 200 project proposals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia for their efforts and excellent ideas aimed at enhancing youth capacity , improving media and information literacy and media reporting, advancing dialogue and action for public  good, improving the education system for greater social cohesion, advancing  gender equality, promoting cultural diversity and intercultural understanding, as well as advancing environmental protection. Civil society organizations, public institutions and municipalities were eligible to apply in this Call for Proposals.

The evaluation process resulted in a total of 19 cross-border projects that will be awarded grants. The implementation of these cross-border grants will contribute to the overall goal of this regional joint UN program: to enhance social cohesion and dialogue, in and between, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia. In crises times such as this pandemic that has affected the entire planet, social cohesion represents a key pillar and resource every society relies upon, by strengthening positive interpersonal relations, solidarity and activism, for the benefit and wellbeing of the entire communities.

The Joint Regional Program “Dialogue for the Future”, coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinators in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia, is implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO, with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund.

List of Approved Projects

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Ingrid Macdonald, noted the importance of the selected proposals especially in these challenging times: “ I was truly happy to see such a number of innovative and engaging proposals which came through our joint Dialogue for the Future initiative. Its unique approach across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia is valued more than ever as we move towards “the new normal” with the social cohesion of communities at its center. We have seen in the past few months that where there is more solidarity, mutual respect, understanding and diversity – there is more resilience to crisis, there is strengthened trust and community engagement and there is greater chance at prosperous recovery. We need to not only embrace these values, but share them, amplify them, support them. I am looking forward to seeing the awarded projects in practice and thank our UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO teams for leading this impressive process.” 

Awarded projects aim to – beyond all – empower communities, with a focus on youth and women, for a stronger engagement and society action. Ms. Steliana Nedera, UNDP BiH Representative highlighted “I am so inspired by how different BiH organizations in partnerships with organizations from Serbia and Montenegro gave their creative content and meaning to the UN vision of leaving no one behind.  The diversity and creativity of ideas, whether they focused on giving spotlight to youth with hearing and speech impairment in a music theater form, or making sure that voices and priorities of women with visual impairments are heard across the region, are  a true inspiration to all of us here.  Partnerships where we strive for greater inclusion and dialogue are center to advancing social cohesion in BiH and in the region.”   

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the joint Dialogue for The Future team evaluated project proposals received across all seven priority themes and with a high number of outlined partnerships with organizations and institutions in Montenegro and Republic of Serbia.

Reflecting on the awarded applicants, Dr. Rownak Khan – UNICEF BiH Representative said: “We in UNICEF are delighted to see that some of the most successful applications came from the public schools, involving the adolescents as agents of change in social cohesion processes in an innovative and participatory manner. We are impressed to see the model of forum theater  that enables young people to connect and express their deepest concerns and issues in a creative and contemporary manner and allows them to identify commonalities and differences – a precondition for social cohesion.”

The current health crisis has enormous global, and consequently regional and national ramifications for the creative sector. Even though, lockdown measures resulting in closing museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions, cancelling concerts and theatre plays, directly impact the sector’s capacity to create and distribute new artistic expressions and cultural content outside of the digital spectrum, reducing the diversity of cultural expressions worldwide – artists and cultural professionals around the globe have imagined innovative and creative solutions, often by using digital tools to continue their activity and to connect with the public. Hence, this unprecedented emergency demonstrated the central role culture plays in building resilience and social cohesion, noted UNESCO.

“Today, we are very pleased to announce a number of creative initiatives that are promoting cultural diversity and intercultural understanding with a focus on cultural exchanges and international teamwork, young artist’s expressions through theatre, various learning opportunities, while engaging communities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro in intercultural dialogue. Through exploring natural and cultural heritage, environment and science, education, creativity and art, these initiatives are targeting young people, cultural industry workers and provide special emphasis on women empowerment. We are very much looking forward to our new partnerships and journeys, and all the inspiring ideas and challenges ahead. “ concluded Mr. Sinisa Sesum, Head of Office, Antenna in Sarajevo, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe.