Development of advocacy plan, project “contribution of the academic community to the protection of human rights in BIH”

At the first workshop organized by the University of Business Engineering and Management and the Association for Democratic Initiatives, three advocacy goals were set. The workshop was held on Wednesday, September 15, within the project “Contribution of the Academic Community to the Protection of Human Rights in BiH – CAHR”. The workshop was held with the support of the EU.

During the workshop, members of the network of the project “Contribution of the Academic Community to the Protection of Human Rights in BiH” worked on the development of advocacy goals, as well as on the mapping of relevant stakeholders in order to achieve advocacy goals. In addition to developing the advocacy plan, the workshop participants also had the opportunity to talk to the author of the “Study on Mapping Institutional Violations of Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, PhD Aleksandar R. Ivanović.

In addition to the first workshop held in Lukavica, workshops in Banja Luka and Tuzla will be held in the following period. The aim of the workshops is to develop a joint advocacy plan which, together with the CAHR team, will be developed by the academic community (representatives of universities and faculties) and civil society organizations on improving policies/legislation for freedom of opinion and information, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the workshop, members of the CAHR network pointed out the difficulties in exercising the right to peaceful assembly in public areas due to stricter requirements and obligations for gathering, such as the obligation to ensure order and security, the obligation to appoint organizers, supervizors, etc. selection of public areas where the gathering can take place. In addition, it was mentioned that certain informal groups were treated unequally, as additional security measures were imposed on them.

Members of the CAHR network also had the opportunity to discuss the right to freedom of expression, where an example of punishing citizens who expressed their criticism of the authorities through social networks, for which they were fined for spreading false news and causing panic on the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the coming period, the CAHR project team will organize additional presentations of the Study in Banja Luka, Tuzla, Mostar and Brčko, as well as workshops for the development of the advocacy plan in Banja Luka and Tuzla, after which CAHR network members will participate in capacity building trainings in the field of advocacy and work additionally on the advocacy plan, which will be held by the end of this year.