The final conference on an EU-funded project on Participation and Intercultural Governance at Local Level in the Balkans: Challenges and European Perspectives took place in Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina, March 30 – April 2.

The EWC was invited by the hosts, the Local Democracy Agency Mostar and the city administration Mostar, to present its work.

The conference gave an overview of activities implemented over the past two years. Representatives from civil society organization and local self-governments from Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina presented key concepts and practices related to democratic participation and good local governance.

Five thematic panels were organized with the participation of panelists coming from the three countries included in the project, but also from municipalities/institutions from Italy, UK, Norway, Hungary and Moldova.



Photo by: Nikola Tumbas
Picture from session: Multicultural Coexistence to Intercultural Governance

EWC Special Advisor Gunnar Mandt (second from right) facilitated a session on Multicultural Coexistence to Intercultural Governance. The session included: EWC Advisor Ms Gebara (in the middle) on project examples in the field of democratic citizenship education; Mr Sead Đulić (second from left), from Mostar Youth Theater, on his work on divided communities; Ms Olga Perušić (to the right), from LDA Mostar on minorities in Subotica; and Mr Svetislav Milanković (in front), from Museum Subotica on multiculturalism in Subotica.

Interesting debates, exchange of good practice and comparisons of different approaches in relation to the main topic of the conference were valuable parts throughout the conference. 

The EWC also held side meetings with the Local Democracy Agency Mostar and the Nansen Dialogue Centre Mostar to discuss possibilities for future co-operation, during the conference.

Information about the conference can be found in the Newsletter  Regional Partnership for Intercultural Exchange