Serbia and Bosnia in crisis over “inactive” youth

A call of distress has been sounded from two heads of both Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina trade unions.

Overall unemployment is at a worrying 24%, while in some areas south of Belgrade, youth unemployment has reached 94%.  What are youngsters doing to fight against this phenomenon?  “Not much.”

This according to two trade union representatives from Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia – respectively  Franjo Topic, head of Napredak and Branislav Canak president of Nezavisnost who were present at an MCL (Christian union movement) summit in Trieste, Italy.

Their main worry lays in their countries’ apathetic and inactive youth.  The two parties claim that the possibility of having a future is essential in order to move forwards and let go of the past, which means that youngsters inability to get up and fight for a future is consequently keeping a difficult past alive.

This reality which risks to very fast mutate into resignation or even fatalism is being met by two very different strategies in both countries.

Football has the key.

In Sarajevo, the way towards peace between the various ethnicities and religious entities has taken the form of a very particular kind of football.

Young athletes of Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic origin who are together playing football at the highest possible level form the basis of a cohesive society as well as an example to others.

“A very concrete way to feed dialogue.  You cannot reconcile people with force.  A positive message is needed and fans can’t ignore the different origins of their favourite players, as it is made evident by the names on the backs of their shirts,” explains Topic.

In a country where fans often collide, Sask Napredak is part of this message.  Together with the football school – which sees over a hundred children of mixed origin train together, together with the choirs, numerous folk and artistic groups, and a theology faculty which encourages inter-religious dialogue.

No solidarity

On the other side of the border, Nezavisnost, one of the two biggest Serb trade unions, is carrying out its fight against a lack in solidarity between workers.

“A consequence of communism,” explains Canak, “from the philosophy that someone else will resolve your problems and so no need to be supportive.”

Canak and his fellow trade unionists, who were described by Milosevic as being the “bad” ones and the “traitors”, know well of the consequences that could stem from a generalised youth unemployment situation such as this one.  They have studied its causes and are trying to come up with initiatives.

“We need to create a mechanism that directly makes offer and demand meet.  But at the same time, we need to start raising awareness amongst the young.  We have to explain to them the correlation between a salary and a pension – correlation which is especially relevant in a country where for every worker there is a retiree.”