This year’s edition of the Maglaj Spirit Weekendfestival was opened with the exhibition Ready. Steady. Our Europe, presenting some of the most inspiring photographs by young talents from across the Western Balkans. The exhibition marks the closing stage of a regional photo contest that received nearly 200 submissions. The competition was launched as part of the campaign of the same name, implemented by WeBalkans – an initiative of the European Union’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST). Young authors through the selected photos illustrated how sport transcends borders and connects people.
“We are especially pleased that our town has the opportunity to host such a meaningful event – one that opens doors for young people to exchange knowledge and build international cooperation. Maglaj is known for its rich cultural tradition and for being a place where people of different generations and values come together,” said Faris Habibović, Deputy Mayor of Maglaj Municipality, which is once again the festival’s main partner.
The exhibition Ready. Steady. Our Europe has already been presented at the Europe Houses in Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje, and Tirana. Maglaj is the designated stop in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I would like to extend my greetings to the representatives of the Municipality of Maglaj, our partners from the WeBalkans team, and the local youth association ‘Dictum Factum’, whose dedication made this event possible, with support from our Možemo bolje project. The exhibition we are opening is part of the European Union’s regional initiative – WeBalkans. More than 180 photographs were submitted, and 18 were selected for display. The European Union strongly supports youth initiatives throughout the region and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Young people are the future, and in that spirit, I would also like to announce the upcoming ‘State of Peace’ Summer Academy, taking place in August, which will gather 50 young people from across the region,” said Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Stanislava Marojević, representative of the WeBalkans team, and Hana Kunić, a Young European Ambassador (YEA) addressed the audience speaking about the campaign and YEAs. National handball player Emir Delić and Ema Suljaković, a member of the local volleyball club spoke about the power of sport to connect young people and build mutual trust and cooperation.
Young European Ambassadors from Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina also gathered to engage with visitors to the Ready. Steady. Our Europe exhibition.
After the opening, the Maglaj Spirit Weekend festival programme continued with the screening of the film Blum – Masters of Their Future, directed by Jasmila Žbanić.
The festival offered more than just cultural content – it nurtured empathy, inter generational communication, and social inclusion. Films, exhibitions, and discussions were aimed at confronting the past, understanding the sense of community, and encouraging dialogue as a brave and necessary act in the spirit of fun for all generations.
“Your presence here on Gradina tonight, and the new programme we have created for this Festival, along with connecting Maglaj, Doboj, and Žepče, is proof that our town, our region, and the Zenica-Doboj Canton can indeed do better. Thank you for embracing this festival as your own. It is a great responsibility, but also a privilege to serve such an audience – the people of Maglaj,” said Young European Ambassador Adi Softić, who is a President of the Youth Association “Dictum Factum”.
Maglaj Spirit Weekend was also supported through the “Možemo bolje” project, funded by the European Union’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – jointly implemented by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
