The U.S. Exchange Alumni Association in BiH held mini conferences yesterday in Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Tuzla on ”Mobilizing Alumni for Positive Change in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
Over 60 leaders from the worlds of business, academia, media, and the non-governmental sector gathered at the U.S. Embassy to attend the first of four mini conferences to be held around the country for past participants of U.S. exchange programs. The conferences, which are being organized by the U.S. Alumni Association in cooperation with the Embassy, are intended to discuss the future of BiH and Euro-Atlantic integration.
U.S. Ambassador Patrick S. Moon opened the conference in Sarajevo by recognizing the prior work of the Alumni Association as well as the group’s enormous potential to bring about positive change. “The Association has enthusiastic, sharp high school students, brilliant academics, successful NGO leaders, and savvy journalists to name only a few – all united by the fact that you were selected to participate in these prestigious exchange programs. We chose you because we recognized your desire to improve your local communities and your country and your capacity to transform Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Six expert panelists (all exchange alumni) led discussions on: Advantages and Challenges of BiH NATO Integration, BiH Youth and EU Integration, Ethnic Discrimination as an Obstacle to EU Integration, Foreign Direct Investment on the Road to EU Integration, Education for 21st Century Europe – the European Framework of Key Competencies. The three other conferences will take place this fall.
Over the past twenty years over 2000 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing all sectors of society, have participated in U.S.-sponsored exchange programs. Program alumni have included participants who have gone on to serve in the BiH Presidency, in the Council of Ministers, as Members of the State Parliament, as Prime Minister and President at the entity-level, as Cantonal Ministers and Parliamentarians, Mayors, and in other high positions. Alumni include university professors, NGO leaders, artists, comedians, chefs, teachers, student leaders and their teachers.
The U.S. Exchange Alumni Association was established in 2004. The diverse group is comprised of alumni from a variety of U.S. exchange programs including: Fulbright, Ron Brown Program, International Visitor Leadership Program and many others. Its mission is to advocate for positive change in BiH society and actively work on fostering those changes through the implementation of projects related to democratic and economic development, the adoption of new technologies and the promotion of education and science.
