Religious communities are the best networks through which it can function structurally and work with all women who are declared believers and belong to traditional religious communities, said at a conference entitled “Vjernice Hercegovina u izgradnji građanskog društva” (Believers in Herzegovina in building a democratic society). The conference was held in Trebinje. At the assembly that was organized by the BiH Interreligious Council, it was said that until now the voice of the faithful has rarely been heard in civic life, especially that of women, and that this is a good occasion for them to speak about what kind of BiH they would like.
Steven Gillen, the first Secretary of the US Embassy in BiH and the Chief Advisor of the Ambassador for Human Rights, said that the goal of the conference is to promote interreligious dialogue, adding that women have to have a key and united role in building civil society in BiH.
‘’Religion has a place in every society, and believers can contribute to its development with their activities’’, said Gillen.
The Advisor in the Interreligious Council of BiH Olivera Jovanović said that it is very important that women of faith in Herzegovina to facilitate candidacy for specific projects at the local level.
The representative of the Jewish community in Mostar Erna Danon-Cipra thinks that the gathering of believers is very important due to their commonalities and future cooperation in building civil society.
At the conference it was emphasized that true believers respect all God-given postulates, and that the increasing irreverence and blasphemy does not suit a modern society.
“Citizens of BiH and religious associations have a duty and obligation to not forget what is good and that there is link that holds it’’, stated at the conference.
Women of faith from Mostar, Stolac, Jablanica, Ljubuški, Berkovica, Nevesinja and Trebinje attended the conference.
The conference was organized within the project “Širenje mreža vjernica u BiH – vjernice grade građansko društvo” (Expanding the network of believers in BiH-believers build civil society) in cooperation with the US Embassy.
