case study competition - how can the eu do better in your country - balkans?
DESCRIPTION
In this paper, I will try to focus clearly on assessing the EU performance, primarily in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in the Balkans, through “The School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe in B&H” and “Educational cycle of Political Academy of the Party of Democratic Action B&H”. I'm very familiar with these two programs because I have recently attended them. The aim of this paper is to provide constructive criticism regarding EU performance of these two programs of political education for young people, which would help the EU to raise its efficiency and maximize its results in B&H and the Balkans by offering fresh and creative approaches that address its shortcomings.TRANSCRIPT
Sanel Prelic
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION
„How can the EU do better in your
country/Balkans?”
Lukavac, February 2013
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
SANEL PRELIC
2
In this paper, I will try to focus clearly on assessing the EU performance, primarily in
Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in the Balkans, through “The School of Political
Studies of the Council of Europe in B&H” and “Educational cycle of Political Academy
of the Party of Democratic Action B&H”. I'm very familiar with these two programs
because I have recently attended them.
The aim of this paper is to provide constructive criticism regarding EU performance of
these two programs of political education for young people, which would help the EU
to raise its efficiency and maximize its results in B&H and the Balkans by offering
fresh and creative approaches that address its shortcomings.
The School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe in B&H
The School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe in B&H is currently one of the
best programs of “the continent's oldest political organization“1 – Council of Europe.
Council of Europe, through its Office in Sarajevo and under the project "Network of
Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe”, organizes this school for ten
years successfully in order to educate and train future generations of political,
economic, social and cultural leaders in B&H with the help of national and
international experts. I was a participant of this tenth jubilee generation of the school
which held its activities during 2012.
The aim of the School of Political Studies of the CoE in B&H was to gather, through a
series of seminars, young leaders from almost all political parties and all parts of B&H
and various areas of professional life.
Participants in the program introduce each other and analyze the different views that
other young people have, work together, and discuss the important and sensitive
political topics in a polite manner with the aim of fostering and improving the culture
of dialogue. Ultimately, it all together should ensure the giving of importance to the
“Council of Europe’s main goals and values”2 in the future political and public life in
B&H.
1 The Council of Europe is the continent's oldest political organisation, founded in 1949. (Source: Website Councile of Europe –
Sarajevo Office http://snipurl.com/25wh6k6, accessed on December 1, 2012) 2 The primary aim of the Council of Europe is to create a common democratic and legal area throughout the whole of the
continent, ensuring respect for its fundamental values: human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These values are the foundations of a tolerant and civilised society and indispensable for European stability, economic growth and social cohesion. On the basis of these fundamental values, we try to find shared solutions to major problems such as terrorism, organised crime and corruption, cybercrime, bioethics and cloning, violence against children and women, and trafficking in human beings. (Source: Website Councile of Europe http://snipurl.com/25t5sr4 accessed on December 1, 2012)
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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It is important to note, “when Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the
Council of Europe (on April 24, 2002) it has accepted an obligation to foster and
promote democratic values and standards of the Council of Europe”.3
Educational cycle of Political Academy of the Party of Democratic Action B&H
For the past three years, Political Academy of SDA, “as a program of political
education and training for young leaders”4, offers a one-year educational cycle to its
students that takes place through the curriculum of the Academy. I was a participant
of the second generation of PA SDA which held its activities during 2011.
In addition to contribution to the quality of political processes in B&H through political
education of staff and motivating them to political and social action, other aims of PA
SDA’s one-year educational cycle are development of a democratic political culture
among youth and social actors, encouraging dialogue & cooperation between young
leaders on issues of common interest, preparation of young leaders for the future
social and political roles that they will perform, and especially successful leading of
B&H through the process of important reforms.
During educational cycle of PA SDA participants, namely young leaders from politics,
private sector, public administration, civil society and media, had an opportunity to
gain knowledge through intensive seminars from areas that are relevant to their work
in society, regardless of the sphere of the society in which they acted.
Among the covered areas in the curriculum of PA SDA were the topics that seek to
improve the future work of the participants, such as political communication, human
resource management, the use of new technologies in the campaign, as well as
those relating to broader areas such as European integration, introduction to
decision-making in the European Union, the use of pre-accession funds of the
European Union, etc.
3 Source: Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs B&H, http://snipurl.com/25t5t3c, accessed on December 2, 2012
4 Political Academy of the Party of Democratic Action is program of political education and training for young leaders from
politics, private sector, public administration, civil society and the media from B&H, the region and the world (Source: Facebook page of Political Academy of SDA http://snipurl.com/25t5vkc, accessed on December 2, 2012)
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
SANEL PRELIC
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Anyway, PA SDA is “the first academy of its kind in B&H, modeled on programs of
political education in the major parties across Europe”.5
Projects that provide hope for a better tomorrow
Based on the facts presented so far, it can easily be concluded that projects such as
“The School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe in B&H” and “Educational
cycle of Political Academy of the Party of Democratic Action B&H” are "Ambassadors
of the main aims and values of the EU" and trying to educate young people, surely
the most important group, about these aims and values.
I therefore believe that projects of this type are necessary and really provide hope for
a better future of B&H and the Balkans from multiple aspects.
In article “Develop and improve society“6 Director of Political Academy of SDA Senad
Sepic says that in PA SDA they are of the opinion that acquirement of knowledge,
skills and attitudes can affect political process which will bring change for the better,
and this change can only come with more activity of young people. Sepic adds that
this method of education of the entire civil society was long-rooted in Western
democracies and for B&H this is especially important because of the fact that
democracy in this country is still in the development stage.
Thus, some of the main topics covered by the curriculum of PA SDA are those
relating to European integration, introduction to decision-making in the European
Union, the use of pre-accession funds of the European Union, etc.
Among other things, one of the aims of the School of Political Studies of the CoE in
B&H is improvement of the culture of dialogue between young participants for the
purpose of development of Bosnian society. In her statement for “South East News
Service Europe (SENSE)”7 Head of the Council of Europe Office in Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mary Ann Hennessey points out that, with the gathering of current and
future leaders from almost all political parties and areas of professional life in Bosnia
5 Source: Facebook Page of Political Academy of SDA http://snipurl.com/25t5vkc, accessed on December 5, 2012
6 Newsletter of Political Academy of SDA, Number VII, September/October 2011, strana 1
7 Source: Website of South East News Service Europe http://snipurl.com/25twb0j, accessed on December 10, 2012
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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and Herzegovina, they are trying to learn to discuss the very important and sensitive
topics through this school.
Some of the main topics studied in Schools of Political Studies of the Council of
Europe are “European integration, processes of democratization, intercultural
dialogue, post-conflict reconciliation, globalization, organization of free elections,
strengthening of democratic institutions and civil society development”.8
Participants - primarily young and well-educated
Young candidates who have already established themselves in their workplaces and
want to deepen knowledge and share experience on the socio-political processes are
mainly requested during the selection of candidates for both programs. Well-
educated people who have specific program of work for the next period and speak
foreign languages have an advantage during selection process.
Candidates for educational cycle of PA SDA are required “to have expressed desire
for new knowledge acquirement, skills improvement and introduction with new ideas
& techniques“.9
Participants of the School of Political Studies of the CoE are “young leaders (average
age 35) in the public and private sectors, selected according to their level of social or
professional responsibility, taking account of relevant political, social, cultural and
ethnic factors in each country”.10 Gender balance is another criterion of the schools’
selection procedure.
This is exactly the target group of candidates which only, if of course meets all the
necessary criteria, can provide and build a new future for the countries in the Balkans
region in the European Union.
I therefore believe that education and training of these young people should lie in the
center of “strategy for success” of each serious society whose strategic aim is
membership in EU.
8 Source: Website European Association of the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe http://snipurl.com/25u0yrl,
accessed on December 10, 2012 9 Source: Facebook Page of Political Academy of SDA http://snipurl.com/25t5vkc, accessed on December 11, 2012
10 Plaquette „The schools of political studies of the Council of Europe“, Council of Europe, 2010, page 2
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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High-quality education programs that truly promote the goals and values of the
EU
PA SDA, in cooperation with partner “Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation from Sweden”11,
organized seminar entitled “European integration and political brending” for
participants of the second generation of PA SDA on October 2011 in Sarajevo.
"The speakers at the seminar were prominent experts from Sweden as Par
Henriksson, Head of campaigns for Swedish centre-right Moderate Party and
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, and Klas Hjort, Political Advicer of the
Moderate Party Office in the European Parliament. They have spoken about how
institutions of the European Union work and its values and goals.“12
Vice president of SDA and Member of Parliament of B&H Semsudin Mehmedovic
held lesson about European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and negotiations
of that country with the European Union.
Bakir Izetbegovic, member of the Presidency of B&H talked with the participants
about the issues that are within its competence as member of the Presidency, but
also about other strategic issues that are important for B&H such as membership in
the EU and NATO.
“The culture of dialogue in B&H” was title of the first seminar of the tenth School of
Political Studies of the CoE in B&H, held on February 2012 in Vlašić.
Head of the CoE Office in B&H Mary Ann Hennessey spoke at the seminar on topic
"Political Dialogue for European Integration" while Ambassador of the United States
to Bosnia and Herzegovina Patrick Moon had the speech entitled "Political dialogue
for Euro-Atlantic integration”.13
Representatives of Legal - Constitutional Committee of the House of Representatives
B&H Sefik Dzaferovic, Lazar Prodanovic and Mato Franjicevic have spoken and
created discussion on topics “Political dialogue within political parties” and “Political
dialogue for reforms”.
11
Founded after the fall of the Berlin wall and the iron curtain, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation aims to promote co-operation and European development based on freedom, democracy and market economy. This is done through education and information on democracy and European integration directed to political parties and organizations. ( Source: Website of Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation, http://snipurl.com/25x4kx2, accessed on December 11, 2012 12
Newsletter of Political Academy of SDA, Number VII, September/October 2011, page 3 13
Source: Blog Z.U.I.T. http://snipurl.com/25u9ow6, accessed on December 11, 2012
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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Within their study trip to administrative center of the European Union in Brussels on
January 2012, participants of the second generation of PA SDA visited the
headquarters of the European Commission, European Parliament and NATO where
they had a chance to talk with Head of Mission of BiH to NATO, Branimir Jukic. They
also visited the headquarters of Mission of B&H to the EU and had meeting with
Ambassador at Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU, Osman Topcagic.
“The aim of this visit was to introduce participants of Political Academy of SDA with
the way of functioning of these institutions, Euro-Atlantic associations and with the
importance of our country's accession into them as well as to demonstrate that, in
Bosnia and Herzegovina there are promising political forces whose goal is B&H’s full
membership in EU and NATO”.14
Over fifty participants of School of Political Studies of the CoE in B&H attended the
first “World Forum for Democracy” in Strasbourg that was organized by the Council of
Europe and the City of Strasbourg on October 2012.
„Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland officially opened the
Forum, followed by the presentations of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
Yemen politician and human rights activist and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Tawakkol Karman, French Minister in charge of European Affairs Bernard
Cazeneuvre, German Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble and many others“.15
The assessment of the first Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy was eighty hours
of debate, several dozen encounters, more than 200 experts from around the globe
and 1500 participants representing 120 countries.
Apart from young leaders, participants of the Network of schools of political studies of
the CoE, the Forum also gathered leaders of European institutions, members of
European as well as national parliaments, high level politicians, leading public figures
and civil society activists, in order to work together on identifying possible answers to
today’s economic, social and political challenges
14
Newsletter of Political Academy of SDA, Number X, January/February 2012, page 2 15
Source: Website of Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence http://snipurl.com/25um5y8, accessed on December 12, 2012
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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In addition to attending the different events of the Forum, the participants from Bosnia
and Herzegovina exchanged views with their peers in regional meetings of Schools
and met their country’s judges from the European Court of Human Rights.
„The aim of this first Forum was not to find global consensus on democracy, but
rather to allow discussions and exchanges of experience between politicians, global
leaders and members of the civil society to identify possible answers to challenges
arising in today's societies“.16
Concluding Remarks
Taking into consideration all above mentioned facts, we can conclude that two
projects, described in detail in this paper, are very good models that promote the true
values and standards of the EU in B&H and the Balkans.
There is no doubt that this approach is the only one that can bring us all closer to
European integration, but it is necessary that young people participate in existing
programs of this type as much as possible, and in this way upgrade their knowledge,
as well as get the opportunity to travel and meet other young people, creating
thereby a network of friends who will perhaps be able to help participant’s country or
the community to further develop.
I could finish this work with the recommendation that more projects of this kind are
needed “that will conduct the training of young generation for the future political
leadership in Bosnia and Herzegovina through their professional programs of
education”17 in all spheres of society, while relying on the modern achievements of
the EU.
Therefore, I consider that, full utilization of all capacities of these young leaders in
practice and on the field, in order to implement everything what they, through the
training and education gained, is missing.
16
What are the forces shaping democratic societies in the future? Will the emerging voices of the Arab Spring bring about lasting stability? And can they be a source of inspiration for reforms in established Western democracies? By confronting conventional concepts with new realities, the Forum gauged how democracies can satisfy the expectations of citizens and adapt to their different values and traditions. ( Source: Website of European Association of the The Schools of Political Studies of the Councile of Europe http://snipurl.com/25um87h, accessed on December 12, 2012) 17
Source: Blog Z.U.I.T. http://snipurl.com/25w53sf, accessed on December 17, 2012
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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Although it sounds unbelievable, it is a painful truth unfortunately, that knowledge
which these young people with excellent professional and personal characteristics
are acquiring through above mentioned programs is, instead of being useful to their
societies, in fact, very dangerous. Because of that, it is very difficulty for them to get
opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in existing structures of society.
Many “old school leaders” in various managerial positions in the society, which they
acquired in various ways, are afraid of these young leaders, they do not want to
recognize them and they try to find a way to marginalize them. Why? Well, primarily
because of the fact that these types of persons are their competition and jeopardize
their current positions.
And all this is even supported by the fact that “democracy in B&H is characterized by
partisan politics that are tied to ethnic principle, confrontational discourse, political
pressure on the press and media, delays in reforms, incendiary political rhetoric and
the perpetuation of the political crisis. Democracy is not consolidated, as confirmed
by the low rating of the country in numerous comparative tables of democratic
development“.18
In B&H, leaders still prefer to deal with these matters, rather than, for example, to
focus on constitutional reforms, including the enforcement of European Court of
Human Rights decision.
On the other hand, the EU also supports this status quo by asking, from the very
beginning, a comprehensive reform as a condition for membership negotiations but
not as its ultimate goal. It seems like EU secretly fears that these issues are highly
emotional for the actors in the reform process, and that there is a high risk of
prolonging the political paralysis that would ultimately lead to the disintegration of the
state.
From my point of view, the group of young people that we talked about is the only
one able to find different views on things that are plaguing the “Balkan policies”, and
who are ready for negotiation and building of positive political environment. They are
the ones who are looking into the future and who do not want to go back a lot into the
18
The EU policy of democratization in BiH - Correct principles, misguided policies, 2007-2008, Fond Otvoreno društvo BiH, page 1
CASE-STUDY COMPETITION „How can the EU do better in your country/Balkans?”
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past. Past should not be forgotten, but at least for young people it should be a little
aside. Past should give way to the brighter future, namely to the EU integrations.
Just because of that, EU should insist and give its assistance in order to ensure that
these young people rapidly lead the key reforms in their countries, which ultimately
should result in joining the European Union.
Thus, the participation of young people should lie at the center of policy-making
concerning the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkan
countries.
They should be considered as partners and recognized as social actors with the skills
and capacity to present constructive solutions to those problems that directly affect
the delays in reform processes. Therefore, the EU itself should insist on their
participation and request that their advice be obeyed and implemented. Its
instruments can be “persuasion, dialogue and socialization, and exposure to new
ideas”.19 Also, such a policy should be supported by financial and instrumental
motivation, even through the use of methods of conditioning.
However, much of the problem lies in the minds of current leaders. Their "mindset"
should be changed, but that is very difficult.
In response to these problems, generational turnover is often the key causal variable
behind certain changes.
19
Kubicek, Paul, The European Union and Democratisation: Reluctant States (London, Routledge, 2003) page 12