FBA's work with Bosnia and Herzegovina
FBA runs projects that support the country’s democratic resilience with a focus on conflict prevention, reconciliation processes, and dialogue. The country’s EU accession process is an important force for the development in the region, while security and stability in our neighbourhood remain crucial for Sweden and Europe.
Training and Dialogue Platforms
FBA brings together leaders from different regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen their work with local peace initiatives through a Peace Leadership Programme.
Particular focus is placed on the education sector, which is central to reconciliation and long-term stability, as well as on the role of youth and how trauma is transmitted between generations.
Climate Issues and Local Governance
FBA runs projects together with municipal representatives, academic experts, and civil society actors from six municipalities in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the challenges of climate change and joint solutions.
By working on climate issues that engage people across ethnic and administrative boundaries, dialogue, rights-based governance, and conditions for building trust at the local level are strengthened.
Support to Local Education Authorities
FBA supports the Ministry of Education in the Krajina region in developing school policies and conducting trainings for around 80 school educators and psychologists on the intergenerational transmission of war trauma.
FBA also supports the Ministry of Education in training high school teachers in Mostar on intergenerational trauma and dialogue, in cooperation with a range of civil society actors.
The aim is to contribute to a trauma-informed, inclusive, and supportive school environment that promotes long-term reconciliation.
Regional Cooperation
FBA has organized exchanges between actors in different countries in the Western Balkans. The focus has been on peacebuilding and security promotion, carried out with support from the Swedish embassies in Pristina, Sarajevo, and Belgrade.
EU Integration
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a candidate country for EU membership. The EU accession process requires comprehensive reforms and constitutes a central driver of development in the country.
FBA supports and cooperates with the UN and the EU on issues related to peace and reconciliation to strengthen national conditions for moving closer to the EU.
The Dayton Agreement
The Dayton Agreement is the peace agreement that ended the war in November 1995. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s current constitution is an annex to the Dayton Agreement. The agreement ended the war but created a complicated administrative structure that divides power along ethnic lines instead of ensuring the rights of all citizens.
This hampers the country’s economic and social development and the implementation of many essential reforms required for EU accession, as these are blocked by the political structure. FBA’s work in the country supports conflict prevention, dialogue, and reconciliation between the country’s ethnic groups to promote and enable EU accession and strengthen democratic resilience.
Developments in the EU’s neighbourhood are of great importance for Sweden, as increased instability may have serious consequences for all of Europe.