CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – SUMMER SCHOOL AND PROJECT “CHALLENGE HISTORY – REACT FOR THE FUTURE”

16-20 July, 2021

Place: Mokrin, Serbia

Deadline for Applications: 7 July 2021

 

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and its project partners^[1] are pleased to announce the call for applications for the Summer School of “Challenge History – React for the Future”, which will be held 16-20 July 2021 in Mokrin, Serbia, financially supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) within the fourth open call for project proposals co-financed by the European Union.

We are inviting open-minded students from high schools (16-18 years old only) in North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo* to apply for the Summer School.

The Summer School will enable its participants to:

• Actively reflect on historical narratives, particularly those related to the recent wars/conflicts in the Balkans;
• Reconsider and exchange views about real-life stories, and use open dialogue and constructive approach to debunk the ethnic myths, and counter revisionist propaganda;
• Increase their regional network and strengthen neighborly relations in the Western Balkan region; and
• Increase their critical thinking through fun and creative activities.

 

Information about the Summer School “Challenge History – React for the Future”

Costs and expenses: The organizers will cover all the costs of travel, visas, COVID-19 tests, health insurance, accommodation and meals during the seven working days. Members of the organization staff will accompany students on their travel from the capital of their home place to TBD and back.

Working language: English – participants must have a good working knowledge of the English language.

Covid-19 Safety Protocol: Given the current Covid-19 epidemiological situation^[2] in the region, the physical summer school is possible, provided that following measures preventing the coronavirus infection will be in place:

• Providing participants with health insurance enabling them to receive adequate and timely medical care in case of the coronavirus infection;
• Presenting negative PCR test taken less than 48 hours before the date of travel;
• Checking temperature during the summer school, three times a day (morning, mid-day, evening);
• Keeping physical distance during school;
• Organizing lectures outside whenever possible (subject to weather conditions only);
• Wearing masks during the summer school and socializing events;
• Providing disinfectants;
• Cleansing and disinfecting premises on an everyday basis.

One person from the side of the consortium will be designated as a Covid-19 security guard to ensure that all the above-mentioned measures are respected.

 

Program: The Summer School “Challenge History– React for the Future” will consist of the following four main modules:

• Legacies of the Yugoslav wars
• Contrasting/shared historical narratives
• Common heritage of the post-Yugoslav societies
• Culture of remembrance

Each module will be organized in an interactive way and be based on a variety of formats, such as lectures, theatre workshops, site visits, debates, case studies, creative activities and production of media. Distinguished experts will lead all the modules. In addition to the program modules, cultural and evening side-events will be organized based on participants’ inputs.

 

Who can apply?

• Students in the second/third grade of high schools (or 16-18 years old at the time of the application submitted), and who will not have attained the age of 19 at the time of the Summer School;
• Who are from North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro or Serbia;
• Who wish to learn about history of the region from an alternative multi-perspective view;
• Who are willing to apply the new skills, the knowledge gained and the follow-up peace building activities in their local communities;
• Who have sufficient knowledge of English language, in order to be able to interact in the sessions.

 

How to apply?

Interested students are invited to fill in the application form (see below) accompanied with the parental signed authorization for traveling and participating in the Summer School and the Project. The participants should also write a motivation letter in which they will:

• provide brief description on: interest, knowledge and background;
• provide clear motivation to participate at the Summer School and the Project “Challenge History – React for the Future”;
• state in which way they could personally and as participant contribute to the success of the Summer School and Project “Challenge History – React for the Future” and how they could be effective as a young peace builder committed in their communities like schools, youth groups, social spaces, etc.

 

Send your application form, motivation letter, scan of your passport, and scanned signed parental authorization form to:

For North Macedonia: Ena Bendevska, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights – Skopje e-mail: ena.bendevska@mhc.org.mk

For Kosovo: Debora Peci, Democracy Plus e-mail: debora@dplus-ks.org and Tamara Vučić, Center for Peace and Tolerance e-mail: tamara.vucic@ngocpt.org

For Serbia: Azra Hasanbegovic, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Serbia e-mail: azhasanbegovic@gmail.com

For Bosnia and Herzegovina: Iva Marinović, United World College in Mostar e-mail: iva.marinović@uwcmostar.ba.

For Montenegro: Igor Radulovic, Grammar School Slobodan Skerović email: igorradulovic68@gmail.com

 

A total of 30 participants (6 from each of the participating parties in the project) will be selected according to their motivation to acquire additional knowledge, to engage in critical debates, to commit to developing and implementing follow-up peace activities after the Summer School in their communities. The short-listed participants will be notified by email by 05^th of July 2021.

If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at: azhasanbegovic@gmail.com, +381 69 5743036.

 

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^[1] Centre for Peace and Tolerance (Kosovo), Democracy Plus (Kosovo), United World College Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Grammar School Slobodan Skerović (Montenegro), the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights – Skopje, and Schweizerische Helsinki Vereinigung from Switzerland, as an associated partner.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

^[2] On June 12^th, 2021: the number of infected persons in Serbia was 124, with 39,03 % of population vaccinated. In North Macedonia, 12.28%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.70%, Kosovo 5.08%, Montenegro 23,04%