NEWS 6

June 2018

GREATER UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO HEALTHIER OUTCOMES
PEDAGOGUES EDUCATED TEACHING STAFFS FROM 10 PRIMARY SCHOOLD OF HERZEGOVINA-NERETVA CANTON ON BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

After the success of seminars entitled "Behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents", held for pedagogues and psychologists from ten partner primary schools in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton as part of the project "Peer and gender-based violence" from April to May 2018, 10 trainings on this topic were organized in these partner schools from mid-May to mid-June 2018. The trainings were attended by lower-grade teachers and subject teachers, and the training moderators were pedagogues of these schools who delivered quality lectures to their colleagues in a collective effort. Each training was attended by representatives from HNC Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Pedagogy Institute and Mostar Education Institute, as well as a SOS Children's Villages. The goal of trainings on behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents is to inform and empower school employees in order to create a better approach to issues related to behavioral disorders in primary school children.

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June 2018

TWO CATECHIST'S MEETINGS IN ZENICA:
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN A SECULAR CONTEXT


During the academic 2017/2018, in cooperation with Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Catechetical office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ETOS Initiative has started a specific educational program for the teachers of Islamic and Catholic religious' education. In this regard, on June 18 and 19, 2018, Zenica was a meeting place for over 40 catechists' from Zenica-Doboj Canton and Central Bosnia Canton who questioned many challenges of religious education in the secular context.

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June 2018

GREATER UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO HEALTHIER OUTCOMES
PEDAGOGUES EDUCATED TEACHING STAFF FROM 10 PRIMARY PARTNER SCHOOLS OF SARAJEVO CANTON PRIMARY ON BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Having organized seminars in May for pedagogues and psychologists from ten primary schools in Canton Sarajevo on behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents, TPO Foundation continued to cooperate with these primary schools on the project "Peer and gender-based violence".  After they attended the seminars, primary school pedagogues became moderators and prepared workshops for their school colleagues on the topic, which created an opportunity to discuss this issue with teachers in order to learn more about how to detect these disorders and how to apply appropriate methods in their work with children and parents. Those workshops were held from mid-May to the end of June 2018.
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May 2018

THIRD PANEL DISCUSSION WITHIN FER DISCOURSE INITIATIVE:
"FEMINIST READING OF THE BIBLE"


Fer Discourse Initiative team had the honor and pleasure to welcome in Sarajevo Harvard University Professor Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza on May 18, 2018, one of the most famous feminist theologists, who spoke of feminist theology from a Christian perspective, on the basis of her many years of academic work which primarily include interpretative strategies of female reading of the Bible. 

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May 2018

TPO FOUNDATION MARKED VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY AND EUROPE DAY


We need to learn more about respect and tolerance toward different cultures, attitudes and beliefs, we need to advocate freedom of thought and speech and work on protecting human life. That is the best way to oppose discrimination and violence against humanity. These were the messages of diligent young people from the Dobrinja Gymnasium with which TPO Foundation organized a workshop on May 11, 2018 entitled "Youth, antifascism and Europe" to mark the Victory in Europe Day and Europe Day.
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April 2018

WORLD ETHOS WORKSHOP HELD IN
BRCANSKA MALTA ELEMENTARY IN TUZLA

As part of a program for empowering school staff by creating World Ethos Schools, a world ethos workshop was held in Brcanska Malta Elementary in Tuzla at April 24 and 25, 2018. How educational programs in learning about ethical values are necessary for a successfully-functioning school staff was shown by mutual cooperation of three elementary schools: Brcanska Malta, Soline and Breske, an excellent lecturing team: Izet Numanovic (an expert adviser at Tuzla Pedagogy Institute), Munevera Rahmanovic Hrbat (a teacher of Islamic religious studies) and Vanja Ivkovic (a teacher of Catholic religious studies) together with teachers who participated in the workshop.
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April 2018

THE SECOND FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION WITHIN INITICATIVE FOR
FER DISCOURSE: "Religious and secular feminisms"

The struggle for abolishment of oppression and structural violence represents the common ground for social engagement of all feminisms, both secular and religious ones – this was emphasized by Adriana Zaharijević and Rebeka Jadranka Anić, panelists at the second session of FER Discourses which was held by TPO Foundation and IMIC Zajedno on April 20, 2018.
The second panel discussion was opened by students of the Dobrinja Gymnasium, Lora Šabanović and Amar Mujanović by a performance. The performance illustrated that secular and religious women were meeting misogyny in everyday life, through different contexts, equally.
A trailer about the second panel discussion Religious and secular feminism within the Fer discourse is available on the following link: https://youtu.be/By05n-6jnXE
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April 2018

THE SECOND FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION WITHIN INITICATIVE FOR
FER DISCOURSE: "Religious and secular feminisms"

After the first session "Between religious and secular", which was held in Sarajevo WITHIN INITICATIVE FOR FER DISCOURSE in March, activities will continue on April 20th. The topic of "Religious and Secular Feminisms" will be spoken by Serbian and Croatian guests - dr. Sc. Adriana Zaharijević and PhD. Jadranka Rebeka Anić. About gender stereotypes and so-called. "Gender ideology", about the union of secular and religious. Is secularity necessarily emancipation, and religion - the presupposition? We are talking about everything that prevents women from using the law to ensure equality. About "gender ideology" as a problem that requires to understand quite serious crossings of religious discourse with populist strategies of family, faith, and nation defense, strategies that are equally present in the very different parts of the world.
Be with us on Obala Kulina bana no. 39 in Sarajevo, April 20, starting at 19 o'clock!
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April, 2018

THIRD SEMINAR "BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS – GREATER UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO HEALTHIER OUTCOMES" HELD FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLPEDAGOGUES OF SARAJEVO CANTON

We should be considerate towards children with low self-esteem! That is one of the key messages of the seminar "Behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents – greater understanding leads to healthier outcomes" held on April 3, 2018, for pedagogues and psychologists of Sarajevo Canton primary schools and led by Nermina Kravic, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist subspecialized in child and adolescent psychiatry. Academic failure is a result of interconnected factors, it is represented by bad grades in tests which measure knowledge students learned at school. Failure at school is a subjective assessment of one's failure at academic as well as personal level, and it is connected to low self-esteem. Failure at school is often a symptom of a child's emotional disorder, and it is expressed through self-punishment and a hidden sense of guilt. By early identifying a child's behavioral and emotional disorder, we contribute to establishing appropriate methods of work with the child, as well as parents who also need some help and support. This was the third and last seminar for pedagogues and psychologists of primary schools on the topic of behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents, which is part of a three-year project "Peer and gender-based violence", organized by TPO Foundation in cooperation with three cantonal ministries of education. Future activies regarding behavioral and emotional problems of children will involve teachers and parents from 30 primary schools. >> MORE

March 2018

SECOND SEMINAR "BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS – GREATER UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO HEALTHIER OUTCOMES" HELD FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL
PEDAGOGUES OF CENTRAL BOSNIA CANTON

The results from the Baseline study conducted by TPO Foundation in over 30 primary schools in three cantons at the beginning of "Peer- and gender-based violence" project showed that educators face the problem of insufficient information regarding behavioral disorders of children. Because of the need for additional education on proper conduct towards children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems, which often result different forms of violence or are caused by violence, a seminar entitled "Behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents – greater understanding leads to healthier outcomes" was held in Vitez on March 27, 2018. In schools, there are children with more or less severe types of disorders, children with ADHD, OCD forms of behavior, anxiety, internet addiction, therefore, the aim of the seminar was to empower the school community in working with children and parents in order to reduce and prevent emotional and behavioral disorders in primary school students. One of the 12 child psychiatrists in BiH, Nermina Kravic, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist subspecialized in child and adolescent psychiatry, was the lecturer at the one-day seminar for 12 pedagogues and psychologists of partner primary schools in Central Bosnia Canton.  
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March 2018

FIRST SEMINAR "BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN
AND ADOLESCENTS – GREATER UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO HEALTHIER OUTCOMES"
HELD FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL PEDAGOGUES OF HERCEGOVINA-NERETVA CANTON

To empower schools through educational programs aimed at prevention and reduction of all forms of peer- and gender-based violence in schools and beyond is the primary focus of all program activities organized for the second year by TPO Foundation in cooperation with three canton ministries of education as part of the project "Peer- and gender-based violence". In Mostar, on March 26, 2018, we started a new cycle of seminars for pedagogues entitled "Behavioral and emotional disorders of children and adolescents – greater understanding leads to healthier outcomes", which is intended to empower staff at schools in their work with children when dealing with students' behavioral disorders. Pedagogues and psychologists from 10 partner schools in HNC, associates from the Mostar Educational Institute, Pedagogy Institute, SOS Children's Village and a representative from the HNC Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport participated in a one-day seminar led by Nermina Kravic, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist subspecialized in child and adolescent psychiatry.
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March 2018

SECOND WORLD ETHOS WORKSHOP FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN
CENTRAL BOSNIA CANTON

The second world ethos workshop for secondary schools in Central Bosnia Canton was held on March 17 and 18, 2018 in Vitez. The participants emphasized that it is important to be reminded of universal ethical principles in life, because we are aware that the media, political and other representatives disseminate daily heavily-divisive and negative information. 
Aside from relaying religious facts on ethics and universality, guest lecturers from the Catechetic Office and Islamic Community used personal examples of their cooperation and friendship to show how people can differ in their religious views without being divided and distanced. Sarajevo team of lecturers presented the world ethos program practically and theoretically in the past few days, by offering simple examples through didactic materials for education in schools, because ethos can exist in every school subject.
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March 2018

FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION WITHIN INITICATIVE FOR FER DISCOURSE

The first in a series of panel discussions for the next couple of months was held as part of Fer Discourse Initiative at IMIC, in Sarajevo, on March 14, 2018. The topic of the first panel discussion was "Between the religious and secular".
The guest lecturer, Drago Bojic, a Bosnian Franciscan, theologian and publicist, discussed the position of religion and religious communities in a secular society such the BH society and spoke about the importance of establishing communication between those two contexts. Mr. Bojic also emphasized the importance of making equal room for faith and non-faith because fanaticism arose, historically speaking, as a consequence of both religious and anti-religious narratives. Seeing a potential for exercising human rights more fully in a secular multi-religious state, Mr. Bojic highlights the importance of dealing with wrongs on all sides, creating possibilities and room for dialog.
The panel was opened by a performance that was prepared by two students from Gymnasium Dobrinja, Lora Šabanović and Amar Mujanović. The aim of the intoductory performance was to show how the religious and secular intertwine within our daily lives, as well as to underline that human beings posess free will and therefore have the right to make their own choices.
A trailer about the first panel discussion "Between religious and secular" within the Fer discourse is available on the following link: https://youtu.be/yYj9Z3KEFH0
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March 2018

WORLD ETHOS WORKSHOP HELD
IN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING - MOSTAR

During the academic 2016/2017, ETOS Initiative has started a program of building school collaborations through the creation of World Ethos Schools, and there are in total twelve secondary and primary schools within WES. One of them is Mostar Secondary School of Engineering which hosted on March 13 and 14, 2018, the first World Ethos workshop aimed at building school collaborations and fostering inter-school cooperation. That it is possible to – not only break long-standing barriers – but also to build bridges of cooperation founded on voluntarism, inclusion and humanity was shown by the synergy of Mostar Secondary School of Engineering and Jurja Dalmatinca Mostar Secondary School of Engineering, and thanks to the workshop participants and our excellent team of lecturers: Sanela Mesihovic (professor and principal of Mostar Secondary School of Engineering) and Fr. Ivan Nujic (professor and secretary at Franciscan Gymnasium in Visoko).
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March 2018

FIRST WORLD ETHOS WORKSHOP FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
IN CENTRAL BOSNIA CANTON

After the first world ethos workshop for teachers of secondary schools in Central Bosnia Canton, held in Vitez on March 10 and 11, 2018, the common idea was that we often speak about ethical values in our society but we do not practice them in everyday life. A team of lecturers from Sarajevo, Selvira Masnic and Miroslav Bagara, used didactic materials and practical examples to remind the participants of ethical norm values as well as how important it is to integrate this project into educational processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks to the previously established cooperation with the Riyasat of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Catechetical Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this was a quality seminar, additionally enriched by guest lecturers Nezir Halilovic, Ph.D., and D. Anto Ledic, Ph.D., who spoke about the basic foundations of world ethos in monotheistic religions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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March 2018

PANEL DISCUSSION "WHAT DOES THE MARCH 8 REPRESENT TO US TODAY:
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN BIH"

Women still carry out more jobs than men do, they are not equal in BH society, there are more demands on women in politics than men, numerous stereotypes about gender roles and division of jobs between men and women still exist, and the solution is in systemic changes in education, these were the conclusions of the participants in the panel discussion entitled "WHAT DOES THE MARCH 8 REPRESENT TO US TODAY: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN BIH", which TPO Foundation in cooperation with the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Sarajevo, organized on March 8, 2018, on International Women's Day. Panelists were Melika Husić-Mehmedović, professor at the Faculty of Economics and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Sarajevo, Jasna Bakšić-Muftić, professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, and Medina Mujić PhD, associate of the TPO Foundation.
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March 2018

OPEN CLASSROOMS IN CELEBRATION
OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

In celebration of the International Women's Day, TPO Foundation together with Maarif College in Sarajevo (March 7, 2018), Srednja škola za tekstil, kožu i dizajn (March 5, 2018) and Željeznički školski centar (March, 7, 2018) held three Open classrooms where students could reflect on the importance of the International Women's Day celebration in respect to their local communities. Thanks to the long-term cooperation with prof. Alma Ahmethodzic and pedagogist Berminka Hrelja, as well as newly established bridges of cooperation with prof. Edisa Zilic, through interactive lectures and audio-visual narration, workshop facilitator Monja Suta-Hibert led an open conversation with students who were interested – not only in the IWD discussion – but also in different questions about social justice, workers' rights in the world and Bosnia and Herzegovina and human rights in general.
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March 2018

SPEAK OUT AGAINST VIOLENCE TARGETING GIRLS AND WOMEN

"People often make fun of me on the streets. They call me names and try to provoke me, but I don't pay attention. I often look the other way and go about my business when they are trying to offend me, just like my mother told me to", said one of the members of "Ružičnjak – Los Rosales" Youth Association in Mostar. Children and youth with minor, moderate and combined impairments in psychophysical development, cerebral paralysis, autism, Down syndrome and hyperactivity are educated, socialized, rehabilitated and prepared for work by this association.
TPO Foundation organized a workshop entitled "Speak out against violence targeting girls and women" to mark the IWD on March 8 in "Ružičnjak – Los Rosales" Youth Association in Mostar. The workshop was led by D.Sc. Medina Mujić, TPO Foundation associate, and Jasna Rebac, president of the Youth Association "Ružičnjak – Los Rosales".
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March 2018

CELEBRATING IWD THROUGH DISCUSSIONS
ON POLITICAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATION WITH TEACHERS
FROM MUSA ĆAZIM ĆATIĆ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN VELIKO ČAJNO

"We all need to honor mothers, devote attention to all women and express gratitude for the effort they put into raising new generations and the entire world", said one of the teachers from Musa Ćazim Ćatić Elementary school in Veliko Čajno where TPO Foundation organized a lecture on March 5, 2018, under the title "What IWD means to us today: Political rights and education of women in BiH". The lecture was held by Ismeta Begić, the school pedagogue, and Melika Šahinović, TPO Foundation project coordinator.
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March 2018

WHAT DOES THE MARCH 8 REPRESENT TO US TODAY:
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN BIH

On the occasion of celebrating the International Women's Day, TPO Foundation in cooperation with the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Sarajevo is organizing a panel discussion: WHAT DOES THE MARCH 8 REPRESENT TO US TODAY: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN BIH, which will be held on March 8, 2018, starting at 10 am in the premises of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (at Zmaja od Bosne 8, University Campus). Professors of the University of Sarajevo will speak at the panel discussions: prof. dr. Melika Husić-Mehmedović, prof. dr. Jasna Bakšić-Muftić and a representative from TPO Foundation dr. sci. Medina Mujić, while the panel will be moderated by: MA Melika Šahinović.
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