Super Citizens and OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina mark International Day of Tolerance in Mostar

MOSTAR, 16 November 2017 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and eight Herzegovina-based Coalitions against Hate marked the International Day of Tolerance today in Mostar. The event gathered coalition members from Trebinje, Nevesinje, Bileca, Konjic, Stolac, Capljina, Prozor-Rama and Mostar, who marked this day with a series of performances celebrating cultural diversity and tolerance through music, film, art and poetry.

“The Coalitions against Hate are crucial in building and promoting tolerance,” said Head of the OSCE Field Office in Mostar, William Ozkaptan. “They carry out meaningful activities to promote good community values and condemn prejudice and hatred wherever possible. It is initiatives such as this one that have an immediate positive impact on everyday lives of BiH citizens.”

Valentina Mindoljevic, Director of the United World Colleges in Mostar emphasized the readiness of young people to accept each other. “Our students come from 69 different nations. We are always impressed by how open and quick they are to accept this diversity and how easily they recognize all those human similarities unrelated to race, origin, and context.”

Marija Beljo of the Coalition against Hate from Prozor-Rama said: “Tolerance in our society is closely linked to forgiveness, which is a precondition for reconciling differences. Unfortunately, if we look at our past, there was not much tolerance. But if we are ready to forgive, we are ready to build a more tolerant society.”

This event is a part of the wider scope of activities the OSCE Mission to BiH organized during the week of 13-17 November 2017 and under its Super Citizens initiative that unites 31 Coalitions against Hate in BiH. During this time, over 30 different cultural activities took place in 20 local communities across the country.