Rebuilding Trust, One Municipality at a Time in Bosnia and Herzegovina
July 2025
Three decades after the Dayton Peace Agreement ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country still lives with the deep imprints of its past. Institutional structures remain complex, with the two entities, the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska, as well as Br?ko District, each having their separate administrative systems. But beyond institutional fragmentation lies something more tangible: a reconciliation deficit, where mistrust and social divisions continue to shape daily life.
Yet communities are proving that collaboration is not only possible but can lead to meaningful, positive change — when given the opportunity. The Sustaining Peace and Social Cohesion project, supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and implemented by UNDP and IOM, has demonstrated that practical cooperation between municipalities can do more than deliver services. It can rebuild relationships, empower youth, strengthen community ties, and open pathways toward long-term peace.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, basic services have become powerful tools for peace. Through targeted investments in healthcare, education, and local infrastructure, the project created entry points for communities to come together across entity lines. These essential services didn’t just meet urgent needs – they also helped foster inter-community cooperation and rebuild trust between people and institutions. By supporting these locally driven, cross-community efforts, the project laid a foundation for long-term social cohesion and a more inclusive, peaceful future for the entire country.
Professional Learning Communities
Cooperation that Delivers
Since 2022, the project has worked across nine municipalities to foster inter-municipal collaboration in ways that directly impact people’s lives.
- In 32 structured community dialogues, over 500 residents, local leaders, youth, teachers, and service providers identified shared needs and co-designed solutions.
- 20 social care initiatives have improved support for people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, veterans, and other marginalized groups, and have provided new equipment, renovated facilities, and expanded outreach.
- The project offered support for trauma healing and psychological support, from reconciliation camps for youth to specialized therapy for families living with the effects of intergenerational trauma.
- In 16 schools, over 700 students and 74 teachers participated in Critical Thinking Clubs – safe spaces to promote intercultural dialogue, inclusive education and student-led civic action.
A Center that Changed Lives
Youth Council of Bosanski Petrovac
In the town of Bosanski Petrovac, local leaders had been working for over a decade to open a Center for Social Work. It took the project’s coordinated support and funding to finally make it happen. Today, the fully accessible center serves over 4,000 people, including residents from neighboring municipalities in both the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska, crossing administrative boundaries.
Elsewhere, multi-ethnic veterans’ groups like Pravi Po?ar in Derventa (Republika Srpska), and Croatian veterans from Livno (Canton 10, Federation) have formed lasting partnerships.
In Sanski Most, families now access long-needed counseling services for children with developmental challenges. In Livno, preparations are underway for a dental clinic for children and adults with disabilities — the first of its kind in the region.
A New Generation of Peacebuilders?
While service delivery served as a key entry point - each intervention designed to strengthen social cohesion and rebuild trust among citizens and services providers - the project also placed a strong emphasis on youth. ?Recognizing their essential role in building sustainable peace, it empowered young people as the next generation of changemakers and connectors across communities.
Inter-school visits across Bosnia and Herzegovina
Critical Thinking Clubs in 16 schools engaged over 700 students, providing them with safe space to explore complex issues, challenge stereotypes, and develop leadership skills. These activities were complemented by youth-led dialogues, community volunteerism, and cross-entity exchanges — helping young women and men become drivers of local change.
Inspired by these experiences, Nejla helped establish a new Youth Center in her town Bosanski Petrovac - a place where young people from different ethnic backgrounds gather to learn, create and build friendships across divides.
Inter-municipal dialogues
Sustaining the Momentum
In Klju?, the project-facilitated dialogue led to the construction of a new cultural center, funded by the municipality and designed to welcome youth from neighboring Ribnik and beyond to connect and celebrate diversity. Even as the project phases out, its ripple effects continue to grow.
The project underscores a powerful truth: peacebuilding does not happen only at negotiation tables. It happens in town halls, municipalities, in schools, and in community centers, where people meet, listen and build something better together. ?
Despite structural and historical divides, these efforts show that even in the most divided environments, collaboration and trust are not only possible, but essential. By investing in local leadership, resilience, and practical cross-community cooperation, Bosnia and Herzegovina can continue building a more cohesive, inclusive and peaceful future for all.