Building a bridge of tolerance
Local authorities take over key role
"Our priority is to work together on the promotion of our region, and the beauty of it," said Malik Kapetanovic, municipal councillor of Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad. Municipalities from the Federation and the Republika Srpska joined forces to organize the event in June, which included several days of cultural, tourism and sporting activities.
The project was first launched in 1999 and sponsored by the OSCE. This year, however, the local authorities from Kljuc, Sanski Most, Ribnik, Srpski Sanski Most, Prijedor and Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad organized and carried out the event with the help of local NGOs.
"This is a positive step forward," said Violeta Spasojevic from the OSCE Field Office in Sanski Most. "What started as an international initiative has been handed over to the local people. They are building the most significant bridge over the Sana River basin - the bridge of mutual trust, tolerance, reconciliation, co-operation and economic revitalization."
Back to nature
The Sana Days celebration features sports tournaments, concerts and environmental protection activities, such as cleaning trash from the Sana River basin. Municipalities put aside their political differences to make this event a reality, and in the process they have built strong ties to one another. They have united over a whole philosophy of life on the Sana River that everyone wanted to get back to.
"We must move away from politics and return to the ecology," said Kapetanovic. "We must start developing tourism and we can only succeed with joint efforts, which is not hard because we share the same goal - love for this country."
A lasting spirit of co-operation
The celebration has successfully promoted better inter-municipal and inter-entity relations, including the signing of a declaration on mutual co-operation and environmental protection. And the Sana River Committee has encouraged the Government of Republika Srpska and the Una Sana Canton to add environmental protection to the school curriculum.
Finally, the committee has worked on developing a strategy to increase eco-tourism activities, including the Sana Kayak Regatta during the summer holidays.
While this year's Sana Days Celebration has come to a close, the positive energy that courses along the Sana River from Kljuc/Ribnik to Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad will continue to invoke a spirit of co-operation throughout the year.
"Our priority is to work together on the promotion of our region, and the beauty of it," said Malik Kapetanovic, municipal councillor of Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad. Municipalities from the Federation and the Republika Srpska joined forces to organize the event in June, which included several days of cultural, tourism and sporting activities.
The project was first launched in 1999 and sponsored by the OSCE. This year, however, the local authorities from Kljuc, Sanski Most, Ribnik, Srpski Sanski Most, Prijedor and Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad organized and carried out the event with the help of local NGOs.
"This is a positive step forward," said Violeta Spasojevic from the OSCE Field Office in Sanski Most. "What started as an international initiative has been handed over to the local people. They are building the most significant bridge over the Sana River basin - the bridge of mutual trust, tolerance, reconciliation, co-operation and economic revitalization."
Back to nature
The Sana Days celebration features sports tournaments, concerts and environmental protection activities, such as cleaning trash from the Sana River basin. Municipalities put aside their political differences to make this event a reality, and in the process they have built strong ties to one another. They have united over a whole philosophy of life on the Sana River that everyone wanted to get back to.
"We must move away from politics and return to the ecology," said Kapetanovic. "We must start developing tourism and we can only succeed with joint efforts, which is not hard because we share the same goal - love for this country."
A lasting spirit of co-operation
The celebration has successfully promoted better inter-municipal and inter-entity relations, including the signing of a declaration on mutual co-operation and environmental protection. And the Sana River Committee has encouraged the Government of Republika Srpska and the Una Sana Canton to add environmental protection to the school curriculum.
Finally, the committee has worked on developing a strategy to increase eco-tourism activities, including the Sana Kayak Regatta during the summer holidays.
While this year's Sana Days Celebration has come to a close, the positive energy that courses along the Sana River from Kljuc/Ribnik to Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad will continue to invoke a spirit of co-operation throughout the year.