One of the advantages of being a relatively youthful Ambassador is that, during the three months I have been here, I have met a lot of young people. Many have been well-educated, articulate and talented young men and women with a huge amount to offer to the future of this country. But when I ask them what they would like to be doing in five years time, too often the answer is the same: they want to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, and work abroad.
It’s not hard to work out why. According to estimates by the International Labour Organisation, and at a staggering 57.5%, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the world. What is more, in order to get one of the rare jobs available, young people often have to align themselves with a political party. Many refuse to do so, due to the widespread perceptions of political corruption and incompetence. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that, according to a recent study, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the second highest rate of exodus of young people in Europe (after Ireland). No country can afford to lose this sort of talent.
So the new government must look hard at the challenges facing young people in this country, and do something about it. I think there are three main areas that need to change.
- First, education. As I’ve said in a previous blog, the segregation in some schools of children from different ethnic groups is storing up problems for the future. It is breeding a new generation that is ignorant about their neighbours and so ripe for political manipulation. Building understanding and tolerance within and across the diverse communities of this country is an absolute priority. And so is raising standards. The introduction of a universal syllabus would be a great start, and would help to address the inevitable confusion that comes from having 12 Ministries of Education – none of them at the State level.
- Second, employment. Political leaders have to offer opportunities to talented young people, irrespective of their political views, if they are to slow the brain drain. The best way to do this is to stimulate the private sector, and to generate new, sustainable jobs. That’s why the first priority of the new government must be to implement the reforms in the Compact for Growth and Jobs.
- And third, empowerment. Young people have to be given the opportunity to express themselves. And that includes the ability to express discontent, if they do so peacefully and within the law. Any clampdown on civil society is counter-productive and, in the long term, dangerous. Political leaders should open up their policy-making to new ideas and invite young people to participate more actively, both from inside and outside their own parties. Change is not a choice in this country; it is a necessity. And young people can be a great source of energy and inspiration.
The British Embassy is already active in all these areas. In education, this year we will be offering nine, fully-funded Chevening scholarships for talented young people from this country to study postgraduate courses in the UK. The deal is that they must return and put to use their new skills and knowledge for the benefit of the country. It’s not too late to apply. The deadline is 15 November. If you’re interested, go to www.chevening.org.
On employment, we worked hard to ensure that socio-economic issues were at the heart of this year’s election campaign. We recently funded the publication by the Association of Employers of the Federation, setting out their demands from the new government on how to build a better business climate. We’ll continue to press for early reforms that can help to create new jobs, particularly for young people.
And through our Fellowship programme, we aim to empower aspiring leaders in business, government, politics, media or NGOs, by taking them to London for a three-week bespoke programme to learn about the UK political system, including how we make and deliver policy within a devolved system of government. In this way, we hope to create a cadre of influential alumni who can bring new ideas and positive change to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During my time here, I hope to connect with people of all ages right around the country, through my travels and on social media, and to press for further progress on these three ‘E’s – education, employment and empowerment. What do you think, what’s the best way to do this?