60 young people, from differents parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, joined a Youth Leadership Conference from 9-12 May, as part of the EU's Generation Change programme. The conference brought together creative students that took part in #GenChange debates in public universities in the country, as well as the participants in the Youth Political Academy. Participants in both groups will compete for a study trip to Brussels in two separate categories.

"It has been an incredibly uplifiting experience to speak with talented BiH students during debates across the country, as well as the participants in the Youth Political Academy. They have great, innovative ideas that are an asset for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its future. I am glad that the EU is able to support such people to develop their ideas in a way that will give them new confidence and perspectives." said Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During this event, young people had the opportunity to meet, discuss, and exchange views with numerous experts from various fields – production, graphic design, storytelling, campaigning, entrepreneurship, creative industry, and EU integration. The young peeople were also able to participate in Europe Day events taking place in Sarajevo. During the conference, participants developed creative ideas that will showcase the best of Bosnia and Herzegovina and feature in the EU's campaign „Connected through Good“ this summer.

"This was a great experience that will surely stay with me. I had the opportunity to connect with motivated young leaders from different fields and exchange ideas and perspectives. Through interactive workshops and lectures, I gained new skills in leadership, teamwork, and communication, which will be of great benefit to me in future projects and challenges. Additionally, the conference inspired me to engage in my community and actively work towards positive changes. I am grateful to the organizers for the unforgettable experience and the opportunity for personal and professional development", said Sara Vojić, a student at the Faculty of Economics, University of Bihać.

The Generation Change programme is now in its second year. As last year, over 550 students from Bosnia and Herzegovina's public universities took part in debates on topical issues for young people with EU represenatives and experts in diverse fields. The most active of these students were selected to take part in the Youth Leadership Conference. An innovation ths year is that the conference also included participants in the first Youth Political Academy for 20 young politicians and activities from across BiH.

"The greatest potential of the entire programme is meeting and expanding the network of friends and, potentially, future colleagues. The conference is the final part of our programme, and what is particularly important for our groups is a joint initiative that will focus toursim development in BiH. The message to young people is that we all need to contribute to the development of our local communities, but also society as a whole.", said Milan Unčanin, a member of the Socialist Party of Srpska (SPS).

During this event, the most creative ideas developed during the conference were selected by a jury, and in future months will serve as a base for an extensive video production process where students will be involved as actors or support filming crews to realise their video project. The group of young politicians and activists will in parallel produce a joint initiative to promote the touristic potential of the country.