Security Conference Held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Following their year in the U.S., alumni of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Undergraduate Development Program (BUDP) have had the opportunity to continue meeting as a group and working together to address some of the major issues facing their country. BUDP alumni come from all regions of Bosnia , and do not normally have the opportunity to visit other parts of the country and work in a cross-regional setting. The first alumni conference took place in March 2004 in Sarajevo in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The second alumni conference was set in Banja Luka , the largest city of the Republika Srpska.

The American Councils Sarajevo office organized the Banja Luka conference which was entitled "Bosnian Security: Prospects for Stability and Progress." The November 6-7 conference topic was selected by BUDP alumni themselves, and featured speakers Steve Kessler, the Resident Legal Advisor from the Department of Justice of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo , and Fulbright Professor Paul Miller, to address "The Role of History in the Process of Reconciliation." Following these formal presentations, the alumni held group discussions to outline their desire to be more active and to influence their society in a positive way. The BUDP alumni are in the process of officially registering an alumni association and have identified specific projects for their organization. Included among their project plans are: -A career fair at the University of Sarajevo; -The creation of an information center for small and medium-sized enterprises; -A workshop on Public Relations for BUDP alumni; -An information campaign to inform consumers of their rights; -An outreach project to inform students of their rights and improve the student-professor relationship.

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