The Breza Municipal Council has unanimously adopted the Initiative of the Centre for Positive Practices, submitted within the campaign launched with PRAGG support, granting parents and guardians of children with developmental disabilities priority access to public services in the municipality.

With this decision, Breza has become a local community in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has taken concrete and systemic steps to ease the daily lives of families whose struggles often remain unseen.

The adoption of the initiative also marked the conclusion of the campaign “Give Priority Even When You (Don’t) See the Reason”, which over the past months has brought together parents, experts, schools, businesses, public institutions, and numerous citizens. Through video stories of mothers, the support of well-known residents of Breza, street actions, school performances, and the engagement of local businesses, Breza has clearly shown not only its understanding but its willingness to act—proving that inclusion is more than just a word.

In addition to public institutions, parents and guardians of persons with developmental disabilities will now have priority in many other facilities in Breza, including pharmacies, shops, cafés, hair salons, banks, and other businesses that joined the campaign.

At the closing event held in the “Muhamed Kantardžić” City Library, certificates of appreciation were awarded to all institutions, individuals, and partners who supported the campaign and contributed to its success.

Ilma Omerhodžić, President of the Centre for Positive Practices, emphasized that inclusion remains merely a written ideal unless lived within the community and supported by a systemic framework.

“We hope that, through this positive practice, Breza will become a safer and more inclusive community—one that sends a clear message that we embrace differences and that they can only make us better. Thanks to the Municipal Council’s decision and the cards that will be used by children and adults with developmental disabilities and their parents, the psychological burden and stress these families experience in public spaces will be reduced, at least in part.”

According to data from the Breza Social Work Centre, 51 children and adults with developmental disabilities, along with their parents and guardians, would qualify for priority access to services.

Omerhodžić added that this initiative is only the beginning, and that the Association will continue advocating for solutions that ensure safety, dignity, and equal standing for families within the community.

This campaign is part of the PRAGG project, funded by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by a consortium consisting of HELVETAS and NIRAS, in partnership with local partners—the Centres for Civil Initiatives (CCI) and the Institute for Youth Development KULT.