On Friday, 27 February 2026, as part of the “Sustainable Youth Centers” campaign, a conference dedicated to improving the position of youth centers in local communities was held. The event brought together representatives of local authorities, civil society organizations, and young people, with the aim of initiating a continuous dialogue to ensure that youth centers are recognized as key spaces for youth development and community strengthening.
Opening the conference, Tanja Boromisa stated: “This is not a closing conference; this is a beginning. Today, we are launching a dialogue through which we will jointly advocate for youth centers to receive the place they deserve in local communities.”
The first panel, “Cities, Municipalities and Their Hidden Resources: Youth Centers,” gathered local officials and experts: Darko Tomaš, Mayor of Prnjavor; Vladimir Gužvić, Deputy Mayor of Srbac; Miloš Kovačević, Executive Director of the Center for Children, Youth and Family Laktaši; and Dejan Radić, author of the Cost-Benefit Analysis and tax advisor.
Dejan Radić emphasized that the analysis of the center for the period 2020–2024 shows that youth centers generate significant social and economic contributions, but are currently overly dependent on project-based and international funding. The long-term sustainability of these centers requires systemic support and planned budget financing.
The Mayor of Prnjavor, Darko Tomaš, underlined the importance of institutional support and direct advocacy: “We can resolve this issue with the support of others, as that will make us even stronger. Your support is extremely important and can be the key takeaway from today. We have no issue proposing this initiative directly to the Minister, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Republic, and we can also act through the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska. I believe we can address this directly and agree to resolve the issue already during the adoption of the next Republika Srpska budget.”
The panel “Sustainable Centers: Between Support and Reality” featured Ivana Zečević, Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Banja Luka; Tanja Šnjegota, Executive Director of the C.E.Z.A.R. Association; Dajana Bašić, President of the Youth Center Prnjavor; and Isidora Ikić, representative of M.O.C.A.R.T. Republika Srpska.
Speakers highlighted the enthusiasm and dedication of staff as the key reason for the centers’ survival. Young people who have participated in the centers’ activities develop competencies and self-confidence, enabling them to achieve a stronger position in the labor market.
The conference organizers concluded that sustainable youth centers should be recognized as centers of public interest, emphasizing that investing in young people is not only a social investment but also an economic one, as it contributes to employment, prevents brain drain, and strengthens local communities.
The conference opened the way for continuous dialogue, cooperation, and concrete steps toward improving the work of youth centers, with the goal of making them stable, long-term sustainable, and accessible to all young people across communities in Republika Srpska.
We note that the initiative and recommendations presented during the conference have been submitted to the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government; the Ministry for European Integration and International Cooperation; as well as to local self-government units in Republika Srpska, as a first step toward strengthening youth centers and ensuring long-term support for young people.
