When young people from Bosnia, Switzerland, and beyond gathered in Jajce for the Youth Media Connect program, it was meant to be a workshop on media skills. But what unfolded was far more powerful: a living tapestry of stories, laughter, challenges, and bridges between cultures, generations, and even within ourselves.
Jajce, with its waterfalls, legends, and layered history, became more than a backdrop. It turned into a character in the story, inviting us to ask sharper questions, confront assumptions, and search for what truly connects people. Whether through interviews on the streets, late-night music sessions with a ukulele, or spontaneous swims that left us shivering and laughing, each moment built something lasting: bonds that stretch beyond borders.
The following two personal stories capture this spirit. One reflects on bridges—real and symbolic—that connect people across time and space. The other shares a vivid journey of friendship, cultural surprises, and the realization that change starts with us, the youth.
A Journey Back Together - Noemi’s story
Landed in Sarajevo with a warm 25 degrees greeting me. My bus to Jajce left a good ten minutes early—typical Bosnia, as locals would say, where time has its own flexible meaning. But all that was quickly forgotten during my pit stop at Grandma’s Cevapcici Place. Between the mouthwatering cevapcici, creamy yogurt, and that familiar Kaymak, I knew this Youth Media Connect Program Week was off to the perfect start.
Since the bus was out of service, I took a taxi to Jajce. Ahmed, the driver, just happened to pick up his wife on the way, turning the ride into an exciting road trip. We chatted about their raki-fueled night yesterday. So I would say, proper start in Bosnia.
At the guesthouse, a warm local welcome set the tone before I met the whole Youth Crew—Nermin, Ivana, and an energetic mix of young Bosnians and Swiss, aged 18 to 29. Everyone carved out their valued place, and friendships were sealed faster than you can say “Bosnian coffee.”
Our mission? To represent the Diaspora, Jajce, and youth all at once. After some brainstorming, we hit the streets armed with questions: Why are so many young people leaving Bosnia? Interviews ranged from teens to seniors, tourists to locals alike. What stuck with me? Despite differences, everyone was just... people. So instead of asking “Why?” we flipped the question: “What does it take to bring us back together?”
The answers were pointed: government reforms, better wages, fair work conditions. But we learned a bigger lesson— the solution isn’t ‘someone else’; it’s us. We, the new generation, can bring the youth home and foster unity, leaving behind the shadows of the past.
So, we took our story to the next level—filming in a church and announcing a peace event. Side note: mastering the art of tying a turban was my unexpected crash course.
We learned how to share heartfelt stories—whether through words, videos, or songs—with the hope our message would be heard far and wide. We learned how to craft compelling stories and use AI technology in video production—transforming our texts into voice notes and creating modern, eye-catching visuals.
Evenings were spent singing, playing ukulele, sharing a drink or maybe two, leading to some bleary-eyed mornings in class. We laughed over the teacher, swapped creative ideas, took spontaneous swims, and formed friendships that felt and will be lifelong.
The organizing team’s care—from morning coffee to city tours—was simply unparalleled. This week in Bosnia has left me with friendships and memories to last forever. Projects like these are exactly what this beautiful country needs, bringing both old and new youth together again.
Greetings from my second Bosnian adventure,
Noemi Mehring
Bridges Beyond Borders - Nina's Story
Last week I had the chance to travel to Jajce, Bosnia, as part of the Youth Media Connect program. What looked like a trip to learn new media skills quickly turned into something much deeper: a journey of challenging assumptions, asking smarter questions, and discovering how stories can connect people across borders.
We were divided into groups of young people from Bosnia and Switzerland, with even more international color added by participants from the USA and Italy. Each group had two main missions:
- Connect the diaspora to a Bosnian city (our team was given Bijelina).
- Create a 5-part, 60-second video series about Jajce — showing how tourists and locals intersect.
Our group chose to focus on bridges. Not just the physical ones, but the symbolic ones. The idea grew naturally as we walked through the town. We noticed Jajce as a city of bridges not only across rivers, but also across generations, from the legend of Esma Sultanija to the connections between Bosnia’s past in Yugoslavia and its present identity. We wanted to show how bridges bring people together: diaspora with their homeland, tourists with locals, the past with the present.
Each perspective added a new piece to the story and weaving it all together was both challenging and a great learning opportunity. Within our group, bridges were also being built. With so many languages and backgrounds, collaboration wasn’t just about editing apps or interview tips. We shared a lot about ourselves with new friends and learned a great deal about ourselves in the process. While some of us taught each other new chords on the ukulele, others shared tricks in social media editing. Yet all of us shared laughter, anecdotes, and ideas. This learning all happened against the backdrop of our “scheduled classes”, where learning to challenge our own beliefs and assumptions pushed us to ask deeper questions, and learn new tools not only for AI, but for building bridges across borders, cultures, and religions.
Jajce itself added its own magic. Between the waterfalls, the history, and the legends, this trip reminded me that bridges aren’t only structures of stone or wood. They are moments, exchanges, and stories that connect us… if we’re willing to build them.
Nina Michelle
As the Youth Media Connect program in Jajce came to an end, what remained were not only the videos, interviews, and creative outputs, but also the friendships, lessons, and shared experiences that shaped the week. Both Nina’s reflections on bridges and Noemi’s journey through everyday moments capture the spirit of what this program set out to achieve: connecting people across cultures, generations, and ideas. While the days in Jajce are now behind us, the connections and perspectives gained will continue to move forward with each participant.