The ambassadors of Austria, Germany, the Holy See, Japan, Romania, Switzerland, the head of the OSCE Mission, representatives of the French Embassy and the Delegation of the EU paid a visit to Jajce today, where they met with students from both the "Secondary Vocational School Jajce" and the “High School Nikola Šop” and the teachers of the informal group called “Better school” (Bolja skola) from Jajce. All through last year, the students have demonstrated moral and civil courage in their open endeavor to eliminate separation and nationalism in the educational sector in Jajce and Central Bosnian Canton. Their fight for inclusive and quality education, a multicultural society without divisions and the collective spirit are praiseworthy. They are carrying the message that young people are building bridges throughout the country and that their voices should be heard.
Recognizing their strong willingness to fight for these values and principles, the group of the French-speaking ambassadors with the support from other ambassadors/representatives of international community in BiH has unanimously decided to present the informal group of high school students of Jajce with a special recognition “Bridge for the Future – Most za buducnost – Le pont pour l'avenir“. This is a symbolic gesture of admiration and support to the students in their efforts to have a unified teaching plan and program in the schools, respecting the multiethnic character of Jajce and Central Bosnian Canton.
“Young people in BiH must be treated as valuable and productive members of the society. It is most important to treat the will of the students to remain together with serious dedication and respect. We strongly believe that the actions of the students in Jajce serve as an example for other citizens all over the country. In addition, we expect that politicians and leaders in this country take up the responsibility to offer quality education that makes the students fit for the future. We are honored to present this special recognition to young people fighting for better opportunities and perspectives for current and future generations in BiH“, stated the ambassadors in their joint message which has been publically presented on this occasion.
The joint statement was signed by apostolic nuncio Luigi Pezzuto; Martin Pammer, ambassador of Austria; Joris Ronse, head of diplomatic office of Belgium; Avgustina K. Tzvetkova, ambassador of Bulgaria; ambassador Drahoslav Stefanek, Council of Europe; ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, EU Head of Delegation/EUSR; Catherine Veber, chargé d’affaires of France; Christiane Hohmann, ambassador of Germany; Georgios Iliopoulos, ambassador of Greece; Juriaan Kraak, ambassador of Holland; Nicola Minasi, ambassador of Italy; Kazuya Ogawa, ambassador of Japan; Charles-Henry de Rambures, ambassador of Sovereign Military Order of Malta; ambassador Jonathan Moore, OSCE Mission; Dana Constantinescu, ambassador of Rumania; Bosco Gimenez Soriano, ambassador of Spain; Andrea Rauber Saxer, ambassador of Switzerland; and Maureen Cormack, the U.S. Ambassador.
