Best practices catalogue: Youth as Social Changemakers, Bosnia and Herzegovina

What do you think are the key elements or principles that make your practice successful? How do you ensure it remains relevant and impactful for youth?

The success of the "Youth as Social Changemakers" project is driven by several key elements that work together to create a lasting impact on the participants and their communities. One of the most important factors is the holistic approach to youth development. The project doesn’t just focus on mental health and gender equality; it also emphasizes emotional literacy, resilience, social skills, and activism. By combining psycho-education, therapy, and activism, it tackles various aspects of youth well-being. This approach ensures that participants receive both individual and group support through psychoeducative workshops, psychotherapy, and peer counseling, creating a comprehensive experience that empowers them personally while fostering a sense of community.

A central focus of the project is raising awareness and educating young people on critical topics such as mental health, gender equality, and nonviolent communication. These are especially important in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where stigma surrounding mental health and gender-based discrimination is prevalent. The project addresses these challenges by tackling issues like stress, anxiety, depression, and other common youth mental health challenges while simultaneously promoting gender equality. This dual focus helps lay the groundwork for long-term social change and empowers youth to better understand and manage their mental health while engaging in advocacy for a more equitable society.

Another key element of the project’s success is its emphasis on empowerment through education and advocacy. The initiative equips young people with the knowledge and skills necessary for activism and social change. Participants are encouraged to advocate not only for themselves but also for their peers and communities. They are trained in nonviolent communication, peacebuilding, and public campaigning, ensuring that they become active agents of change. This shift from being passive recipients of information to active participants who can influence their surroundings is crucial for the sustainability of the project.

Peer-to-peer support also play a significant role in the project’s success. Encouraging participants to support one another and share their personal journeys fosters a culture of empathy, trust, and community. Peer support strengthens the project’s impact, as it builds resilience within the group and allows participants to take on leadership roles. The development of peer counseling as a potential future component of the project ensures that its benefits can extend beyond the original group of participants.

Finally, collaboration with local institutions, NGOs, and media strengthens the project’s credibility and visibility. These partnerships ensure that the voices of youth involved in the project are heard on a larger platform and help integrate the project’s messages into broader public discourse. Through these collaborations, the initiative can continue to impact the community even after its official duration, demonstrating the importance of partnerships in sustaining social change.

The project remains relevant and impactful for youth by addressing real-world issues such as mental health, gender equality, and youth activism, which are directly connected to the challenges young people face today. The involvement of participants in creating campaigns, workshops, and discussions ensures that the content stays aligned with their personal interests and societal needs. Furthermore, by encouraging youth to take leadership roles and advocate for the continuation of the project, it ensures long-term sustainability. This desire to help others highlights the lasting impact of the initiative on their personal growth and their ongoing commitment to social change.

What were some of the biggest challenges that were faced in developing, running or engaging youth with this practice? How did you overcome them?

During the implementation of the project, three main challenges emerged.

The first challenge was youth engagement and retention, which can be difficult, especially when dealing with sensitive issues like mental health. Some youth faced difficulties maintaining motivation or fully committing to the project due to personal struggles or lack of time. To address this, the program included a mix of group activities and individualized support, with flexible scheduling for workshops and psychotherapy sessions, making it easier for youth to stay engaged. Additionally, encouraging youth to take leadership roles, such as organizing campaigns and workshops, fostered a sense of ownership, increasing motivation and commitment.

The second challenge was addressing the diverse needs of youth, as they came from varied backgrounds, with different levels of experience in activism, mental health challenges, and education. This diversity meant that some youth needed more personalized attention, which could be difficult to provide in a group setting. The solution was the combination of group and individual support mechanisms. Workshops were designed to accommodate different learning styles and experience levels, while one-on-one therapy sessions were offered to those with more specific mental health needs. The flexibility of the program allowed youth to progress at their own pace and according to their unique needs.

The third challenge was measuring the long-term impact of the project on youth resilience, mental health, and social change. Evaluating shifts in attitudes, behaviors, and mental health required thorough and ongoing assessment, which was challenging to track over time. To overcome this, the project used a combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation tools, including pre- and post-project surveys, youth feedback, and monitoring by project staff. Follow-up interviews with youth and the inclusion of long-term advocacy for project continuation allowed for tracking the project’s impact beyond the immediate term.

Could you please share a success story or impactful moment from your work that illustrates the power of Youth as Social Changemakers?

One of the most impactful success stories from the "Youth as Social Changemakers" project involves a young participant named Amel (a pseudonym), who joined the program in its early stages. Amel grew up in a complex family situation. He was raised in an incomplete family, with his mother struggling with mental health issues. Later, he was placed in several foster families, and during high school, a distant relative took over his care. Amel struggled with anxiety, low self-esteem, and the inability to effectively express his thoughts and needs, particularly in group settings. He lacked the skills and confidence to speak out and advocate for the causes that mattered to him, especially mental health.

When Amel first joined the project, he wasn’t sure how he could contribute to social change, feeling overwhelmed by his personal struggles. Despite a deep desire to help others, he couldn’t see his own potential. Initially, he participated in psycho-educational workshops that focused on mental health, gender equality, and nonviolent communication as well as individual psychotherapy support. Slowly, over time, Amel began to open up about his own challenges, sharing his experiences…

The real turning point for Amel came after several months of personal growth when he began to feel ready to take on a leadership role. In the second year of the initiative, youth were given the opportunity to design and lead street campaign. Amel, now more self-assured, decided to spearhead a mental health awareness campaign aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding mental health in his community.

He organized a street campaign in Tuzla, where he worked alongside other young participants to create informational materials and engage local youth in conversations about mental health. The campaign was a success, reaching over 1,000 young people in the city. In addition, Amel held a workshop at his high school on the topic of Communication and Youth Mental Health, where he shared his acquired knowledge and spoke about his personal journey of growth, development, and the changes he achieved through self-work and attending workshops and psychotherapy sessions. He became a beacon of change in his community, demonstrating the power of young people to drive personal and social transformation.

By the end of the project, Amel experienced a remarkable transformation. He reported a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, an improvement in his relationships with his family (mother, sister and brother) and friends, and a stronger sense of control over his life. More importantly, he had become a dedicated advocate for mental health, inspiring other young people to speak out and seek help when needed.

Amel's story highlights the transformative potential of the "Youth as Social Changemakers" initiative, not just for individual lives, but for broader societal change. His personal growth and transformation, combined with his passion for advocating mental health, reflect the core mission of the project: empowering youth to take action, raise awareness, and make a lasting impact in their communities.

What have your experience and work with the Youth as Social Changemakers taught you is the most important thing for people working with youth to keep in mind when addressing mental health?

The most important thing for those working with young people to keep in mind when addressing mental health is the need to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where young people feel heard, understood, and supported. Mental health issues among young people are often surrounded by stigma, shame, and fear of being judged. Many young people are hesitant to share their struggles due to societal expectations or the fear of being misunderstood.

In our work, we found that providing a space for open conversation—where participants feel safe to express their emotions, fears, and struggles without fear of judgment—is absolutely essential. This sense of safety is foundational for building trust, and trust is critical when it comes to working through mental health challenges.

The second key element is related to Holistic Support. Addressing mental health goes beyond just providing psycho-education and psychotherapy. It also means recognizing the interconnectedness of mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being. Youth need support in building emotional resilience, coping strategies for stress, and healthy lifestyle habits. Workshops and activities in the project covered a wide range of topics—self-care, stress management, setting boundaries, and healthy relationships—to ensure that young people were empowered to take care of themselves on multiple levels.

The key lies in an empathetic approach. It's not just about the communication from the facilitator to the young participants, but about his/hers overall attitude and ability to act empathetically, even in challenging situations. In this way, young people are more likely to build trust and also witness how an empathetic approach and interpersonal relationships can be both healing and motivating in practice.

Another significant element is related to Incorporating Youth Agency: Empowering young people to take an active role in their healing and advocacy gave them a sense of control, which significantly improved their resilience and well-being.

If you had a magic wand and there was one change you could make globally today to improve youth mental health, what would it be?

If I had a magic wand and could make one change globally today to improve youth mental health, it would be to integrate mental health education and support into every aspect of young people's lives, particularly within schools, universities and communities.

Youth spend a significant portion of their time in educational institutions, and these environments can play a powerful role in shaping their mental health. By embedding mental health education as a core part of the curriculum—just like physical education or math—young people would not only receive the tools to understand and manage their mental health but also be encouraged to speak openly about their challenges without fear of stigma.