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On 20 and 21 November 2009 a concluding part of the contest “Intercultural Challenge” will take place in Mostar, BiH. The contest in the framework of the CEP project “Educational Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina” is implemented by CEP in cooperation with the Slovenian Ministry of Education and Sport, UWC-IB Initiative in BiH and Education First (EF) language school.

“Intercultural Challenge” was a gymnasiums community-wide contest to encourage development of ideas in promoting intercultural dialog and understanding among cultures. The overarching goal of the project is to promote intercultural dialogue among young people in BiH, which would enable better co-existence of different cultural identities and beliefs. The project aims to promote tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, openness towards people with different religious, cultural, ethnic and national backgrounds.

In the Challenge, which closed on 27 October, participated 246 students from gymnasiums/high schools around BiH, together with their mentors. A special selection committee, which consisted of Slovenian and foreign experts on intercultural dialogue and members of CEP Task Force on Intercultural Dialogue in the Western Balkans, has selected 11 finalist project proposals.

For the authors of the best project proposals, together with their mentors and school directors, CEP is organising 2-day workshops and lectures on intercultural dialogue. They will take place on 20-21 November 2009 in Mostar, BiH, and will be conducted by Mr. Dan Podjed in Mr. Boštjan Kravanja, teaching assistants and PhD Candidates in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, both experts on intercultural dialogue and working with youth.

On the ceremony, which will take place on 20 November 2009 at 20:00 in T.C. Biosphere in Mostar, BiH the award will be conferred to the winning team. The award is sponsored by Education First (EF) language school and includes a language course with homestay twin in a EU member state as well as enrolment fees for the winning team.