Amina Kaja

I’ve been to many trainings, but none are like CNA.

I don’t know how to choose just one experience I liked most – the 10 days were filled with wonderful moments, so it seems a shame to single out just one. If I had to single out something, it would be this:

I saw how an incredible team with a lot of knowledge can create a safe space for discussion and honesty, both about the positive things we’ve done and about those we regret.
My hope was restored that there would be no more war in our region and that we really can build a better future.
Every conversation about the past, every shared experience, every story about the change we create in our communities and every thought shared by the participants is something that will stay with me for a long time – I even have a lot of them noted down so I will never forget them. 😀
What I learned during the training about nonviolent communication, reconciliation and violence was mostly new, but it was explained so well that it wasn’t difficult to understand and I felt a sense of satisfaction while learning.
I really liked the documentaries! It was good to see different sides of various conflicts that we don’t often talk about in our countries.
Finally, what I think left the biggest impression on me was the reaction of the participant from Croatia – he felt so bad about the prejudice he had about Kosovars and Albanians that he kept apologising to me and thanking me for being there at the training, with tears in his eyes. I think this specific experience says a lot about how the discussions and exercises helped us get to know each other deeply and helped change our hearts and the hearts of others with the love and honesty we demonstrated!

Recommendation: I’ve been to many trainings, but none are like CNA’s training. The approach of the trainers, the method of learning, the presentations and exchanges of experience were unique. You can tell everyone is listening when you speak, and when you sometimes don’t hear a bit of what someone else is saying, you feel bad, because every sentence is valuable and you can learn from it!

The very interesting exercises helped us get to know each other, but also ourselves, and in addition to being fun, they gave us new ways to discuss the topic of the day. If you want to learn from people who are very different from you, if you want to share your soul with others for the good of the region, to challenge yourself and what is rooted inside you, while at the same time having fun and seeing new things, then this training is for you! 😀

experiences of CNA trainees

Anisa Pračić-Šehić

I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to push their own and then our collective social boundaries.

Vanja Stokić

I made friends, but real friends. People I still meet up with and sometimes we go on trips together. But also, I saw first-hand that I have a lot in common with people who seem nothing like me. That pain isn’t just mine, that others also share it. It might sound...

Žarko Stanimirović

If CNA ever invites you to attend their training, RUN to fill out the application form and hope you’ll be selected, because there’s strong competition. All you need to bring along is an open mind and a desire to socialise, and you won’t regret it.

Edo Kanlić

If you want to experience catharsis, sign up for the training. Don’t take it lightly, it’s a serious endeavour. It’ll turn your experiences, beliefs and emotions upside down. Even five days after the training, I’m still trying to put together everything I experienced during those 10 days. Without wanting to sound pretentious, I will say that the training made me a better person. So go ahead, sign up!

Teodora Sokolovska

I’ll never forget the enthusiasm of the trainers in transferring their knowledge, experiences and exercises. It wasn’t new for me, it just made me remember that all people carry within them different stories, different burdens and different baggage, and that we can learn something from everyone…

Sibel Gutiq

This training helped me learn and understand more about myself and the people around me.

Sunita Dautbegović Bošnjaković

There will definitely be an exchange of opinions, every participant will be afforded respect, there will be mutual listening, as well as mutual criticism and self-criticism. This means opening up topics that are painful and that we often “sweep under the rug”, but that prevent us from embarking on a constructive process of dealing with the past and building our societies on the values of peace.

Tamara Zečević

The Basic Training in Peacebuilding is something I recommend to everyone, whatever their profession, age or life experience. The training will give you an opportunity not just to see the bigger picture of the region and the country you live in, but also for some serious introspection…

Nataša Filipović

Meeting different people, learning about their experiences and ways of thinking can go a long way to help mutual understanding.

Igor Drvendžija

…not to mention how memorable it is to share your stories with the rest of the group and often find understanding despite the fact that we come from different backgrounds.

Iva Baraba

This training is unique. There is nothing like it in our region that works towards peacebuilding with a similar approach. I participated in various seminars and study visits organised internationally, nationally and locally, but this training successfully brought together the issues facing our countries, the tools for dealing with them and the people for whom they matter!

Valentina Petra Eterović Buble

Now I’m strong. Now I know how.

Omer Muminović

If I had to sum up the training in one word, it would be courage.

Mirsad Dreić

Even ten years later, the training leaves a strong impression of awakened awareness and understanding of others.

Emina Šehić

I would say my experience can be summed up as follows: being myself, peace and listening. Participating in this training allowed me to be myself for the first time, to talk and express my opinions the way I feel them, without fearing they would be judged. This brought on a sense of peace that […]

Davor Obrdalj

I recommend the training to everyone, and I guarantee you won’t be the same again.

Amina Kaja

I’ve been to many trainings, but none are like CNA.

Teodora Milosavljević

This training had just one downside. It set the bar unrealistically high for all others!

Valon Kuci

During the training, I also realised I shouldn’t feel lonely because I have a lot of friends who think this way.

Gordana Jocić

Above all, I think a form has been found for learning about nonviolence that makes a strong and lasting impression on the participants.

Ajdin Kamber

We sifted through our feelings, traumas, memories… How is it possible for schoolmates, neighbours, friends, even brothers, to become mortal enemies overnight. I got part of the answer at the training organised by the Centre for Nonviolent Action in Ulcinj.

Martina Barešić

…what had the biggest impact on me were the personal stories of all the people at the training. They enriched this entire training and gave everything an emotional dimension that is sorely needed in working on reconciliation and dealing with the past.

Darko Nestorov

It’s hard to describe the experience of the training, so I would recommend seeing it for yourself.

Vanja Šunjić

When participants from previous trainings told me about how it had changed their lives, even though I believed them, I could not fathom how a ten-day training could really do that.

Slađana Popović Šipka

I’d like to point out that one of the things I said during the training was “I’d like us to be able to travel without fear, for me to come from Banja Luka to Bugojno and have coffee with Naima, and for her to do the same and come visit me.” Thanks to this training, my wish came true.

Sunčica Đukanović

If you want to express your views openly and receive founded and constructive criticism, as well as give it out without fear of being judged, then this training with professionals in peace education is the right choice for you and you won’t be wasting your time.

Sara Velaga

I’ll remember this training as some of the happiest days in my life, because I felt complete, purified, aware and in touch with my emotions throughout the 10 days. I never had an extended family, but during the time we spent together, I found out that a family can be completely different people.

Ajša Tunović

A cathartic experience