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.
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

As a psychology student, I decided to apply for the peacebuilding training being organised by CNA. To tell the truth, I didn’t have very high expectations, I just wanted to have fun and make new friends. I got so much more than that. The training was planned in detail and we dealt with important topics. What I liked the most was the organisation and the rules we set up. This training was also my first encounter with the concept of peacebuilding and peace activism. Afterwards, I continued to pursue an interest in these topics and have attended several other seminars and trainings. I think this training enabled me to better understand the problems in our society and contributed to my personal growth and development. 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. I forged strong bonds with several other participants and we are still friends and spend time together.

I would certainly recommend this training to young people who want to learn about peacebuilding. Through the training, you will learn about nonviolent communication and how you can use it. You will also bring awareness to prejudices you have without knowing you have them, and this will enable you to change. In addition to outstanding trainers and an excellent programme, you can also expect to find a pleasant atmosphere. This is very important for establishing openness and trust in the group. Expand your horizons and apply for the next training. Maybe you’ll be lucky like me and make lifelong friends (and imagine, they’re not even the same nationality as you).

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!

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.

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.

Teodora Milosavljević

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

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.

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.

Mirsad Dreić

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

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.

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.

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...

Darko Nestorov

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

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…

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.

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…

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.

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.

Sibel Gutiq

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

Branislav Trudić

For years, this training has been true to the essence of peace education – providing support in creating a safe group atmosphere where many will engage for the first time in their lives in an empathy-based learning experience about the war and post-war past. I have nothing but words of praise for the inclusive segment of the training, both in terms of selecting participants of different profiles and in terms of enabling the participants to follow the entirety of the training in all the regional languages.

Nataša Filipović

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

Valentina Petra Eterović Buble

Now I’m strong. Now I know how.

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 […]

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.

Omer Muminović

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

Anisa Pračić-Šehić

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

Valon Kuci

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

Ajša Tunović

A cathartic experience

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!

Davor Obrdalj

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