European Young Leaders (#EYL40)

Armin Čerkez currently serves as Managing Director of the Global Asthma and Allergy Excellence Network, which promotes cutting-edge research, innovation and medical education in allergy, asthma and dermatology research worldwide. He is also a founder of Youth Power, an influential Bosnian NGO that pushes for non-violence, human rights and tolerance in the country. His inspirational work on Program Y led to the inclusion of gender-based violence prevention in school curricula. Coming from a region that has historically suffered from religious violence, Čerkez has championed the need for more interfaith dialogue. He has also brought his message directly to citizens, providing lessons to prevent alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and violence in schools.

Robert Dacešin is a Bosnian author, travel guide and blogger. In 2022, his short video “Why Bosnia and Herzegovina can be the number one tourist destination in the world”, which he created with minimal funding, won the award for World’s Best Tourist Film by the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT). With a background in digital marketing, Dacešin has penned five books: three guides to Bosnia and Herzegovina, including one about his hometown of Banja Luka, and two travel novels about his trips through South America and Asia. Dacešin regularly shares his travel stories with a wide audience through his blog and social networks, including a YouTube channel with over 200K subscribers. In addition, he officiated at more than 20 international tennis tournaments, featuring renowned players such as Nadal, Murray, Del Potro, and others.

Jasminko Halilović is a leading conflict researcher from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who compiled short recollections from people who experienced the Bosnian War as children into “War Childhood”. The award-winning book has now been translated into six languages. He went on to establish the War Childhood Museum in Sarajevo, the world’s only museum exclusively dedicated to childhoods affected by armed conflict. Awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize, the museum aims to raise awareness of the specific experience through archived materials, from drawings to personal belongings, and motivate adults to consider the consequences of war. Halilović has developed the museum from a small local initiative into an international non-profit with offices in Sarajevo, Kyiv, The Hague and New York City. A serial entrepreneur since his teenage years, Halilović has co-founded several companies. His passion for peacebuilding and entrepreneurship has earned him spots as a keynote speaker and guest lecturer at universities and conferences in over 15 countries.

Benjamina Karić is the Mayor of Novo Sarajevo and a Bosnian politician. She previously served as Mayor of the City of Sarajevo, becoming only the second woman in the city’s history to hold the role. During her tenure, Karić led several green infrastructure initiatives, including the creation of a central city park and a bike path linking Sarajevo to the nearby town of Pale. She is Vice-President of the Social Democratic Party and an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Travnik. Karić is the youngest doctor of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the first post-war doctor of classical Roman law. She has authored over 50 publications and is a founding member of BATHINVS, an association dedicated to the study and promotion of Illyrian heritage and ancient and classical civilisations.

A local politician from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Uk Nihad currently serves as the Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton. Nihad envisions Sarajevo as a European metropolis that offers its inhabitants, especially young people a high quality of life. He champions forward-thinking transport, housing and education policies, and the promotion and enhancement of culture and art. Recent successes have included a project aimed at building Sarajevo’s first museum of modern art, as well as the provision of free textbooks for all primary school students and free public city transportation for all students.