NGO, "People Helping People”, Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A Speech Written by the organizer of the NGO, "Peaople Helping People"

 

Dear people of the world, I am not writing to teach you, I just want to share my feelings and thoughts with you – peace makers. My name is Aida Kekic, 23-year-old English language teacher for peace, tolerance, anti-discrimination and better world. I am the president at non-government association called “Ljudi pomazu ljudima – People Helping People”, Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are volunteers who want to help the Roma, socially endangered children and adults with education.

Romani or Roma are a Hindi people who originate from northern India. In 9^th century they were forced to leave their country, and since then they roam around the world. Like anywhere in the world, Roma people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are national minority. They do not have country. They do not work in government, are not employed in state institutions, or any company where they can have work for living. Roma children are used to maintain trafficking, and they became slaves of 21th century. In many countries worldwide, Roma women are forced on prostitution, but for some reasons the world is silent about that. Discrimination, racism, prejudices are some social barriers they are dealing with in 21 century. Their children are not well educated; most of them are forced to beg on the streets. Roma people did not have an opportunity to work as decent human race. They were forced to find ways for surviving. Unfortunately, beggary, dealing, arm sales are some of them. We want to help them to enter the society. Every nation has the right to live normal life.

Our second target group is the social endangered children and adults from rural place called Johovica. It is a small village in Velika Kladusa, Bosnia and Herzegovina where most young people and adults are using drugs; do not have jobs or some activities for entertainment. Women are forced to work. They do not have equal rights as men. Most of them serve as slaves. We want to help women have more free time for themselves. In this place, there isno nursery and children are left alone when women go to work. Twice a week we do activities with children and adults after school, where we teach English, human rights, peace and justice for free, in order to prevent them from using drugs. We want to show them that there are so many better things they can do in life.

Throughout our activities, we want to build new social standard which will result in opening people eyes, abolishing prejudices and building peace. We especially focus on children, both boys and girls. There are a lot of things we want to help them realize.  We want to show children that it is wrong to use violence and treat people like objects. People are not toys. We have souls and feelings. They deserve to know that words hurt others as much as physical attacks do.  Women have to know that they have the same rights as men’s. There is nothing wrong if they have wishes, opinions, self-expressions, or professional education. We want to show women that they do not serve others just as human machines to survive. Men have to know that they can be protectors if women do not have bodies with strong muscles as theirs. We want to show people that there is no difference between genders. Each person can have and actually has the right to be independent and self-contained. The activities we carry out are:

1. Human rights:In this activity, we create workshops in which the target groups are educated about the human rights, the significance of life, value of peace and dignity of humans.

2. The world of English:  Through these workshops, the target groups learn English language using mind maps in order to learn easier and faster.

Mind Maps: Present Simple Tense

Mind Maps: Present Continuous Tense

Mind Maps: Past Simple Tense

Mind Maps: Past Continuous Tense

Mind Maps: Future Tense

Mind Maps: Word Classes

 

1. Letters of friendship: It is the activity through which the target groups communicate and exchange feelings, thoughts, and emotions about the experiences they gained so far. Sometimes the members write songs, essays, stories to each other. We develop the spirituality with this activity.

2. Women in history – In this activity, we teach the target groups about  difficulties women had to face through history. We would like to prompt the gender equality and critical thinking by realizing the activity.

3. Men as guardians: By this activity, we would like to stop men from using violence and help men be aware that they should protect their families, communities and country by using their minds. This activity is closely related to raising awareness of building peace. The target groups write poems both in English and Bosnian language about love, peace, preventing the harm, etc.

4. We are all humans: By this activity, we potentiate the building of peace, common life, tolerance, love, justice, human rights, friendship, value and importance of human life. The target groups clean the environment, help older people with reading, cleaning, cooking, doing things which will result in having fun, etc.

I believe that only love and good manners can make the change. Everyone deserves respect and decent life, no matter which color of the skin, social class, gender or nationality they are. We are human beings and we should act by our conscience not by instincts. Most people do not know the difference of conscience and instinct so we should teach them.

I would like to help them discover true themselves through love and harmony not through competitions or violence. We do not need violence to demonstrate power or will. There are far much better weapons such as: love, kindness and compassion. We will create better place only if we use better method. We will get what we give. People need to be shown the way to find inner peace because everything starts inside us. Our exterior is just the reflection of our thoughts and mind state. We act as we feel. Negative emotions cause a lack of feelings.

The main problem with the world is that the darkness has overcome the brightness. The darkness provided difficulties in two fields: general issues and relationships among people. The general issues consist of wars, murders, sufferings, starvation, and great depression within youth. The relationships among people are compromised because many bad elements occupy their stream such as: criticism, jealousy, discrimination, incomprehension, materialism, underestimation, violence (verbal and physical), class and gender division and racism. Somehow we destroyed the collective spirit. People are afraid. We do not act as one unit. Eventually the matter of individuality comes at the first plan. That is why we are in constant fight with each other.

Criticism, jealousy, incomprehension and underestimation are closely connected. Nowadays people use only negative critics which provide jealousy, hurt and underestimation. Everyone wants to be the best, but we often forget that there is always the best of best and the worst of worst.  Let’s be happy for each other. Let’s look at the bright side of each other’s acts.

 Why do we have to feel so insecure? I think that is because we are not satisfied with ourselves and as a reaction of that dissatisfaction, we consider everyone else’s attempt as the personal attack. At this stage, we bear the incomprehension which results in judging. We are all different and we cannot understand every single step someone makes, but we should know that there is a reason for every action. When there is no understanding there is no respect. We should build these phases if we want to have healthy conversation. Discrimination, racism, materialism, violence, class and gender division are another elements which disturb human race connection. We should not be afraid of differences.

If you ask me, I would say that only knowledge can open the path which will lead us to the world of peace. Knowledge can be collected in many ways – through institutional learning or gaining experiences. Experience is the best way for teaching and opening minds. Providing people a chance to gain experiences through which they will see and feel that there is always someone who cares is the best way to make them start to believe that there is hope. Gaining experiences is life long process so we need to be motivators not just creators. The world is people. People are our truth, present and future. I am asking you for help. If we unite, we can do everything. Let’s spread our wings and realize justice, freedom and equality in the world.

Best regards,

Aida Kekic

Position: President at the Association "Ljudi pomažu ljudima - People Helping People", Bosnia and Herzegovina

Occupation: Volunteer teacher of English language for peace, tolerance and human rights.

The target groups: Roma children and socially endangered adults and children.