Faris Bečić, a UN Volunteer Youth Associate served with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Based in Centar Sarajevo, a municipality of the main city, he helped create new opportunities for the education and employment of young people. This is his story.
Faris's volunteer assignment centered on the Regional Programme for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2). The project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP is aimed at supporting participatory democracies and EU integration in six countries in the Western Balkans — Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of them.
For Faris, ReLOaD2 allowed him to champion young people's voices in policymaking and also advocate for volunteering at the same time. He believes young people need to be involved in decisions and policies that affect them from the get-go.
Volunteering to serve the community is something that I recommend to all people. Apart from gaining experience in socially important matters, you also meet wonderful people who share the same desire to build a better society."
ReLOaD2 project's overall objectives include strengthening civil society, encouraging young people to actively participate in decision-making, and cultivating a conducive legal and financial environment for civil society.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the project is supported by the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo.
For UN Volunteers working with young people, projects such as ReLOaD2 help spread awareness of the absolute necessity of including young people for any positive change to happen. Faris validated this claim — it propelled him to actively seek resources and apt spaces.
Bringing this to fruition required Faris to organize workshops, projects and cultural activities for youth. “A large part of my role as a volunteer was to help young people create platforms that facilitate idea-sharing and ensure their aspirations are implemented in real policies."
As part of ReLOaD2, Faris also supported employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and was also a mentor for a fellow UN Volunteer. "What particularly fulfilled me through volunteering was that I had the opportunity and honour to give mentoring support to my colleague, and now friend, Anes Kujović, who became the first UN Volunteer with Down Syndrome."
With an academic background in International Relations from Burch University in Sarajevo and valuable experience as a UN Volunteer, Faris has transitioned to a professional role with the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo. “I can work even more actively to improve the lives of young people in our community, and that motivates me every day.”