After completing his academic and cultural exchange year in the U.S., YES alumnus, Emir Hasanovic (YES 2009-2010, Macedonia, hosted by PAX in Lyle, MN), has become a social-change activist, advisor, and a public diplomacy professional. Read more about Emir's commendable contributions to the global community! 

Macedonia is a country still undergoing a post-socialist transition. By default this means that there is a need for fresh ideas and new initiatives. One of the areas that I wanted to make an impact in was gender equality. I firmly believe that if you are privileged just because you are born a certain way--in my case a man-- you should acknowledge your privilege and use it to empower others. I feel very passionate about ending all forms of discrimination and inequality.

I wanted to address so many things at once! But naturally, one has two arms, two legs and 24 hours in a day. I needed a team! Luckily, I met an outstanding fellow who was from Macedonia but lived in Washington D.C. while I was there. He shared a lot of my views and opinions and, together, we launched an NGO called Democracy Lab. At the beginning, when we first returned to Macedonia it was just the two of us, and we wanted to focus on empowering others to get involved in their community and be proactive in solving their local issues. Politics matters, and by politics I do not mean party activism, I mean being passionate about leveraging institutions to resolve your issues. That's why we pay taxes after all! 

We developed a variety of concepts which would help engage people for the purpose of social change. For instance, we coordinated with American Councils on a public debate called "Women in Public Life". The idea was to not provide a platform for complaint on this topic, but to instead show women who, in spite of all challenges, have made it. We wanted to inspire more young women and girls to overcome their own personal challenges to achieve their goals. The turn-out of the program was incredible and the space we used was overflowing. The speakers really opened up about what it means to be a successful woman and spoke from the heart. They talked about personal and professional challenges, what kept them going, and how it felt to achieve their dreams. This resonated with a lot of people and, in fact, our event made headlines for several days. I think we really made a difference and managed to draw the eye of the public on gender equality issues. 

Currently, I advise Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Radmila Sekerinska. Getting to where I am has been quite the adventure. I am a Georgetown University graduate (Hoya Saxa!) and I feel my education massively broadened my horizons and served as a springboard for a great deal of opportunities for which I am so grateful. I have always been competitive, so after graduation I applied for some very competitive jobs and through hard work (and with my personality) I managed to get these jobs. Since then, I have worked in three countries on different continents for premier strategic communications consultancies and investigative reporting networks. 

Uncertainty has never scared or unsettled me. I have, instead, used it as a stimulus and a driving force to get better at what I do. I returned to Macedonia after graduating and working abroad, in the midst of a deep political crisis and I stood by what I believed in during some very difficult times not only for myself, but for my future children and grandchildren. I was certain that the future of my country was in jeopardy and that this was bigger than me. I didn't have the luxury of being complacent and "keeping my head down". I got involved in a variety of initiatives that addressed issues through community solutions. At the time, this wasn't very popular, but I knew what I was doing was right. Today, Macedonia is a different country due to the collective efforts of people like me.

When the new government was formed I was torn between remaining in civil society and trying to help the people who promised a different path for my country implement their vision. I chose once again to dive into the unknown and give my best to make my country a better place to live in.  Now I am on a new mission--making Macedonia the 30th full-fledged NATO member, and hopefully an EU member after that. 

The only thing that is a constant in my thoughts about my future plans is going to grad school. I do miss academia and I feel I have yet to learn so much and experiment with research, concepts, and ideas. I am really looking forward to that!