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CR Conference a Source of Motivation

YES alumni in Bosnia and Herzegovina smile and show off face paint

By Edna Porca (YES 2018-2019, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by AYA in Unity, OR) 

How do you define motivation? What does motivation mean to you, and how do you become motivated?  

Motivation is one big part of the YES Alumni community in Bosnia and Herzegovina; we are constantly motivated to do better, make a change, raise awareness and provide tools for nearby communities to succeed. 

Of course, the City Representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina play a big part in our community, and we often call them the leaders. They plan monthly projects and make sure they create a better tomorrow in their society. Bosnia and Herzegovina has five City Representatives this year including Armela Mehdin, Sanda Hanjalic, Magdalina Tripunovic, Novak Novakovic, and Elma Focic. 

CR Conference participants sit around the conference table brainstorming ideas

As everyone does from time to time, our City Representatives need motivation and guidance to stay on the right track and complete their goals and alumni projects. For this reason, I, as YES Alumni Coordinator, organized a CR Conference II on February 12-13, aiming to motivate, guide and support. The first CR Conference took place in October, aimed at providing new City Representatives with tools to create successful projects during the year. 

On the first day of the CR Conference II, the five participants joined for a “Looking Back” session in which they talked about the projects they have done so far and reflected on the lessons and successes in their city representative experience. They followed this session with a discussion on reporting and organizing finances for their projects.  

A CR Conference participant sits with her laptop thinking

On the second day of the CR Conference II, the city representatives talked more about project organization. They planned projects for the following six months, considering their own work and school obligations. They also gave advice and shared various ideas focusing on the environment, youth, and mutual understanding. One of the most important sessions was on skill sharing. The City Representatives prepared their own short presentations about essential skills, such as having friends, web design, time management, and project organization.  

“It was really great to renew our knowledge, especially when it comes to reporting,” said CR Elma Focic. “It meant a lot to me to meet in person and to be reminded of this great community. Another great part was exchanging ideas and creating collaborations among each other.” 

Some participants stand in front of the Sarejevo city sign

City Representatives finished the conference with a “Let's Organize” session where they planned their projects for the Global Youth Service Day in April 2022. The City Representatives completed the CR Conference II motivated to do better.  

The following YES alumni were named in this article:

Armela Mehdin (YES 2019-2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by AYUSA in Veneta, OR) 

Sanda Hanjalic (YES 2009-2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by PAX in Lancaster, PA) 

Magdalina Tripunovic (YES 2019-2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by AYA/AIFS in Stallings, NC) 

Novak Novakovic (YES 2019-2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by Aspect in Fort Worth, TX) 

Elma Focic (YES 2019-2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina, placed by ASSE in Belleville, IL) 


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