By joining forces, driven by enthusiasm and realized projects behind, today secondary school students in Zavidovići marked their day – Secondary School Student's Day.
This day is celebrated in memory of the student protests that took place in Prague on 17th November, 1939. The students were protesting against the Nazi occupation, and they were shot without trial.
„Today we are out on the streets, with our heads held up high after various activities we realized the past years, and there will be even more in the future. First of all, to celebrate something we have to have a background and successful stories behind them. Officials marked Independence Day, and in two years over 80 000 people left the country. The secondary school students in this canton collect over 9 000 KM in form of New Year's gifts and distribute them to children with lower income or they gather the secondary school students from the whole Canton for a debate competition without a single Convertible Mark in the budget“, says Elmin Fehrić, president of the Council of the Technical High School students.
Over 150 of them started the walk around the town at 11:17 symbolically under the slogan: „We are here! For them, us and you!“. The entire activity was carried out by the organization of the Council of students of three high schools in the municipality of Zavidovići, and the local team of the Association of high school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zavidovići.
The slogan represents the struggle of high school students for all ages.
„On this day the Prague high school students spoke out against the Nazi occupation and its act to send a clear message to the world, but they sadly and tragically died. And high school students from Bosnia and Herzegovina marked this day, although in other circumstances, but they did it with the same message: "We are here for them, you and us" that should make it clear to everyone that the high school students are there and always will be. For them, the younger generation, for themselves and for the older generation“, says Edin Omerović, President of the students' Council of ''Rizah Odžečkić'' high school.
High school students went for a walk together with the Mayor Hašim Mujanović, who spoke to high school students on a symbolic place - Monument of anti-fascists of World War II.
After the procession trough the city and addressing the officials, the high school stundents watched the story of the struggle against the division of high school students in Jajce.
„First of all I'm glad to see students of all three high schools from our municipality gathered together. Today we proved that the right people are the hope of our future, that we are ready to unite and do something that has never been seen before in our city and beyond. High school students in Zavidovići, but also generally in Bosnia and Herzegovina, should not compete with each other, but must unite in the fight for a common goal - and that is a better tomorrow. Marking this day, especially in this way, with this message is only one of a series of activities that we have to confirm that we are on the right track. I believe in young people in Zavidovići and it is clear to us that with these people a brighter future is ahead of us.“, says Adnan Omerašević, President of the students' Council of the Mixed Secondary School.
Also, the organizers would like to thank the local institutions that have contributed to the organization of this project, especially the Cultural Centre and Police Station.
Original text by: Elmin Fehrić
Translation: Nerma Vrabac