Radio Drama in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Results Available Baseline Survey for Our Town, Our Future: A project about democratisation, good governance and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Article by Dr. Colin Irwin is available in: - a short version (pdf, 152 kb) and - a long version with tables (pdf, 330 kb). Press release Public services responsive to citizens BH citizens want municipalities that will ask them about improvements that could be made to municipal services. Municipal workers want clear lines of responsibility and computerisation Press clippings - Article in Vecernji list, 18.09.2004 (jpb, 114kb) - Article in Dani, 17.03.2005 (jpb, 111kb) - Article in Dani, 24.9.2004 (jpg, 114kb) - Article in Dnevni list, 11.9.2004 (pdf, 349 kb) - Article in Hercegovacke Weekly (pdf, 457 kb) - Four articles from Vecernji list BiH (pdf, 815 kb)

The Our Town, Our Future Project uses radio drama, along with extensive outreach work, to strengthen democratisation, good governance, and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BBC World Service Trust is conducting this project from 2004 to 2006 in partnership with a regional NGO, the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe.

This project aims to change the attitude of staff in municipal authorities by raising awareness of poor governance issues and by highlighting best practice and malpractice through popular radio drama. The outreach work encourages local communities to stand up for their individual, citizens' rights and to present their own needs more effectively.

A radio drama series, set in a Bosnian local authority, will attract target audiences of 250,000 municipal workers, their families, local politicians and citizens on all sides of the ethnic divides. The series will raise awareness of the current weaknesses of municipal authorities. The project will encourage community involvement in the development of the radio series with local consultative testing and focus groups.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is country in a state of recovery after a three and a half year war from 1992 to 1995.

The country consists of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Republika Srpska (RS). Each entity has its own government. Overarching these entities is a central government and a rotating presidency.

Local government in the FBiH is divided into 10 cantons which are further subdivided into 81 municipalities. The RS is subdivided into 63 administrative municipalities. There is no cantonal structure in RS which is why this project targets municipal authorities. This fragmentation of power and complexity of structure offers fertile ground not only for inefficiency but also for widespread corruption.

Since 1992 the BBC World Service Trust has developed similar educational drama series in Albania , Romania , Russia and Afghanistan . In this project up to 23 radio stations all over BiH will broadcast the series. Each station will produce its own radio phone-in to debate the issues raised in the drama series.

Our Town, Our Future storylines will also form the cornerstone of a broad range of outreach work, to be organised by the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe . The outreach work aims to improve the quality of 144 municipal authorities and will include 3 opinion polls. Three conferences for municipal workers will further inform low and middle-ranking municipal workers, usually untrained political appointees, of best practice and malpractice.

Also, there will be extensive public relations work, which includes a regular newsletter. A five-day study-tour to Northern Ireland will allow Bosnian media managers and drama professionals to share experiences with another country which is equally politically complex with deep religious tensions.

The project will utilise local talent and develop local partnerships with broadcasters. The soap opera will be produced using Bosnian directors, writers and actors. The project is made possible by a grant of 835,142 Euro from the European Commission under “The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights: Support for Democratisation, Good Governance and the Rule of Law”.

The project is co-financed by the Charles Mott foundation.

The EC grant covers 80% of the project costs, for the remaining 20% the BBC World Service Trust and the CDRSEE are actively seeking support.

Date of last update: 17 June 2004

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the BBCWST and the CDRSEE and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.