Guided by the international watchword of persons with disabilities, “Nothing about Us without Us” and following the guidelines developed by the DRPI, representatives of disabled persons’ organisations from five coalitions of such organisations participated in a disability rights monitoring training sponsored by Lights for the World, Austrian Development Agency, and SHIA, held in Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina from October 8 to 16, 2012.

The monitoring of individual experiences lasted five months and was conducted by 25 individuals with disabilities. A total of 100 interviews were carried out with individuals with various forms of disability in our five areas (Bijeljina, Doboj, Mostar, Sarajevo, and Tuzla). Systemic and media monitoring were also conducted. For the purposes of the media monitoring process, the leading print media in Bosnia and Herzegovina were followed from April to September 2013, processing a total of 224 texts that dealt, directly or indirectly, with the theme of persons with disabilities. Nine daily newspapers, 15 weekly or fortnightly publications and 17 monthly publications were monitored, the aim being to identify the use of more than 50 pre-identified keywords, including phrases used in addressing persons with disabilities.

Subsequently, the Alternative Report was prepared following the Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI) methodology within a project entitled “Towards Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Empowering People with Disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

The entire process involved cooperation, workshops and meetings between MyRight (ex SHIA), the Centre for Society Orientation (COD), the DRPI coordinator for the European region, and all the various participants in the project to draft the Alternative Report.

DRPI Bosnia & Herzegovina – People

Lead Partner Organization:

MyRight – Empowers People with Disabilities local office in Bosnia-Herzegovina (previously SHIA)

Local Partners:

“Kolosi Coalition” Bijeljina, The Doboj Coalition of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, The Tuzla Canton Coalition of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, The Coordinating Board of the Sarajevo Canton Coalition of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, “The Stronger Together” Coalition from Herzegovina-Neretva Canton

Project Coordinator:

Natasa Maros

Field Coordinators:

Adisa Pamuk, Jasminko Bijelić, Jasna Rebac, Jelena Mišić, Milorad Jović

Monitors:

Elma Dandić, Tatjana Kosak, Almir Jahić, Ivan Primorac, Siniša Telebak, Tima Musić, Alija Muratović (preminuo prošle godine), Enisa Bratović, Nermina Omerović, Brankica Jokić, Predrag Radojčić, Ljiljana Jelisić, Gradimir Kragić, Edib Skulić, Milenko Tripunović, Dušan Đukanović, Rukib Škiljo, Gordana Stupar, Zorica Marković, Mladenka Mihajlović, Boris Cvjetković, Gojko Šurbat, Irfan Kulić, Melita Čano, Amra Trgo, Dževad Kamber, Hamida Čomor

Systemic monitors:

Zoran Dobraš, Fikret Zuko, Suvad Zahirović

Media monitor:

Željko Bajić

Data analysts:

Ira Adilagić, Elmedin Lelo, Vedran Stanić