About us

Our history, mission, vision and strategic orientations

VESTA Association was founded in 1998 in Tuzla, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina renowned for its multi-ethnicity. A group of young people who had decided to remain in their country focused their energy on creating a grass-roots organization that would encourage civic engagement and cross-cultural communication while supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration into the European community.  VESTA´s founders were committed to empowering local groups and individuals interested in shaping the future of their communities - a future based on the values of participatory decision-making and equal opportunity.

VESTA Association is named after VESTA, the goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology.

The mission - Vesta Association is non-governmental, non-political and non for profit organization which supports and contributes to the process of profiled and focused actions of the civil society and other development actors in strengthening of the democratic society by embracing the European values.

Our vision assumes a society of active citizens who utilise Vesta for detection, initiation of and reaction to required social changes.

Strategically, the Association is focused on:

1) facilitation of the processes of inclusion of all relevant interest groups in detection and analysis of problems, as well as activities of public advocacy for identified solutions for priority reform changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to the European Union. Within this programme, Vesta places special attention on rural development and agriculture.

2)promotion and strengthening of women's rights aimed at their socio-economic empowerment , as well as active and equal participation in the decision making processes

3) support to development of the system of socially-responsible functioning of public institutions and initiation of other developmental initiatives which create assumptions for creation of democratic civil society.

VESTA Radio

a non-profit community radio station

VESTA Association is the founder of VESTA Radio, a non-profit, community radio station, which started operating in 2001. VESTA Radio is grounded in the same principles as its parent organization and believes that a healthy democracy depends on community involvement, open dialogue on important local and national issues, and an active and independent media.  Broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, VESTA Radio produces news, educational and public advocacy programs along with eclectic music and entertainment programming.

The station offers citizens and NGOs the opportunity to produce their own radio programs, allowing their voice to be heard and the chance to contribute to the democratic changes in the country.  Many of these programs deal with the protection of human rights and the rights of marginalized groups, gender equality, environmental issues, and the concerns of youth.  VESTA Radio shares many of these special interest radio programs with other stations throughout the country through the KRIK network, a collective of similar, socially responsible media organizations. Through radio, VESTA Radio helps raise consciousness of important issues and encourages the local community to seek accountability from decision-makers.

VESTA Radio owns a long-term broadcasting license issued by the Communications Regulatory Agency. From its studios in historic downtown Tuzla, VESTA Radio covers an area of several municipalities in Tuzla Canton with more than 300,000 potential listeners.

VESTA RESOURCE CENTRE supported by TACSO

Assistance to Civil Society Organizations (TACSO) Project started the partnership with VESTA Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to ensure sustainability of TACSO functions after the project ends in 2017.VESTA hosts TACSO in its offices in Sarajevo and Tuzla as of October 2014. The partnership in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the process that is being done in Albania, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

The EU has supported the Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organizations (TACSO) Project since 2009 in the scope of the Civil Society Facility (CSF) mechanism, in order to achieve a strengthened civil society and to stimulate a civil society-friendly environment and culture in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Resource Centers will accompany TACSO National Offices in implementation of the project until the project end; receive capacity building support for organisational development and tailored coaching for improving the extent of their services for CSOs.

Who supports us?

VESTA Association receives most of its funding through donor support. Additional funds come from local business support of VESTA Radio and from revenue related to service provision and training/consultancy support programs, as well as incentives from govermental funds for NGOs. Main funding for realisation of programs/projects is received from the European Union, 

EUSR, American Embassy in BiH, UN WOMEN, ADA, OSF BiH, SIDA, USAID, UNIFEM, Government of Finland, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, WACC, IRC, Global Fund for Women, Westminister Foundation, NORAD, UNDP i other respective partners.

Financial report

Financial report for 2015 available HERE.