Annual report Association Vesta for 2008.

Annual Report presents not only a sheer overview of projects and activities that Association Vesta has carried out in 2008, but it also presents our overall progress, entirely dedicated to promotion of human rights, gender equality and civil dialogue. Therefore, it proves not only our devoted work, but also continuous growth and a steady organizational development.

In the year marked by some important steps towardsthe institutionalization of civil dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vesta directed its activities to initiating systematic changes at the local, as well as the state level. During 2008 we contributed to the prevention of peer violence, the sustainability of return, the strengthening of the youth movement, the liberalization of the visa regime, and other topical processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have introduced ourselves to the local authority representatives and offered them our assisstance in analyzing of gender responsiveness of municipal budgets. For students of journalism, we organized volunteer work in our medium as well as presentations of their further educational possibilities and engagement in this walk of life. Cooperation with civil society organizations active in field of women and children right's protection has been established, with an aim of working not only on their closer mutual cooperation, but also on coming into better contact with governmental sector needed for drafting of joint development solutions.

Three specific elements have marked the 2008: acknowledgement for our medium work, confidence in our expertise and recognition of the importance of our role in the civil sector. Namely, the professional community has awarded Vesta Radio the Regional Radio Festival Award for student production and the production of the best ID and commercial jingles. An expression of confidence which gave credit to our expertise was shown by the European Union High Representative for BiH, Mr. Miroslav Lajcak, for the conducting of debates on European integration process. The importance of our role in the civil sector was recognized by the European Commission which approved us funds for implementation of the project related to development of civil dialogue in the Bosnia and Herzegovina.