Right To Know Project

19 December 2003

The Right to Know Project is implemented by the International Forum for Solidarity in cooperation with the UNICEF Office in B&H. The goal of the project is to establish a communication plan for HIV/AIDS prevention among the adolescent population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, the goal of the project is to provide for an active involvement of adolescents in the research and other activities that are important for them.

The project is implemented in Tuzla, Sarajevo and Banja Luka. In the three cities, the local NGOs conduct participatory and action research with the local adolescents who have demonstrated interest to work on activities that are important for their lives. Every group of adolescents had the opportunity to choose which of the following subject it will research in the six months of duration of the project � HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, prevention of adolescent pregnancy, sexuality, physical development of boys and girls, gender, violence, addictions, human rights and means for sustenance. The project in Tuzla have been actively implemented since May 2003. It is implemented by a fivi-member IFS team (adolescents and young people from Tuzla) and 20 adolescents which were interested to participate in project (the so-called Team ZLA and the Local Investigation Group � LIGa Tuzla)

Project activities:
Street basketball tournament "NO DRUGS, NO HIV/AIDS, NO ALCOHOL - JUST PLAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TWO ON TWO", for mixed pairs of adolescents and teenagers (13 to 20 years of age). The International Forum for Solidarity, under the general sponsorship by BH Telecom, organized a tournament for mixed pairs of adolescents. The tournament was held on August 16-17, at the Telex open air courts. As the tournament proceeded, the members of LIGa Tuzla distributed information on prevention of HIV/AIDS and free condoms. Every day, after the games were over, entertainment programmes were organized on Telex courts, with performances by local DJs and modern dance troupes.

Opinion poll; the Poll was conducted in five schools (four secondary and one elementary school): GMS (78 polled), School of Economy (44 questionnaires completed), Medical School (43), School of Tourism and Catering (23) and Mejdan Elementary School (24 questionnaires completed).

Opinion poll with the parents was conducted at the parents' meetings in the secondary schools.

Film Nights: The idea to organize film nights at the Tuzla Wave Centre appeared on the sixth coordination meeting. Before and after each screening, we will screen educational video clips, which is a result of the finding that the majority of adolescents are avid TV audience and the visual reception of important information is well developed. The start of the film nights is planned for February 2004.