Category: News

10 years of SOC: Today, there is a small but important group of LGBTI persons that will engage in activism

How to build the LGBTI community and movement? With lots of patience, with creativity and desire to persist until the attainment of pursued objectives. By spreading the idea outside of the capital, insistence on persisting with the idea, and by fostering interpersonal relations and experience exchange. Below you will find a story about SOC’s work on building of the LGBTI community and movement in BiH

LGBTI community events: Pre-New Year’s Event

We’ve prepared the traditional pre-New Year’s get-together in which we, among other things, decorate a festive tree, exchange gifts, and generally have a great time. It is difficult to describe with words the atmosphere in Sarajevo Open Centre on this event which occurred on Friday, December 15. A space of trust, love and excellent energy … Continued

LGBTI Enlargement Review 2017

ILGA-Europe, in collaboration with organisations across the Western Balkans and Turkey, compile our own Enlargement Review reports in which we assess just that, specifically in relation to the human rights of LGBTI people and identify the “homework” we hope the European Commission will support us in urging accession countries to fulfil in the coming year.

10 years of SOC: Violence, gender equality and administrative silence

Ten years of SOC’s existence included many friendships, partnerships, work and success, but also a lot of negative experiences that enabled us to learn and grow. All of this created the organisation and team that we are today, and encouraged us to fight for human rights of LGBTI people and women and for a more equal BiH

The apprentices of the courts and prosecutors’ offices of Sarajevo and Banja Luka went through training on hate crimes

Sarajevo Open Centre, continuing trainings for police bodies, prosecutors and judges, on 29 and 30 November 2017, in Sarajevo, organised one more training, the topic being “Hate Crimes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons – experience from BiH and the Region”, this time for the interns of the Municipality/Basic and Cantonal/District courts and prosecutors’ offices of Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

The Time for Action is Now!

The uproar during the Pride Parade, and the immense support we’ve received afterwards, means Kosovo’s society is ready to make
small but significant changes which will better the lives of LGBT people here.

SOC Executive Director is one of the winners of the New Executives Fund grant

We are honored to announce that Emina Bošnjak, the Executive Director of SOC, is one of the 12 winners of the New Executives Fund grant that is assigned by the Open Society Foundations, and that is meant to support new leaders of the non-profit organisations all over the world, from Malawi to Brazil. From 15 to 17 November she participated in the two-day event in London that was dedicated to this year’s winners’ mutual acquaintance, and to mutual counseling and learning. Now, in front of her is the period in which she will implement a set of activities, in order to translate the vision of the organisation into reality.

LGBTI community events: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

On 3th of November in Sarajevo Open Centre we had an opportunity to learn something more about sexually transmitted diseases, its prevention and opportunities for having a happy, fullfilling life of people with sexually transmitted infections. Dejan Filipović, who is a peer educator, in an interesting and relaxed manner shared with us extremly important information … Continued

LGBTI community events: Transgender Transition

It often happens that certain letters in an acronym LGBTI stay silent, or shadowed by louder and more visible identities. Due to Transgender Awareness week we organised event on 18th November in 2017, in which transgender persons shared with us their personal experience, needs and wantings. Temporary the most visible transgender activists in Bosnia and … Continued