On Thursday, October 10, a public tribune/forum entitled “Environment – management and protection of urban and rural areas” was held, and this event in Banja Luka attracted a lot of attention from the citizens present.
The event discussed the problems and needs of urban areas and presented initiatives in this area from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also, the panel discussed the needs and protection of rural areas, with a special emphasis on mining.
One of the main conclusions is that when exploiting natural resources for commercial or private capital purposes, laws and permits are largely avoided, and civil activism is ignored and stifled.
Locals and activists, although they turn to many addresses of official and competent institutions, are often left without responses and without their reaction.
Lecturers at the tribune were:
– Olga Andrić, Institute for Urban Politics, Beograd
– Sanda Vukojević, Committee for Protection of Park Kupusište, Banja Luka
– Zoran Poljašević, Ozrenski studenac, Petrovo
– Zoran Ninić, informal group of citizens Bistrica, Prijedor
– Dejan Rakita, journalist of the portal Gerila, Banja Luka
The panel, which was organized by the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, was moderated by Andrijana Pisarević, a journalist of the portal Capital.
