The biggest ‘trigger’for us to become active as an organization and apply for project calls was the fact that CCI as an organization that has supported the NGO sector for years and understands how it functions recognized our values, our ideas, and our capacity through the Resource Center and gave us the encouragement we needed. That was a clear green lightfor us at a moment when we had started to doubt ourselves and were uncertain about our own ideas and vision. The veryfact that we always have someone from the CCI team available to help us when we are in doubt is extremely valuable to us.

CCI’s support is of exceptional importance for achieving the goals of protecting these water sources in the settlement of Međudražje in Bihać and for strengthening civic advocacy in the public interest. CCI significantly contributed to ensuring that the voice of citizens is clearly articulated and that demands for the implementation of laws and protection of public resources are presented more strongly before the competent institutions. We are sincerely grateful for this support, as it enables civic initiatives to be conducted responsibly, with solid arguments, and in the interest of the community. Considering the contextual complexity of the issue, CCI’s support proved to be crucial in strengthening the capacity of citizens to organize and advocate for the protection of public goods. In this sense, its value for the Plješevički Otpor initiative is immeasurable and largely irreplaceable.

Through the activities carried out by the Coalition “Pod lupom”, whose key implementer is CCI, our organization had the opportunity to further develop its capacities in the field of citizen, non-partisan election observation. Trainings and educational activities organized by the Coalition “Pod lupom” enabled us to strengthen our knowledge in the areas of public relations and advocacy within the non-governmental sector, while also enhancing our technical capacities through support provided in the form of equipment. The opportunity to conduct educational activities for citizens was also of great importance to us, both for first-time voters and for the wider public, allowing us to contribute to strengthening democratic culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Our cooperation with CCI played a key role in the success of the campaign, particularly in communication with institutions. Through expert guidance, mentorship, and support in drafting requests, letters, and initiatives, we were empowered to approach the Municipality of Jablanica in a structured and well-argued manner. This support enabled us to clearly articulate the needs of children and parents, while conducting the campaign in line with institutional procedures. Thanks to this cooperation, institutions began to take the issue more seriously and engage in addressing it. Honestly, without the initiated cooperation and the comprehensive support of the CCI team, there would not have been visible and concrete progress in resolving this issue to date.