From left to right: Muhamed Jusic, representative of the Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Helena Rojas, Senior Human Rights Strategist, Municipality of Botkyrka, and Vice-Chair of the Committee of Experts on Intercultural Inclusion (ADI-INT); Milica Pralica, President, Oštra nula; Kenan Hodžić, BiH Inter-religious Council, Zenica; and Samira Baručija-Homoraš, Regional Coordinator, United Religions Initiative, at the "Racism, Religion and Belief: Challenges and Perspectives" conference panel on good practices and future perspectives, Sarajevo, September 9, 2026.
Nearly 100 representatives from Bosnian institutions, international organizations, academia, civil society, and religious communities gathered in Sarajevo on September 8 and 9 for a two-day conference on the intersection of racism, religion, and belief.
The conference, "Racism, Religion and Belief: Challenges and Perspectives," was organized by the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsperson. Sessions covered European legal frameworks and human rights case law, the challenge of proving indirect discrimination, and the role hate speech plays in enabling harm, before turning to solutions: how equality bodies, institutions, civil society, and local actors can work together on practical responses and inclusive policy.
URI took part in that closing session of the conference
Samira Baručija-Homoraš, URI's Outreach and Network Vitality Coordinator, joined a panel on good practices and future perspectives, sharing how everyday cooperation between people of different faiths can help prevent violence before it starts, a reminder that lasting progress against discrimination depends on both strong institutions and the communities that live out those commitments day to day.
