Protecting citizens' rights, supporting civic engagment, and promoting participative media

Our History

VESTA Association was founded in 1998 in Tuzla, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina renowned for its multi-ethnicity. A group of young people who had decided to remain in their country focused their energy on creating a grass-roots organization that would encourage civic engagement and cross-cultural communication while supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration into the European community.  VESTA´s founders were committed to empowering local groups and individuals interested in shaping the future of their communities - a future based on the values of participatory decision-making and equal opportunity.

VESTA Association is named after VESTA, the goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology.

Our Mission

VESTA Association is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-party organization which, through its own programs and through partnerships with other media and  non-governmental organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, advocates active citizen participation through civil education programs and leads initiatives of social change that encourage equality among all community stakeholders as well as sustainable, locally-focused economic development.

Since 1998, VESTA has grown considerably.  VESTA now leads several regional initiatives and operates VESTA Radio, a community radio station in Tuzla.

Our Vision

VESTA envisions a society of responsible, active people - citizens who are empowered to build a better community. VESTA actively supports initiatives that:

·        Protect basic human rights

·        Promote tolerance and mutual respect

·        Further citizen involvement in the political process

·        Foster the development of participatory media

·        Encourage democratic and inclusive decision-making

Main programs

Civic Engagement Program

VESTA leads several projects that enable the citizens of NE Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn about public advocacy, project management and public relations. This program also financially supports various community development initiatives.

Participatory Media Program

The way that media interacts with citizens is changing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world.  VESTA provides training to other organizations interested in using various media platforms (newspapers, interactive web sites, and local radio stations) to contribute to the development of a democratic society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

VESTA Radio

a non-profit community radio station

VESTA Association is the founder of VESTA Radio, a non-profit, community radio station, which started operating in 2001. VESTA Radio is grounded in the same principles as its parent organization and believes that a healthy democracy depends on community involvement, open dialogue on important local and national issues, and an active and independent media.  Broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, VESTA Radio produces news, educational and public advocacy programs along with eclectic music and entertainment programming.

The station offers citizens and NGOs the opportunity to produce their own radio programs, allowing their voice to be heard and the chance to contribute to the democratic changes in the country.  Many of these programs deal with the protection of human rights and the rights of marginalized groups, gender equality, environmental issues, and the concerns of youth.  VESTA Radio shares many of these special interest radio programs with other stations throughout the country through the KRIK network, a collective of similar, socially responsible media organizations. Through radio, VESTA Radio helps raise consciousness of important issues and encourages the local community to seek accountability from decision-makers.

VESTA Radio owns a long-term broadcasting license issued by the Communications Regulatory Agency. From its studios in historic downtown Tuzla, VESTA Radio covers an area of several municipalities in Tuzla Canton with more than 300,000 potential listeners.

KRIK

KRIK is a network of non-governmental organizations and local radio stations and was created to facilitate the distribution of radio programs and the coordination of regional and nationwide civic engagement initiatives. KRIK is an acronym in Bosnian and it signifies the Network of Local Coordinators for the Development and Implementation of Campaigns.

Who supports us?

VESTA Association receives most of its funding through donor support. Additional funds come from local business support of VESTA Radio and from revenue related to training programs for other organizations.  VESTA has also received support from the European Union, USAID, UNIFEM, the Government of Finland, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, IRC, the Global Fund for Women, the Westminster Foundation, NORAD, UNDP and others.