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“i” je veznik
“To “i” u našem imenu se odnosi na inkluzivnost, na uključivanje, na zajedništvo. “i” u našem imenu se odnosi “i” na dijaspora, “i” na domovinu, “i” na nas ovdje “i” na nas tamo, “i” na ekonomiju “i” na kulturu, “i” na rodnu ravnopravnost “i” na zaštitu životne sredine. Jednostavno se protivimo podjelama, a umjesto njih želimo povezivanje i umrežavanje- Želimo da spajamo ljude,” odgovara Nikola Burić, Izvršni direktora mreže i-dijaspora/i-platforma na pitanje na šta tačno se odnosi “i” iz imena. Nikola dalje objašnjava: „Mi smo prije svega mreža i vodimo se principima, pletenja mreže(network weaving) gdje se u prvi plan stavljaju zdravi međuljudski odnosi i izgradnja povjerenja.“
Bosanskohercegovačka dijaspora u Švajcarskoj
Prema istraživanju iz 2014. godine, koje je sproveo Švicarski forum za studije migracija i stanovništva (SFM) Univerziteta u Neuchatelu, više od 60,000 emigranata porijeklom iz BiH živi i radi u Švicarskoj. Kao što se navodi u ovoj studiji, bh. iseljeništvo je u Švicarsku stiglo u tri odvojena vala, gdje su se prvi i drugi val (1960-te i 1980-te godine) prvenstveno odnosili na ekonomske migracije, dok se treći i najmnogobrojniji val prisilne migracije u Švicarsku desio 1990-tih godina, a uzrokovan je ratnim dešavanjima u Bosni i Hercegovini. Nikola Burić objašnjava ulogu i-dijaspora/i-platforme u životu bh. dijaspore u Švicarskoj „Organizacija i-dijaspora je osnovana 2014. godine i poluotvorenog je tipa, jer postoje mnoge procedure kako se postaje članom ili članicom i-dijaspore. Nakon dvogodišnjeg uspješnog rada naše organizacije, te mnogobrojnih bilateralnih i multilateralnih sastanaka sa različitim institucijama, ispostavila se potreba za jednom većom platformom, mrežom, sa mnogo širim članstvom. Tako je 2016. godine pokrenut projekt, gdje pojedinci i pojedinke, organizacije, institucije i kompanije jednostavno mogu pristupiti članstvu.“ Mreža i-dijaspora/i-platforma se udružila sa Švicarskom agencijom za razvoj i saradnju (SDC) kako bi se stvorila samoodrživa platforma sa glavnim ciljem jačanja ekonomske, obrazovne, kulturne i društvene saradnje između Bosne i Hercegovine i bosanskohercegovačke dijaspore u Švicarskoj.
Kriza COVID-19 – šansa za online povezivanje dijaspore
i-dijaspora/i-platforma zamišljena je kao mreža i sa fizičkim i virtuelnim komponentama. Kao što objašnjava Nikola Burić, „Mi smo prije situacije sa COVID-19 održavali mnoge biznis forume, kulturne događaje, ljetne škole, razmjene studenata. Ideja je bila da imamo događaje gdje ljudi mogu da se sretnu, razmjene iskustva, a mi dajemo podršku inicijativama i idejama koje se stvore u okviru tih interakcija. Paradoksalno je da nam je ova međunarodna kriza sa COVID-19 pomogla da se digitalizujemo i povežemo sa našom dijasporom koja je rasuta po cijelom svijetu.“ Tijekom pandemije COVID-19 stvorene su jedinstvene mogućnosti za povećanom transnacionalnom povezanosti, a odgovor i-dijaspore/i-platforme na novonastale okolnosti su visoko inovativni pristupi za veoma kreativno angažiranje dijaspore, od kojih su neki: dijalozi dijaspore, meetup-i za lokalne zajednice i tematske online diskusije.
Dijalozi dijaspore
Dijalozi dijaspore grade zajednicu koristeći postavljeni „format dijaloga“ koji je razvila Katalin Hausel u saradnji sa Collaboratio Helvetica. Dijalozi dijaspore se odnose na iskustva napuštanja domovine; dolaska u Švicarsku i stvaranja pripadnosti u obje zemlje. Format dijaloga koristi niz introspektivnih pitanja , kao što su: “Ko sam ja?”; “Za čime žudim?”; “Gdje ja pripadam?”; Kako sam postao(la) to što jesam danas?”; “Gdje se ja osjećam kao kod kuće?”; “Šta je za mene dom?”; “Kakve osjećaje proizvodi pripadnost?”; “Šta za mene znači da pripadam nekoj sredini?”. Učesnici u dijalozima u parovima pojedinačno daju odgovore na određenih set pitanja, a nakon toga razmjenjuju svoja zapažanja sa većom grupom. Osnovni principi kojima se vode dijalozi jesu da se govori sa namjerom, a sluša sa pažnjom; da intelektualna radoznalost zamijeni davanje savjeta i da se svi učesnici osjećaju dovoljno sigurnim kako bi slobodno mogli otkriti vlastite ranjivosti.
Meetup-i za lokalne zajednice
Prepoznajući činjenicu o postojanju mnogih dijaspora i o aktiviranjem članova tih dijaspora kroz fokus na lokalne zajednice, i-dijaspora/i-platforma pokrenula je internetska okupljanja (meetup-e) za bh. gradove: Zenicu, Živinice, Bijeljinu i Kladanj. U razgovoru sa Dalidom Karabdić, predstavnicom mreže i-dijaspora u Kladnju saznajemo da se baš kladanjski model angažmana lokalne zajednice pokazao izuzetno uspješnim. “Od oktobra prošle godine do danas smo održali devet online meetup-a, a osnovna ideja vodilja nam je bila ponovna izgradnja povjerenja sa kladanjskom dijasporom. Mi, kao mala lokalna zajednica od nekih 13,000 stanovnika imamo odličnu šansu da sarađujemo sa našom dijasporom, da budemo tim. Želimo zajedno da radimo – i porodice u Kladnju i porodice koje su u inostranstvu, pojedinci, obrazovne, kulturne i sportske ustanove, kao i Opština Kladanj, sa kojom je potpisan i Memorandum o saradnji. Pošto smo mala sredina, međusobno se poznajemo, a nerijetko se radi i o familijama koje su dijelom u Kladnju, a dijelom u SAD-u, Švedskoj, Italji, Francuskoj ili Njemačkoj. Ovakav vid saradnje sa dijasporom je ličan, blizak i prije svega zasnovan na povjerenju,“ kazuje Karabdić.
Online pričaonice, književne večeri i tematski događaji
Kako bi se iskoristile mogućnosti visoko specifičnog angažmana dijaspore, i-dijaspora/i-platforma je organizirala internetske rasprave o raznovrsnim temama kao što su dvojezičnost, očuvanje okoliša, književne večeri, te konferenciju o građanskom životu. „Mi smo mreža i pokušavamo ohrabriti ljude da ponude ono što imaju, što znaju i što žele da rade. Resursi koji svi mi imamo su zaista impresivni, a naš pristup je baziran na samoorganizovanju i samoupravljanju. Sav pregršt naših tematskih događaja je baziran na velikoj bazi znanja i iskustava članova i članica naše mreže, jer ko, ako ne mi i kada, ako ne sada,“ završne su riječi Nikole Burića.
Innovative approaches in diaspora engagement: i-platform/i-dijaspora connecting the Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora in Switzerland
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“i” is a connector
‘The Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian conjunction “i” (meaning “and” in English) in our name signifies connectivity, inclusiveness, togetherness. The “i/and” in our name refers to us in the diaspora “and” to us in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), to us here “and” to us there. With this connecting approach we bridge issues pertaining to the economy “and” culture, gender equality “and” scientific cooperation, environmental conservation “and” political representation. We simply oppose divisions , and instead, we want to create networks. We want to connect people,’ answers Nikola Burić, CEO of i-platform/i-dijaspora when asked about the “i/and” in their name. Nikola further explains: ‘Above all, we are a network, guided by the principles of network weaving, where developing strong human bonds and building trust are prioritized.’
Bosnian and Herzegovinian diaspora in Switzerland
According to the 2014 research study carried out by the University of Neuchâtel’s Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM), more than 60, 000 emigrants originating from BiH live and work in Switzerland. People arrived to Switzerland from BiH in three separate waves of immigration, where the first and second waves (1960s and 1980s) were mainly labour migrants, while the third and most numerous refugee wave was caused by the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nikola Burić discusses the role of the i-diaspora/i-platform in the life of the BiH diaspora in Switzerland: ‘The i-diaspora organization was founded in 2014 and is of a semi-open type, as there are many procedures for becoming a member. After two years of successful operation and countless bilateral and multilateral meetings with various institutions, it became apparent to us that we need a larger platform, a network with broader membership. In 2016, we launched a broad-membership project for individuals, institutions, NGOs, and companies.’ Furthermore, the i-dijaspora/i-platform network teamed up with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to create a self-sustaining platform with the main goal of strengthening economic, educational, cultural and social cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BiH diaspora in Switzerland.
The COVID-19 crisis as opportunity: Connecting the BiH diaspora online
Increased transnational connectivity caused by the COVID-19 crisis was seen as a real opportunity by the folks at i-dijaspora/i-platform. From the first lockdowns onward, they started designing innovative approaches to connecting the BiH diaspora in Switzerland to the homeland, as well as the BiH diaspora worldwide. As Nikola Burić elaborates: ‘Before the COVID-19 crisis, we held many in-person business forums, cultural events, summer schools, student exchanges- We had events where people could meet and share experiences. We could then further support initiatives and ideas created within those interactions. Paradoxically, while we were all stuck at home both in Switzerland and in BiH, an excellent opportunity emerged: the opportunity to connect online with our diaspora scattered all over the world.’ Using the wonders of ICT, diaspora dialogues and meetups for BiH local communities, and a series of online themed events were created.
Diaspora dialogues – Leaving, arriving and belonging
Diaspora dialogues build community using a set “dialogue format” developed by Katalin Hausel, a Hungarian-Swiss artist, designer and educator, in cooperation with Collaboratio Helvetica. Diaspora dialogues discuss experiences ofleaving the homeland, arriving in Switzerland and creating belonging in both countries. The dialogue format relies on introspective questions, such as: “Who am I?”; “What do I long for?”; “Where do I belong?”; How did I become what I am today? ”; “Where do I feel at home?”; “What is home?”; “Belonging, what kind of feeling is it?”; “Where do I feel it in my body?” Dialogue participants give individual answers to these questions in pairs, and then exchange their observations with the larger group. The basic dialogue principles are to speak with intention and to listen with attention; to replace advice-giving with intellectual curiosity; and to create a safe and stimulating environment where all participants feel secure to reveal their vulnerabilities.
Meetups for local communities
Instead of viewing the diaspora as a monolithic and somewhat abstract whole, a translocal approach suggests the existence of many diverse diasporas, focused on belonging to small, local communities. Recognizing the reality of many different diasporas, i-dijaspora/i-platform launched internet meetups for worldwide diaspora from BiH towns: Zenica,Živinice, Bijeljina and Kladanj. In conversation with Dalida Karabdić, i-dijaspora/i-platform’s representative in Kladanj, we learn that the Kladanj model of local community engagement has proven to be successful. ‘From October last year until today, we have held nine online meetups with the basic guiding idea of rebuilding mutual trust with the Kladanj diaspora. As a small local community of some 13,000 inhabitants, we have a wonderful opportunity to cooperate with our diaspora, to build a great team. We want to work together – families in Kladanj and families abroad, individuals, educational, cultural and sports institutions, as well as the Municipality of Kladanj, with which a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed. Since we are a close-knit community, we mostly know each other well, while it is often the case that some members of one family live in Kladanj, while others could be in the USA, Sweden, Italy, France or Germany. This type of diaspora engagement is personal, close and, above all, based on trust,’ says Karabdić.
Online diaspora check-ins, literary evenings and themed eventsIn order to harness opportunities of highly specific diaspora engagement, i-dijaspora/i-platform has organized online discussions on a variety of topics such as bilingualism, environmental conservation, as well as literary evenings and a conference on deliberative democracy. ‘We are a network and we try to encourage people to offer their knowledge and experiences, so that we could all benefit. Our joint pool of resources is impressive, and our approach is based on self-organization and self-management, because if we do not act, then who will? If not now, then when?’ are the concluding words of Nikola Burić point both to the urgency of diaspora engagement and the extraordinary opportunities offered by increased digitalization of such cooperation.