Social entrepreneurship a great opportunity for women from Serbia and BIH
Women from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited Belgrade and Sremska Mitrovica to gain a better understanding of the concept of social entrepreneurship, the importance of collaboration, and the development of unique traditional tourism products. The two-day study visit was organized as part of the cross-border cooperation project "Together for Cultural Tourism," implemented by NALED, Ethno Network, and Bosnian Handicrafts - BH Crafts, with the support of the European Union.
Participants from Breza, Sarajevo, Vlasenica, Banovići, and Vareš had the opportunity to visit Kalemegdan Fortress and the sales gallery of the Ethno Network near Zindan Gate, as well as explore the Serbian capital. During the working sessions, participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina were introduced to the legal framework for social enterprises in Serbia, with representatives from BH Crafts expressing hopes for similar legal recognition in Bosnia.
- Social enterprises operate according to a social mission, with at least 50% of their profits reinvested into addressing community issues or improving working conditions for employees. Our law allows for the designation of social enterprise status but does not provide a new legal form for social enterprises. Expected benefits for those obtaining this status include access to financial and non-financial support, as well as visibility within the business community, public administration, and donors," explained Miodrag Shrestha, an expert in social entrepreneurship.
On the second day of the visit, the guests visited the headquarters of the association "Zlatno runo Sirmijum," the Imperial Palace, and other landmarks in Sremska Mitrovica.
It is worth noting that the "Together for Cultural Tourism" project has been implemented since March last year in the border areas of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, across 18 municipalities and cities. The project aims to socio-economically empower women and promote handicrafts as tourist products in these countries. NALED, in cooperation with Ethno Network and Bosnian Handicrafts, implements the project, which is co-financed by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) under the Serbia - Bosnia and Herzegovina Cross-border Cooperation Program 2014-2020.
"Together for Cultural Tourism - Cross-border Cooperation for Enhanced Socio-economic Development and Preservation of Traditional Crafts" aims to revive old crafts and domestic craftsmanship techniques, restore their economic and cultural value, and engage younger generations in preserving cultural heritage through participation in creative workshops.
