Sarajevo Open Centers strategiska plan 2018-2020

Sida's core support to SOC has provided the organisation to continue its work on a strategic level. Sida's experiences show that SOC is a strong and professional organization who works strategically with advocacy towards decision-makers, coordination within the civil society, and research. SOC is an important player among the human rights and civil society community in Bosnia and Hercegovina, perceived as a leader among CSO's. It is a recognized actor that carries EU values. SOC has sensitized and built capacity within different institutions, such as prosecutors, judiciary and police. SOC managed to work with institutional actors on the cantonal and local level on several issues, such as gender-based violence and political participation of women on local level. Through Cantonal GAP of Canton Sarajevo, SOC had suggested 14 measures and several initiatives that are purely related to the LGBTI community. SOC is also continuing work in Bosnian-Podrinje and Zenica-Doboj Canton. SOC's advocacy has also led to conctrete progress, in terms of initiating regular meetings of the interministerial work group tasked with analyzing and proposing provisions regarding same sex partnerships, which is one of two policy initiatives regarding human rights of LGBTI people that entered government procedures in 2020. SOC has also played a key role in the development and consolidation of the Action Plan for Improved Human Rights of LGBTI people in BiH 2021-2022. Work with the LGBTI community and movement building were especially strong in this 3 year period. A testament to this is a 2019 Pride which is a pinnacle of the work with community and also whatever SOC did in trying to reinvigorate the movement in regional centers (Mostar, BanjaLuka). More general picture now is that a lot more different actors are willing to engage in the work for LGBTI rights, in first line Civil Society Organizations, but also local communities. SOC has contributed to strengthen and connect local groups, decentralize activism and make the voices of LGBTI persons coming from local communities heard giving them the space and means to express their needs. Work with state and entity level governments and parliaments didn't work as planned. SOC wanted to finish the story previously started with initiatives about political participation of women, but with the general elections and a situation without government on state level, SOC couldn't be productive, because at one point everything stoped, there was no real advocacy. Similarly, on work with political parties, SOC strategy was working directly with them, to have their support, so they should take clear position on topics such as same-sex partnerships, freedom of assembly, legal gender recognition. There is still a long way from having full support and there is still a lot to do with political parties. SOC will develop new approaches in how to target these actors.

Outcome 1: LGBTI people are empowered to claim their human rights. Outcome 2: The State and its administration units improve legal, policy and institutional framework for the protection of human rights of LGBTI people. Outcome 3: Advancing organizational ability to influence and interact with relevant stakeholders for achieving strategic objectives. Outcome 4: The state and its administrative units improve legal, policy and institutional framework for the gender equality and human rights of women, Outcome 5: Feminism and gender equality mainstreamed into public and political discourse and debate.