Bridport: Local youths and Bosnian youngsters take part in workshop (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Bridport: Local youths and Bosnian youngsters take part in workshop

11:00am Wednesday 2nd May 2012 in Local News By Anne Bell

Bridport youngsters and their counterparts from Bosnia joined in a series of workshops at the town hall.

South West Euro-MP Sir Graham Watson also met the youths at the event under the Simply Human youth exchange project.

The project, part funded through the European Union’s ‘youth in action’ cultural funding stream, has been organised by Opera Circus, a performing arts company based in the town.

Opera Circus has attempted to develop leadership within the youth of Srebrenica and Bridport through the partnership, culminating in the final part of a two-year cultural exchange programme.

Srebrenica was the site of one of the worst atrocities in Europe since the Second World War when more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered by the Serbian army.

Sir Graham said he was looking forward to meeting the young leaders from the Srebrenica community and speaking to them about their experiences of growing up in an war-torn area.

“I also look forward to engaging with young people in Bridport to find out what challenges they are facing in these difficult economic times,” he added.

‘’Unfortunately too much of our history is darkened by events such as Srebrenica.

“But programmes such as Simply Human demonstrate how cultural exchanges between communities a thousand miles apart can ensure, through education, that such atrocities do not happen again.

“They discourage discrimination against others on the grounds of race, religion or nationality.

“Intolerance has no place in a modern, free society.”

The Bosnian youngsters had a busy programme of events which included meeting representatives of local groups, Bridport’s town council and Mayor David Rickard.