Sarajevo Receives a Mural Dedicated to Social Inclusion, Gender Equality, and Climate Resilience – Project Led by BHAAAS Member Prof. Dr. Emira Švraka

A mural has recently been completed on the facade of the Jezero Secondary Medical School in Sarajevo, using a powerful visual expression to promote the values of social inclusion, gender equality, resilience to climate change, and social responsibility. The mural was created as part of the regional project “Strengthening the Resilience of Women with Disabilities to the Impact of Climate Change in the Western Balkans Region.”

What gives this project particular significance is the fact that its implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is led by the Federation of Associations of Persons with Cerebral Palsy of the Federation of BiH, headed by Dr. Emira Švraka, Director of the Federation, long-time member of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS), and Chair of the Fifth International Symposium in Mental Health of Children and Adolescents at this year’s 17th BHAAAS Days.

Under her leadership, the Federation continuously develops initiatives that connect healthcare expertise, rehabilitation, the rights of persons with disabilities, and socially responsible public policy, while this project represents yet another example of such an interdisciplinary approach.

The regional project is supported by the Austrian Development Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and is being implemented in partnership with organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. One of the project’s important outcomes was the development of a Gender Analysis of Climate Change Response in Sarajevo Canton and Centar Municipality, which highlighted the need for stronger inclusion of women—especially women with disabilities—in planning processes and the allocation of public resources.

As a visual and public message of these values, the mural has been placed on the façade of a school that educates future healthcare professionals, a vocation that plays a key role in rehabilitation and in providing everyday support to persons with developmental difficulties. The conceptual design of the mural was created by renowned Sarajevo mural artist Benjamin Čengić, and through its motifs and symbolism, the mural conveys a vision of a society in which the needs of all citizens are equally acknowledged.

The engagement of Prof. Dr. Emira Švraka in this project further confirms the continued commitment of BHAAAS members to initiatives that transform science, medicine, inclusion, and social responsibility into concrete and visible changes within the community.