Community Empowerment and Activism
CBNA seeks to engage members of the Bosniak American and Bosniak Canadian community to take an active role in the American and Canadian communities. CBNA will encourage Bosniaks to take an active role in the electoral process in each country. CBNA will collaborate with Bosniaks to organize, present, educate and participate in academic programs that support our vision of celebrating cultural heritage and preserving memories. CBNA will seek to build and develop partnerships with other similar organizations to create relationships, identify challenges, advocate and affect change.
Leadership
CBNA will focus on active mentorship and training, recognizing and removing generational barriers and pre-existing stereotypes, and bringing skills and creativity to help establish a positive climate for the next Bosniak generation leadership excellence.
Celebrating Our Heritage
Although Bosniaks represent a small ethnic group globally (~5M people of Bosniak origin), they have an incredibly rich and diverse cultural heritage. Bosniaks have much to offer to humanity. A number of cultural and historical narratives originate in the Bosniak tradition, heritage, and experience. The sociological phenomenon of drinking coffee, cultural phenomena such as Stecci tombstones, Sevdah as an integral part of Bosniak music culture, stories of centuries of peaceful co-existence such as the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, and the story of Gazi Husrev Bey and Sahdidar, to name a few, remind us that one lifetime is long enough to make a lasting impression on a community and humanity .
To convey these and many other cultural and historical narratives to future generations and their American and Canadian communities, CBNA will include and integrate young generations of Bosniaks into its efforts. Through various programs, youth will build networks, gain confidence, and learn about their heritage. With time, they will be able to speak up their minds and voice an opinion about the world around them, both locally and globally.
Remembrance
Bosniaks remember. We remember where we came from and why/how we came to the U.S. and Canada.
CBNA will engage its own talent, network, and available resources to fight against genocide denial and work towards preventing future atrocities from being committed on Bosniaks, as well as other nations and ethnic groups. CBNA will also take steps to actively educate others about our past, as well as advocate for others against oppression, and promote healing for those affected.