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HISTORY IN ACTION
- preparing for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia

Cooperation between historians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia is established in a common project “Improving history teaching and civic society in a region” in 2004 and continued until 2007 through the project “History in action- preparing for the future». Idea for the common action came from the European Association of History Teachers – EUROCLIO, which initiated founding history teacher's associations in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and link them with the Association in Serbia. Overall aim of the project was the support of development of history teaching and civic societies in mentioned Countries as well as promotion of cooperation, development of critical awareness and mutual understanding, promoting peace, stability and democracy in region.

According to accomplished project activities, the great contribution to the quality of history teaching in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, is given, process of reconciliation is improved, development of civic society is supported, and national and international cooperation among the associations is established and sustainable professional teacher 's association is created.

Numerous project activities contributed to the processes of reforming systems of education in all three countries in a due to modern tendencies of improvement history education in Europe. History teaching education in the last decades of 20 century in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, in a manner of methods used in education was in a progressive changes regarding to the socialistic period and topics were focused more on political history. New methods and contents which activates and animates students are the final product of this project.

The general idea was to publish additional and innovative material for history teaching which would represent a positive example (regarding contents and methods) suitable to the requirements of history teaching in the beginning of 21 century through perspectives of enforcing regional cooperation. Sharing experiences with experts from Denmark, Netherlands, Slovenia, Macedonia, Switzerland, Russia, Great Britain and other European countries; the group of history teachers and historians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, improved their capacities and skills for the implementation of creative and modern approach in history teaching according to principles of democracy. Project members shared experiences to their colleagues by workshops in a numerous seminars organised and attended in region and Europe.

In the four year of the running of the project more than 500 participants were active in various activities such as seminars, workshops, study visits, lectures, international conferences and trainings. Thanks to these opportunities they developed new skills and new ideas but in a same time these people gave great contributions to the quality of the project.

Thanks to the great understanding and unselfish financial support of the Government of Denmark and Government of Netherlands, who recognized the need of linking and enforcing the cooperation in a region and make possible that this part of the world give its contribution to the processes of improvement quality of history teaching in Europe.

Even though the process of change the habits and ways of teaching is slow and takes time, we believe that every contribution in this manner is extremely important. As foundation stand the intentions of the author teams and all other project participants: researchers, scientists, history teachers as members of the History Educators Associations, representing the three states involved.

PARTICIPANTS