The aim of the essay writing workshop is to improve the student’s abilities to write high-quality essays, which are one of the most demanding forms of writing because they have to include a pre-set style of writing, logical deduction and presenting one’s own analysis. Expressing one’s ideas and thoughts must be done with respect for universal values and different attitudes and must not involve hate speech or animosity towards others who are different. Everyone has the right to express themselves, but must not insult others.  

See HERE  for more photos of the workshop.

The teachers who led the workshops were given the freedom to create their own workshops. For example, the workshop in Mostar started by students greeting each other in different languages used in the European Union, and continued with a discussion about the European Union and the importance of writing. The verses from the poem Inscription of a Land by Bosnian poet Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar were recited at the beginning of the workshop, and the flags of different countries of the European Union were placed on the tables.  

Students had the opportunity to learn how to write an essay, a letter, a postcard, khutbah (religious lecture) as a form of religious style of writing, application, complaint, and what a TV show on the topic of the European Union should look like. In the second part of the essay writing workshop, students did practical work based on the topics provided by the teachers. Before this practical part, they were given examples of essays, poems, letters, postcards, khutbahs, applications, complaints, etc., which helped them perform better in the practical part. They were also given instructions on what a motivational piece of writing should look like. The writing was done in groups, and the students presented their work in the third part of the workshop.

The students produced a poem about the European Union, postcards with messages for their peers in the countries of the European Union, application for membership in the European Union, khutbah about young people and their road to the European Union, as well as a video recording of two students who did an interview about the European Union and reasons for becoming a member of the EU, which is how they demonstrated what they learned about preparing a TV show.