Maja was born in 1995 in Banjaluka. She graduated at the Faculty of Biology in Belgrade, Department of Biology. She joined the Center for Environment first as a volunteer, in 2019 and in August of 2021 she became an employee. She has been hired as Project Coordinator, which the Center for Environment is implementing in cooperation with Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Banjaluka, with the goal to create a better and more equal society for all, with the main focus on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Also, she works as an associate on various projects within Biodiversity and Protected Areas program.
Viktor Bjelić, was born in 1977 in Banja Luka, where he studied and became an Bsc. of Geography and Tourism.
He is one of the founders of the Center for Environment (Young Researchers of Banja Luka) who for many years worked on various projects, programs and activities, both professionally and through volunteer engagement.
He is the initiator of the founding and he is coordinator of the Aarhus Center in Banja Luka and the network of Aarhus Centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He is one of the initiators of the Coalition for the Protection of the Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The rivers are not only resource but a source of life for all living creatures and it is very important to preserve them in good condition for future generations.”
Boris was born in 1988 in Banjaluka. He finished high school of economics in Banjaluka, and he is currently finishing studies of Legal sciences, University of Banjaluka.
He started working at the Center for Environment in March 2021 as a Financial and administrative assistant.
Prior to coming to the Center, half of his short working life he worked in the non-governmental sector, on positions in finance department.
In his free time he likes to enjoy nature, travel and spend time with as little stress as possible in this modern world.
Nataša was born in Banja Luka in 1987. She graduated from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and currently she’s enrolled at the same faculty for a Master's Degree in Animal Ecology. Since 2002, she has been at the Center for Environment first as an activist, then as the activist group coordinator, then as coordinator of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas program which led to the position of the president of the organization, where she is today. Natasa follows all the areas that the Center is dealing with, and so far she has been mostly devoted in the struggle to protect rivers and to stop the hydro power plants. She is continuously working to strengthen the Center internally, but also to connect with other partners across Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region and the entire world. By researching black storks of Posavina to the research of mangrove forest in the south of India she dedicates her free time to nature, wanting to understand it better, believing in the inextricable connection between humans and nature.
Tihomir Dakić was born in 1980 in Banja Luka where he graduated as a civil engineer and then obtained his college degree as a professor of physical education and sports. At the Center for Environment since 2001, he started first as a volunteer, then as an activist, and in the last few years he became a coordinator of a program for Transport. He is engaged in promoting the use of bicycles as a means of transportation and is a fighter for the rights of cyclists in traffic, both in his city, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. He is also fluent in English and Italian. He is the motivator, initiator of the initiative and activist. He does not only talk about cycling, he lives it. For him, the bicycle is not just a means of transportation or a sport requisite, for him it is a life philosophy.
Aleksandra-Anja Dragomirović, was born in Banjaluka in 1982. She graduated in forestry engineering at Faculty of Forestry, University in Banjaluka. Through her work, activities and education she wants to question and try to improve the relationship between man (and society in general) toward nature. Themes for which she showed the major interest are multifunctional forestry, urban forestry etc. and wants to highlight social and ecological forest function. Work experience she gained working in real and CSO sector. Her favorite quote is: „Mother Earth is a Source of Life – Not a Resource“ (Native American Chief Avrol Looking Horse).
Born in Zenica in 1991, Majda graduated from the Faculty of Math and Science in Tourism and Environmental Protection in Sarajevo. She has been an activist in her hometown for years, dealing with topics such as environment, culture, civic solidarity and disobedience, as well as sustainable living and change of consciousness. Along with friends she established and actively held a local youth association, with the aim of promoting all kinds of alternatives and resistance to mass consumerism. She also started Zenica’s Critical mass and Bajkultura, initiatives that promote bicycle as a lifestyle. Majda has been active in CfE since 2019 on the Energy and Climate Change program. She likes to joke that despite her positive vibes and attitude, obviously, she cannot run away from the dark topics such as coal and pollution: since she has years of work experience in a local coal mine, and at the same time resisting to a classical life in the most polluted BH city. She likes traveling to the unknown, cooking without any recipes, mountains, yoga and meditation. If she is not cycling around somewhere, then she enjoys walking her dog or cuddling her cat.
Jelena Ivanić was born in 1987 in Novi Grad. She graduated from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Banja Luka. While studying, and through her later engagement in volunteer work, she participated in many youth exchange and training programs where she gained new experiences and motivation to deal with environmental protection. At Center for Environment she has been engaged since 2015 under the Energy and Climate Change Program. She finds inspiration and motivation in the fast mountainous rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, conservation she is actively fighting for.
Sandra was born in 1977 in Slavonski Brod. She grew up and finished her school studies in Banja Luka, and later at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade she became a graduate in journalism and communication. During her studies, she has worked in several Belgrade media and upon her return to Banja Luka she worked as a journalist and editor at the Nezavisne novine for eight years. For the past nine years she has been continuously enrolled in journalism, public relations and production affairs, as well as the organization of events within the framework of projects by several non-governmental organizations. She has been following the work of the Center and has been supporting professionally and privately since the start of the organization, and finally and officially she joined in 2018. Initially, she worked on a campaign against fossil fuels, and soon devoted herself to internal and external communication of the organization. She is a lover of nature and always looks for new adventures; one of them is every new working day in Center.
Jugoslav Jević was born in 1973 in Zagreb. As a professional in the civil society sector, engaged since 1999, and most of these years he worked in the area of the youth activism and volunteering. The biggest love in its work has to the development of the project ideas and programs, as also to organisational development, using the strategic approach as the only right way to do it. In Centre engaged as Assistant in Biodiversity and Protected Areas Program. Nature conservation he values as one of the most important obligations and responsibilities of each man, primarily to itself, but also to own family and future generations.
Dragana was born in 1984 in Banja Luka. She graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture in Banja Luka and she completed a master study program at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad. She worked at Agricultural Institute as a research associate for ten years. She participated in numerous educations and seminars in the country and abroad in the field of agriculture, food safety, GMOs, as well as creating and implementing effective social campaigns. She designed and participated in the development of numerous projects that were successfully implemented. She has been working in the NGO sector for two years and from 2019 is working in the Center for the environment as a project coordinator within Biodiversity and protected areas program. She likes to learn and quickly gains new knowledge and skills. Believes that the greatest obligation of each person is a responsibility to care for nature and to protect it.
Dragan Kabić, born in 1992 in Novi Grad, graduated in philosophy at Faculty of Philosophy, University of Banja Luka. Besides his bohemian lifestyle, for which he has an impressive talent, he also shows his talents in the fields of philosophy and art (short stories writing and film photography). He's an outdoor sports junkie as well (rock climbing, mountaineering, hitchhiking, cycling and all other ways of losing himself in the woods, and towns too, is his free time preoccupation). In his non-free time, he’s currently working on the promotion of sustainable transport and urban mobility.
Milica was born in 1995 in Prijedor. She graduated from the Department
of Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Banja
Luka. While studying she joined the Center as an activist. From 2020
she became a new member of the staff working as a coordinator for
SEENET network and as an assistant on the program Biodiversity and
Protected Areas. In the addition she is engaged in a project for
development of green roofs in city areas. Above all she enjoys being
active and using the most of her time spending it outside or training
rock climbing and target shooting.
Sonja was born in 1997. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Banja Luka, where she attended various legal clinics during her studies. She singled out the Legal Clinic for the Protection of Human Rights, because this legal clinic enabled her to gain insight into the process of protection of fundamental human rights, after which she maintained her focus mostly on the right to a healthy environment.
She joined the Center for the Environment in 2019, first as an activist, and participated in numerous actions organized within the Center. From January 2022, she became a permanent member of the team in the position of a legal officer.
In his spare time, she enjoys researching literature and writing short stories, some of which have already been published.
Nikola Kurija was born on March the 5th 1995, in Sydney, Australia. He has been living in Banja Luka since 2003 where he finished primary and high school. He currently studies Ecology and environment preservation at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Banja Luka. He became a member of the activist group the Center for Environment in June 2019, where he participated in various actions. In September 2021 he was employed as the activist group coordinator, where he, with the rest of the members, organises actions and performances in accordance with the Centres programmes, biodiversity, energy and transport.
Born on May 16, 1991. in Banja Luka, where he graduated from the High School of Civil Engineering and the Forestry Faculty, University of Banja Luka. Forever traveler, weekend pizza master amateur, naturalist when weather conditions allow, writer as needed. He has been involved in environmental protection projects and renewable energy sources since 2015, after completing an internship at the University of Szczecin, Poland.
Redzib was born in Zenica in 1988. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Zenica. After a two-year-long internship in court, he continues his involvement in transitional justice projects, both as a legal associate in the office of TRIAL International and as an external associate with the Anti-Doping Control Agency of BiH. At the same time, with the acquisition of professional experience, he is closely interested in the work of the non-governmental sector. He is continually involved and volunteers on several projects, inside and outside the country, with a focus on environmental conservation, sustainability and advocacy for the green agenda. After a short cooperation with the Center for Environment, and with the onset of the new decade, Redzib has been engaged in the Energy and Climate Change Program, with the aim of protecting the community and nature from unscrupulous exploitation. As a outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys traveling, practices escapism and photography - mostly on two wheels.
Bozana was born in 1987 in Derventa. She graduated in Banja Luka in 2010 from the Faculty of Economics, University of Banja Luka. She started working at the Center for Environment in November 2019 as a financial and administrative assistant. She has many years of experience in the non-governmental sector in the field of finance that she has acquired through various organizations with which she has collaborated. Through her work in the non-governmental sector she has undergone various trainings and trainings in the field of financing. She enjoys traveling, meeting new cultures and people.
Saša has joined the team of the Center for Environment in 2016 first as a Visual Coordinator who has brought new energy into everything we are doing and thus visually brought the organization closer to the set goals as well as to all people who follow our work on social networks. In addition, Saša's ideas have been realized through a large number of our public actions, video productions as well as logos such as the ones for Živi Vrbas, Coalition for the Protection of the Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Coalition for Vrbas etc. Saša stands behind the visual identity of Banja Luka's critical mass and is actively involved in the promotion of cycling in Banja Luka. In addition to the engagement in the Center for Environment, he is working on numerous creative projects, both with adults and children.
Vladimir was born in 1993 in Banja Luka. He graduated in Ecology and Environmental Protection at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka. A lover of nature, where he spends as much free time as possible. It favors many arts, bonsai cultures and good books. The personal mission is to preserve and improve the environment. And he believes that man should not move away from nature but return to it because it has always been an integral part of it. In January 2022, he joined the Center on the Energy and Climate Change program.
Igor was born in 1988 in Banja Luka, where he graduated Spatial planning at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He is currently studying for a master's degree in spatial planning and spatial regulation at the Technical University of Vienna. He is particularly interested in the topic of urban mobility, including its complexities and contradictions, its conflicts of interests, and the inequalities that manifest themselves in cities. For him, it is simple, urban mobility should provide the best movement option through the city. He is at the Center for Environment since January 2022 as a transport program assistant.