4th Annual BH Professionals Summit in Australia
Over 80 BH professionals in Melbourne, Australia joined Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation, Bosnia Professionals Australia and Gandel Foundation to celebrate Bosnia & Herzegovina Statehood Day, commemorate the life of community leader Amir Bukic, establish an annual community award that will bear his name as a testament to his legacy, embrace the work of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation and most importantly celebrate life, friendship and our unwavering love for Bosnia & Herzegovina.
An event that was originally scheduled for March 2020, dislodged as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, finally saw the light of day. The BH Professionals Summit is a collaboration of multiple organisations intended to bring together professionals in the community on an annual basis. For the 4th time we have brought together professionals of all walks of life; academics, doctors, engineers, lawyers, language teachers, artists, musicians and professional athletes to celebrate our Bosnia & Herzegovina heritage.
The program
We commenced the evening with an icebreaker public quiz “How well do you know Bosnia & Herzegovina”. Ten questions touching on history, geography, sport and culture. Mr. Vedran Drakulic welcomed the guests, spoke briefly about the incredible work Gandel Foundation does in Australia and paid respect to the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation, for being at the forefront of philanthropy in the Western Balkans.
The attendees were upstanding for the national anthems of Australia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, as part of the commemoration of Bosnia & Herzegovina Statehood Day.
Ms. Aiša Hadžiahmetović (SBS Radio Bosnian Language and Bosnian language school) provided emotional remarks from a historical but also cultural perspective, what BiH statehood day is and means of Bosnians & Herzegovinians prior to reading a poem she wrote. It is difficult to summarise her passion for her homeland but if one sentence do that then it is “Sve će proći, a Bosne će biti. - Everything will pass, but Bosnia will be.”
Ms. Aiša Hadžiahmetović providing an overview of statehood day and expressing her love for BiH
Edhem (Eddie) Custovic, co-founder of Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation provided a very comprehensive overview of the foundation’s work over the last few years and the incredible results that have been achieved as a result of the global BiH community effort. “Over 120,000 hours volunteers have been contributed to day by our stakeholder network. Ladies and gentleman that is equivalent to 66 years of full time work. A lifetime’s work completed in a matter of few years, thanks to you.” said Custovic.
In 2022, the Australian-Bosnian community lost a true hero, Mr. Amir Bukic. He was shinning light and incredible driver of community initiatives. To reflect back on his life, his eldest daughter Mirna Bukic presented reflected on the life of Amir Bukic.
Amir Bukic’s daughter Mirna, reflects on his life
Amir Bukić Community Service Award Recipients
In honour of the legacy of the late Amir Bukic, Bosnian Professionals Australia with the support of Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation is establishing an annual “community service and ambassadorship award” that will bear his name. The award is presented annually to individuals and/or groups who demonstrate the moral and ethical characteristics of Amir Bukic and through their work/volunteering are recognised as exemplary Australian-Bosnian citizens.
2022 Amir Bukic Community Service Award Recipients
2022 Recipients:
Selma Milovanović, "In recognition of your persistent pursuit of the truth and advocacy of Bosnia & Herzegovina through the world of media"
Sada Makaš & Bosnian Language School – Victoria, "In recognition of your outstanding and tireless effort to preserve the Bosnian language and the Bosnian and Herzegovinian culture in Victoria."
Senada Ekić Bosnić, "In recognition of your continued support of community initiatives and preservation of Bosnian culture in Australia"
Haris Jackman, "In recognition of your leadership in building bridges between Australia and Bosnia & Herzegovina"
Aiša Hadžiahmetović, "In recognition of your continued work with Bosnia & Herzegovina - Australia community and supporting the preservation of Bosnian Culture in Australia"
Hana Bašić, "In recognition of your outstanding achievements as an Australian-Bosnian athlete"
Vedran Drakulić OAM, "In recognition of your continuous work for the benefit of vulnerable communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Australia and for your generous support of the work of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation."
Dino Bešlagić, "In recognition of your leadership in the establishment, operation and promotion of the Bosnian Professionals Australia Network"
Sevdah Ensemble, “"In recognition of your role in advocating for and preserving traditional Bosnia & Herzegovina performing arts in Australian"
The entertainment for the evening was provided by the incredible “Sevdah Ensemble” made up Jasna Dolić (Yassna) on voice, Jasmin Dolić - piano accordion, Kadir Djulović on the Saz and violinist Tina Mostić. You can listen to one of their live performances in the video below.
We take this opportunity to thank everyone for joining us, Vedran Drakulic and the Gandel Foundation for being the best hosts and their generosity, Simon our incredible MC ( https://www.simonmc.com.au/), Jasna, Jasmin, Altijana and Kadir for ensuring our bodies vibrate with the spirit of Bosnian Sevdah music, Almila from White Knight Events (https://www.wkevents.co/) for ensuring our evening ran without flaws. A huge thank you to Aisa Hadziahmetovic for her wonderful commemoration text and poetry to mark Bosnian statehood day. A huge thanks to the Bukic family for allowing us to share the life of Amir Bukic publicly and name the award in his honor. Also a big thank you to Dino Beslagic and the volunteers from his law firm for helping guide and welcome people. Last but not least, Harvey Nguyen for capturing all of the important moments on camera.
All proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation.