Courageous, brave, and determined are just some of the words that can be used to describe the residents of the village of Kruščica, in the central Bosnian municipality of Vitez. These brave women halted the construction of a mini hydroelectric plant on the Kruščica River to conserve nature, protect clean drinking water, and preserve the environment.
The Kruščica women stood their ground for 505 days, as legal and other battles raged against the planned construction of the mini-hydroelectric power plant. They remain immensely grateful to the media, non-governmental organizations, and individuals who supported them in their fight.
Despite the arrests of 22 of the women and one man who joined them in their opposition to the power plant, these activists remained undaunted. The local court ruled to commemorate their courage with a sign that read “The Bridge of Brave Women” in honor of their courage.
Maida Bilal is the President of the Krug Života (Circle of Life) Foundation and a key organizer of the protests. She talks about the Kruščica protests: “One of the videos from that event still makes me cry today. Our children will be grateful to them. This kind of patriotism and love should be written in the pages of our history because this is how one defends one’s country. It was so challenging to be an example of the high price of freedom of speech, activism, the right to life, sleepless nights, illness, inability to work, and other unfortunate things.”
The Circle of Life Foundation was founded in 2021 with the mission of advocating for environmental protection, the implementation of ecological standards, and respect for human rights, including the right to clean water, air, soil, and forest conservation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“If we manage to inspire one human being to work on themselves and to treat the environment as a part of their being, we’ll consider that a success. Small steps make big stories, big stories change people’s habits and the history of our country,” the Circle of Life Foundation states.
“Green Nobel” Dedicated to the Kruščica Women
For her remarkable commitment and activism, Maida Bilal was awarded the esteemed Goldman Prize, often referred to as the “Green Nobel,” in the field of environmental protection. This prestigious recognition is not only a source of honor and satisfaction for her but also serves as a confirmation of the righteousness of her work and paths. She dedicated the award to all the women of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but first and foremost to the women from her village who were arrested, as well as to “the beautiful Kruščica River and Kruščica Mountain.”
Speaking more broadly about people’s attitudes towards the protection of rivers, air, forests, and soil, Maida emphasized that the responsibility doesn’t rest solely on them but also on the system, which lacks regulations and a clear strategy for environmental protection.
“I can freely say that for the past few years, many citizens have been working harder and fighting against pollution. People appreciate our natural resources more and more because COVID-19 has shown us that only by connecting with nature can a person find peace and maintain their health,” she said.
In the battle for the Kruščica River, Maida highlighted the vital role of the media: “The inexhaustible strength of the journalists and teams that reported on this case is equal to our on-call staff, trust me. Although I never had the opportunity to thank them personally, I will take the opportunity now. The media that transparently and courageously reported on the fight to save the river of the people of Kruščica really made a great contribution, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Maida also expressed her gratitude to the Banja Luka Environmental Center, describing them as the thread that brought everything together and encouraged them to keep going. “The story of Kruščica became a motive for the struggle of many people in many aspects of life,” she remarked.
Maida sent a message to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the protection of natural resources, ecosystems, and the environment: “Be aware that we, as citizens, must create policies and mechanisms to manage our resources and protect them with all our being. Sow the seeds of virtue in this noble and good country so that our smart young people stay here and continue our fights.”
Preserving and Protecting Natural Resources
In June 2022, the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the decision to ban the construction of mini hydropower plants with a capacity of ten megawatts. The President of Kruščica’s Circle of Life Foundation, Maida Bilal, has stressed that the passing of this law is not enough and must be implemented seriously: “We no longer have time to use the declaration as a political tool to manipulate the public but must truly understand that there are more of us who share the same goal: to preserve and defend our natural resources.”
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This article was initially published within the second edition of MIR Magazine (May 2024). MIR, which means ‘peace’ in Bosnian is an annual publication and platform for young inventive people developed by the Post-Conflict Research Center and Balkan Diskurs.
