Hana:
As I was looking for someone in Tuzla to be presented for the project, I came across a photo of a beautiful building that turned out to be called the Peace Flame House. I wanted to see it first-hand so I got in touch and arranged a meeting, and happened to meet fantastic people over there.
The first one I spoke with was Emir Tanović, who is also the president of the Astronomical Association Polaris, apart from managing the Peace Flame House.
Emir told us more about developments in the Peace Flame House and all activities of the Association Polaris, so listen.
Emir:
The Peace Flame House was built in Tuzla in 2003 thanks to the Netherlands-based Fred Foundation, and the-then Mayor Selim Bešlagić and the Tuzla Municipality. Its concept as conceived is that of a meeting place for young people to socialise, for various youth associations to have a range of activities from various fields. Here we have more than 12 associations today. One is dealing with music, so we have music associations, others are dealing with astronomy, but also yoga, tai-chi, sewing courses, an association of Tuzla students and there is also the Youth Theatre.
Every year, many come to visit the Peace Flame House and we are very pleased. I am positive that it is one of the most frequented cultural facilities in Tuzla, but also the country.
The Astronomical Association Polaris has been active for many years in the area of Tuzla and beyond, both in BiH and throughout the former Yugoslavia and partially in Europe. We are into study of astronomy, celestial bodies, phenomena and alike. A lot of our equipment is the best in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have about 150 members, and every year, we mark the Astronomy Day in Tuzla, over a course of one week, with visits by prominent experts in the field of astronomy. Also, our every lectures is well-attended. After these lectures, if time permits, we organise observations with telescopes from various locations and of course that people are amazed with what they can see through the telescope.
Our association gathers a couple of astrophysicists, prominent professors, so this is by no means an amateur association operating in the Tuzla Canton area only but beyond as well. We do various science projects, writing journals to promote astronomy, exploring space, and by the end of 2017, we are sending the rover to the moon together with Synergy Moon team as their permanent cooperants so we are one of the better known associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ovaj materijal izrađen je u sklopu projekta “Izgradnja i konsolidacija kapaciteta za prevenciju sukoba” kojeg finansira Evropska unija (EU), a provodi Razvojni program Ujedinjenih nacija (UNDP) u Bosni i Hercegovini.”
