Republic of Srpska Blind Union(RSBU) was founded on September 26th, 1992 and registered in Higher court, solution num. F-1-157.
Following disintegration of Bosnia and Hercegovina Blind Union, foundation of RSBU has enabled continuation of promotion and protection of rights of blind and patially sighted people.
Its organizational network is comprised of 12 regional, 2 municipal and 8 local organizations thus covering entire territory of Republic of Srpska having 2000 members.
The supreme legislative body of RSBU is Assembly which has 19 members who are elected to serve 4 year period.
Governing body of RSBU is the Executive Committee comprised of 7 members.
RSBU has supervisory committee and statutory commission, each having 3 members and 8 permanent and temporary working groups and commissions.
The Central Office of RSBU is based in Banja Luka, street Sime Matavulja number 6.
RSBU has its specialist service of 4 members who are in charge of administrative and technical issues of RSBU.
At the beginning of autumn, during 26th of Septembre 1992, inaugural Assembly of RSBU took place in Banja Luka gathering, due to war actions, delegates from only 4 regional organizations, Banja Luka, Prijedor, Doboj and Gradiška.
During those war years, Union focused mainly on assisting blind and visually impaired persons by providing food, hygienic products and clothing. Through its humanitarian activity RSBU has contributed to providing for refugees and dislocated blind and visually impaired persons. Summing these results one could say that this part of population of RS had maximal support and help from their organization.
Along with its social and humanitarian activity, RSBU strived to expand it's area of influence. So, during the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996, network comprising of 15 regional and local organizations was established. They have, through their subsidiaries, covered all municipalities in Republic of Srpska.
The growth and development of RSBU can be divided into three stages:
- Stage I: Foundation and self-preservation
- Stage II: The beggining of reforms
- Stage III: Stage of development
As it was emphasized previously, stage of foundation and self-preservation was during the war years, from 1992 until the end of year 1995. This period is significant from continuous-providing-for-members point of view. In this stage, continuity of former Union was carried out on those territories covered by Republic of Srpska. That territory was spread during the war resulting from changes in military and political situation, while acitivists of our organizations were striving for providing aid for all of our members. Entire mission and goal of our organization were practically humanitarian in nature during that period.
The second stage, the stage of the beginnig of reform processes was specific for period between year 1996 and 2000. During that period, new statute was passed giving basis for the new mission, goals and tasks of RSBU. These included very wide array of activities in all areas of blind and visually impaired person's life and work. All regional and local organizations signed an agreement by which they obliged to follow and obey organizational structure and areas of territorial responsibilities of intermunicipal and municipal organizations. This was basic principle and modus operandi of organizations within RSBU. Of course, Statute of RSBU as main founding act has formed general framework and has enabled functioning under one roof organization whose member organizations obliged to follow established policies and guidelines created by bodies of RSBU.
In 1998, we adopted unique definition of blindness in conformity with the definition of WHO. New and uniform eye, registry and membership card blanks were created and used on the entire territory of RS since that year. Thus, we established unique records of our membership.
At this stage, along with FBiH Union of blind persons, we formed Union of blind persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1997 through which we became members of Balkan Consultation Committee(BCC), EBU and WBU. Officially, we became members of previously mentioned organizations in 1999.
In this way we were domestically and internationally legitimatized.
Third stage of the development includes period from year 2000 onward. Development of RSBU cab be seen on the local level where we created necessary conditions for offices of local organizations, while simultaneously initiating plans for building of cultur and information centre for blind persons. Building structure of such proportions would more permanently resolve problems of shortage of office space for RSBU.
We have also created network of small enterprises in the local organizations.
During this period, RSBU has supported and organized two important international conferences. The first one was held in May 2000 under working title Independent life, while the second one was in Septembre 2002, main focus being on rehabilitation and employment.
Organizing and hosting such important international conferences has aided resolving legal issues and passing specific regulations and laws regarding population of blind and visually impaired and handicapped persons, all in conformity with standards applied internationally.
It is not an easy task to sum all activities and results accomplished by RSBU during past 13 years of continual work. However, we must mention some of more important activities, cultural and sport events. RSBU has organized 8 republic single championships in bowling, 7 single championships in chess for man, 4 for women and 1 team championship in chess and bowling. We were hosts and organizers of the first championship in chess for blind persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By now, we have organized six music concerts of blind and visually impaired persons, in cooperation with local organizations from Gradiška, Trebinje, Banja Luka and Višegrad. In cooperation with organization from Bijeljina, we have organized three music and poet manifestations named "Days of Višnjić". Also, we have had series of friendly meetings with organizations from Serbia and Vojvodina which were followed by games of chess teams.
RSBU has organized series of round tables and seminars addressing some current topics such as removing of architectural barriers, education, rehabilitation, information, health and social welfare etc. All these meetings and discussions were utilized to ease and to bring about complete implementation of UN standards in this area.
Taking into consideration that war years and transition of society have resulted in derogating of rights of all invalids, including blind persons, especially in postwar years, RSBU has been continually supporting preservation and improvement of blind persons' rights. We must say that these efforts were occasionally fruitful, thus meeting with limited success. Work on creating satisfactory and favourable legislative and legal milieu that will meet with needs of blind persons has been and still is our top priority. Since June 1997 we initiated our own publishing activity as the first number of our sound magazine named "Sound review" and printed magazine under name "Contours" appeared. Starting with 1999 year we also began publishing magazine for children and youth named "Candies, hello". In this year, our "quest" for financial resources had been successful and the first magazine in braille named "Golden dots" have seen daylight.
Aided by Unions of the Blind of Serbia and Montenegro and Vojvodina we formed sound and braille library with more than 1000 titles and about 3000 books.
At this stage of development we are focusing on dealing with several issues such as approppriate office space, technical and personnel solutions for the development of library, publishing, information and culture activity of RSBU, so as to meet the needs of our membership in areas of information access and efficacious communication in techniques specific for blind persons.
Through organized approach we have provided better conditions for engaging in sport and culture needs of our membership, especially regarding chess and bowling among blind persons.
During the third stage of our work and existence, RSBU we have tremendously contributed to development of invalid movements in RS and in BiH.
While presiding Coordination council of organizations of invalids of RS for 4 years, we have signifanctly influenced development of other organizations of invalids and we have exerted important influence on legal authorities so as to be more directly involved in resolving multitude of difficulties in life and work of invalid persons.
RSBU has, beyond any doubt, strenghtened and made more homogeneous all organizations of blind persons in RS and has become a strong fulcrum and centre of blind persons in RS during past and this period.
It is almost impossible to mention and gather in one place all activities RSBU has been involded in and dealing with during the course of all years of its existence. However, we used this text as certain overview of our activities on solving manifold problems blind and visually handicapped persons are facing in everyday life.
Of course, we are well aware of the fact that we are far from being in state of adequate conditions for and protection of blind and visually impaired persons, however, our continuous efforts on bringing in concordance our legislation with international standards are finally beginning to give positive results and concrete examples. Economic and social position of our membership and our organizations should improve accordingly.
Long journey of hard and continuous work is ahead of us if we are to accomplish what is expected.
In order for us to achieve this goal we long for, it is necessary to work on strengthening of unity of our organization, on the Republic as well as on the local level, since strong local organizations are prerequisite for strong republic organization.
We are the most assured that development of RSBU will continue along the previosly projected path resulting in well-being of our membership and establishing of healthy relations which will, eventually, bring about righteous position and welfare of blind persons and their organization.