WEASA peer-to-peer story of Anna Romandash: strengthening digital resilience through lessons from Sarajevo

Anna Romandash, our Ukrainian alumna from WEASA 2025 edition travelled to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to explore how the country’s experience in countering disinformation and rebuilding trust in institutions can inform ongoing efforts in Ukraine and the wider region. The visit, carried out within the WEASA Peer-to-Peer Initiative, focused on fact-checking, political accountability, media development, and the challenges of post-conflict democratic reconstruction.

During the trip, she met with several WEASA alumni, including Amina Izmirlić (WEASA 2023) of “Why Not”, who shared methodologies for political accountability monitoring and fact-checking; Minel Abaz (WEASA 2022), who provided insights into regional information manipulation trends; and Muamer Hirkić (WEASA 2021), a political scientist who helped expand her network of local experts. These exchanges revealed common regional challenges and highlighted shared strategies for strengthening civic engagement and digital resilience.

Beyond the WEASA network, Anna held discussions with prominent Sarajevo-based journalists and media professionals, such as Emre Kizilkaya, Irene Dioli, Nermina Sadikovic, Emir Mujkić, and Ivana Radović. Their perspectives offered a deeper understanding of how media freedom intersects with democratic stability, ongoing security concerns, and the complexities of post-conflict recovery in Bosnia.

The visit resulted not only in a published story in English and Italian titled: “On the frontlines of truth: Bosnian experience and Russian influence”,  but also in valuable data and contacts that will inform her upcoming research on digital resilience in post-conflict societies. Bosnia will serve as a key comparative case study in her 2026 presentation at the OSCE conference in Bishkek, as well as in a policy brief and a research paper.

Overall, the Sarajevo study visit demonstrated the continued relevance and strength of the WEASA community. The flexibility of the Peer-to-Peer Initiative enabled meaningful, self-directed engagement and fostered new professional connections. This experience underscored how cross-border collaboration and shared learning can contribute to stronger, more resilient democratic institutions across Europe and its neighbouring regions.

Check the article in English here: On the frontlines of truth: Bosnian experience and Russian influence – Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa

And here you will see the article in Italian: Da Sarajevo a Kyiv: fact-checking e influenza russa – Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa

We would like to thank Anna for her research initiative to bring up significant topic into the academic and practical debate, as well as all the experts who contributed to this research. Special thanks goes to our devoted alumni Amina Izmirlić, Minel Abaz, Muamer Hirkić for creating intergenerational exchange for Anna! We are proud of you all.