Twelve UWC Adriatic students, Snežana Radoičić from Serbia, Jan Hadžiomerspahić and Elma Mostić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lidziya Vasina from Belarus, Rushikesh Pawar from India, Valeria Patiño Teran from Mexico, Emma Stepancich, Chiara Antona, Serena Iannuzzo and Alessandro Cao from Italy, Albert Lulgjuraj from Montenegro and Valeriia Pavlenko from Ukraine, have successfully extended the "Garden of the Righteous" initiative to high schools in Mostar. 

Supported by the GARIWO Foundation in Milan, this initiative became a symbol of inspiration and positive change at UWC Adriatic. What began as a thoughtful project within their school has now blossomed into a collaborative movement. Their goal was simple yet powerful – to create a space that honours individuals who stood up for humanity.
During one week-long visit to Mostar with their supervisor Senija Šteta, UWC students had the opportunity to engage with high school students there. 

“Excitement filled the air as we took our project beyond our school, which involved meeting our peers in Mostar. The response was positive, and visits to the schools were met with warmth and enthusiasm”, one of the UWC students has said.

The students in Mostar immersed themselves in the stories of the Righteous people led by their peer educators from UWC Adriatic, drawing inspiration from symbols associated with their lives. The outcome was inspiring – students created visual reminders of the power of empathy: Corner of Righteous people at each of the visited schools and encouraged local students to start working towards virtual Garden of the Righteous.

UWC Adriatic students’ activities in Mostar focused not only on the project but also on creating opportunities for cultural exchange. The project encouraged meaningful connections between students, creating a shared space for understanding and appreciation, reminding all of the importance of celebrating diversity.

UWC Adriatic students look forward to seeing seeds of compassion continue to grow and creating more opportunities to talk about peace, kindness and an impact of the individual on the world.