Miss Earth Bosnia & Herzegovina 2011 Aleksandra Kovacevic: My mother is my greatest inspiration

“My mother is my greatest inspiration. She taught me that family and friends are the most important support one could have, but also that hard work and perseverance always pay off at the end,” Miss Earth Miss Bosnia & Herzegovina 2011 Aleksandra Kovacevic tells, MissEarth.tv mediates.

Age: 23
Height: 175 cm.
Weight: 53 kg.
Measurements: 81 – 58 – 82

What environmental project will you create to promote the protection of Mother Earth and why?
As the Bosnian representative in the Miss Earth pageant, I will start an afforestation project to undo the damage and prevent the further impoverishment of Bosnia’s most important asset. I believe I have the necessary knowledge and experience, which, combined with the recent media attention and public interest, is the key for the project’s success. This way, people will be able to learn more about the importance of natural resources and the ways to protect them.

What makes you proud of the country you are representing, and what can you promote about your country?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered to be a country of diversity. There are not many countries where you can see so many different cultures and customs which not only contrast, but also complement each other. I have witnessed numerous occasions when people advocating different, almost opposing standpoints decided to work together in order to resolve a problem. Bosnian people, different as they may be, are a positive example of tolerance and forgiveness, making Bosnia and Herzegovina a fertile ground for tolerance and togetherness. Other than its people, I have to mention the breathtaking Bosnian landscape: be it fairytale sunsets, picturesque landscapes or amazing architecture with Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences. This only emphasizes the unison of people and nature, as well as the pureness and intactness of the latter. I can honestly say that I’m proud and thankful I was given the chance to grow up in an environment that enabled me to learn so much about respecting other people and nature, an environment which has, and continues to attract and amaze so many tourists, as well as the local people.

Describe your childhood/growing years.
I grew up in Sarajevo, surrounded by my friends and family. Even though I am the only child, I can hardly remember a day spent without one of my friends or cousins coming over. I remember spending the weekdays playing with my friends and cousins in the backyard after school, and the weekends going to the countryside with my parents. I took dance lessons and participated in different extracurricular activities, so my visits to my grandparents were very enjoyable, but also extremely educational.

What lessons did you learn from your childhood/growing years?
My mother is my greatest inspiration. She taught me that family and friends are the most important support one could have, but also that hard work and perseverance always pay off at the end. One of the most important lessons I have learned growing up is also not to take things for granted. Occasional shortage of water or electricity only made me realize that our natural resources are not endless, and that we should try to give back as much as possible.

What is your environmental advocacy?
In my humble opinion, Bosnian resources are practically boundless, which makes people take it for granted. The most important thing we have to do is raise the awareness and point out the existing problems. We are witnessing the increase in concentration of air pollution, forest destruction and mindless exploitation of water resources, which are proving to be worse than we thought. The only way to repair and prevent further damage is to educate people on how they can help by thinking globally and acting locally. On the global level, the major concern is the bee extinction. Billions of bees worldwide have died since 2006 and scientists believe that this is happening because of the excessive usage of pesticides which make bees prone to diseases. Bees are a critical part of the food chain because the plants depend on bees for pollination. Albert Einstein once said “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”
 

---

---