
Engaged Beyond Business
House of Good Tones

A social initiative funded by Hilti employees
The House of Good Tones is a place for children and young people that teaches reconciliation in war-torn Bosnian villages through various activities such as music, social engagement, or choral singing. The individual and group music lessons promote multi-ethnic coexistence among people in Srebrenica, Skelani, Bratunac, and Potočari.
The project
Through music and education, students learn to treat each other with respect regardless of their background. At the same time, their talents are encouraged and developed in a wide variety of areas. Self-confidence, discipline, and responsibility are practiced and exemplified on a daily basis. The education center is an ambassador of peace and friendship and dreams of becoming the best music school in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The House of Good Tones is supported by Hilti. To date, this EBB initiative has been financed exclusively by Hilti employees.

Equipment and mission
All activities of the House of Good Tones are free of charge for all participants, without exception. The learning center has a total area of 800 m2, with ten staff members and a total of six different programs (see interactive box below). A modern multimedia center and library are available to all students and visitors. In addition, there are guest suites for a total of twelve people, open to all those who are involved in creating a better social environment for all citizens in Srebrenica.
The Center is based on multi-ethnicity. Its mission is to provide children and youth with artistic, cultural, entertainment, and educational programs tailored to their age and the times in which they live. All the projects carried out must meet the standard of innovation and have been developed in collaboration with experts from different fields.

Support opportunities
There are various ways to support this initiative. For example, interested Hilti team members can simply transfer monetary donations. However, they can also run their own fundraising campaigns at their workplaces and then donate the campaign proceeds. What such a fundraising campaign looks like in detail is left solely to the creativity of the organizers: Ideas range from fundraising runs or sales campaigns to paid training courses. The proceeds of the donation thereafter only have to be transferred to the headquarters in Schaan and will then benefit directly the House of Good Tones.

Facts & Figures
The annual budget enables the instruction of about 400 young people in music and singing per week, covers staff and maintenance costs, and enables concert tours at home and abroad. Since 2019, around 300’000 EUR was donated by Hilti Employees - of which 80’000 EUR was collected in 2024.
About the organization
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Students at the House of Good Tones regularly plan volunteer activities that benefit the entire local community. They design actions to promote environmental protection, plant trees, collect recycling materials, collect waste or prepare meals for elderly people. In doing so, they take advantage of locally available resources and work with the Social Work Centre. In this way, the students convey the message that everyone can contribute to a better quality of life and that our community becomes better when everyone does something good and useful.
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The House of Good Tones regularly organizes various educational programs for children and young people. These complement regular school activities and help participants prepare for college, among other things. The teachers are experts in different areas of social sciences and have experience working with young people. For example, the children and young people are taught critical thinking, media literacy and youth activism. The workshops and courses are held in English and German. The lessons enable the children and young people to perfect their knowledge and prepare for life.
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In the multimedia room, the House of Good Tones also shows movies as well as documentaries. In addition, film authors and actors are guests at regular intervals, who talk to the children and young people about their work and give them a look behind the scenes. In this way, they are encouraged to read books and enjoy films, but also to critically question the media they consume and compare the content with their own attitudes. The aim is to use films and books to develop their social and emotional skills. Of course, the age and interests of the students are considered.
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The visitors of the House of Good Tones live in a region where tons of fruit and vegetables are thrown away because the farmers can hardly sell their products on the world market. That's why the children and young people visiting the center also learn about the factors behind this and how they can eat a healthy and balanced diet. In this process, the House of Good Tones works together with local food and vegetable producers. Among other things, the leftover harvest is bought up, processed into tasty dishes and served to the children and young people as lunch.
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The House of Good Tones actively involves the parents of its students in the curricula through the Parents' Council. This exchange is not by chance: its purpose is to create projects of general social interest. The Parents' Council also helps to overcome some practical and logistical problems. Parents participate regardless of their ethnic, religious or social background. Through their involvement, they recognize that their children's interests take precedence over their own. The common goal: to give the new generation tools to create new values and to stimulate the development of sustainable peace.
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Professional musicians and teachers lead music lessons at the House of Good Tones. Music lessons range from choral singing to playing instruments. As a result, the children and young people learn about the values of other cultures and nations in a safe environment, which encourages them to engage in intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. The goal is to foster their involvement in the local community and improve their life chances in society.
The students regularly perform in music projects and camps, travel, and give concerts.
How to transfer donations?
Individual or collective amounts can be transferred to the cost center at the cashier’s office in Schaan as follows…:
Cost Center
BKR
Reference
518306 - EBB Fundraising
1051 HAG
EBB - 1022978 - P # 01.14 House of Good Tones
Or by bank transfer to the following bank account. The donated amount will be converted to CHF:
Bank
SWIFT / BIC
Bank Code
Beneficiary
IBAN
Reference
UBS Switzerland AG, CH-8004 Zürich
CRESCHZZ80A
4835
Hilti AG, Feldkircherstrasse 100, FL-9494 Schaan
CH47 0483 5031 2631 4100 1
EBB - 1022978 - P # 01.14 House of Good Tones
History and philosophy
The House of Good Tones was founded in Srebrenica in 2011. The town near the Serbian border was the scene of a genocide and looks back on a correspondingly difficult past. The idea of this project is to build a safe haven where children and youth from the region have access to high-quality educational, cultural, and entertaining programs.
It’s a place of encounter where everyone, irrespective of their religious or social background feels good spending time together. In the past ten years, hundreds of children and young people have participated in dozens of projects, concerts, travels, and visits. Guests from all corners of the world have visited the “House of Good Tones” and have learned, sung, and grown together with the students on site.
Do you have any questions? You can reach us by e-mail: