iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura

Sadžida Traynor-Herenda | Melem za Dušu Psychologist @soulsoothing.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

@arnesa.bsky.social gave an amazing speech on stages of genocide at the National Education Union Srebrenica commemoration event. I was proud of her scholarship and brokenhearted we still need genocide scholars.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

I am genuinely so tired of hearing anti-medicine conspiracy theories propagandise about their anti-chemotherapy and “alternative treatments for cancer”. People are dying because of these assholes and their conspiracy theories.

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Reposted by Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura

Breaux, Billie @billiebreaux.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Wealth is built on the backs of many innocent abused workers

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

There’s a Bosnian saying: “Možeš kako hoćeš, al’ ne i dokle hoćeš” which roughly translates to: “You can do as you like, but not for as long as you like.” While people may have the freedom to act a certain way, that freedom is not unlimited as eventually, there are consequences and limits.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

& while it may have taken me getting cancer again and getting hurt and exploited repeatedly in order to understand my own worth and the value of the work I have done and continue to do…I, nonetheless, came to my senses. Better late than never.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

& honestly while getting cancer again was awful in every single sense, it also showed me that people will happily allow others to burn if it means they get ahead. It showed me how deeply horrid many I looked up to at one point genuinely are. How disappointed I was. I still am, in fact.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

One more thing: I have been sick and while I am continuing to do better, I still had cancer. While many lovely and beautiful people in my community reached out, not a single one who exploited me, stole my work, took credit for my work, ever did. Not a single one asked about my health.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Tdlr; People suck and are exploitative assholes.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

So I can and will do it all. Alone at first. Until I find the right people in it for the right reasons. Until then…I suppose that I plan to answer my phone a lot less. I plan to say no a lot more often. I plan to always ask “what is the compensation for this” for every single thing now.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I mean ffs, I worked at two separate orgs in which I was quite literally the only person working and willing to do all the unsexy, ugly, tiring, exhausting, draining behind-the-scenes work, while others only cares about getting their name in the right publications or mingling with politicians.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I like working, I like contributing, I love knowing that I did something that made an actual impact, that I helped a person, a family, a community, fucking humanity as a whole. I always will. But I can do all of that alone. After all, I’ve done it all alone before. Many, many times.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I should not have to be some evil, heartless, asshole of a person that exploits others in order for my work to be properly recognised and especially protected. I do not wish to be like that. I like who I am. I like that I fucking care about everything and everyone all of the damn time.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

And the thing is…I also should not have to be like *them* in order to ensure that my work and contributions are valued, recognised, and fairly compensated for. I am a good person who is always trying her best to be better, to do more, to learn more, to grow, to help, to try, to do the right thing.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I keep telling myself that one day I, too, will become a heartless and evil cunt who solely cares about what I can get out of people, how much money I can make, and how many people I can trick into thinking I am a decent person. But that’s bs. I am not evil, unkind, heartless, and I refuse to be.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I am responsible for my own actions and my own actions alone. I do care deeply and I am fully committed to my work and I always will be. But I do not need anyone—especially not people who lie, who are dishonest, who exploit others, who mistreat others, who steal time, labour, and money. No more.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

There have been multiple instances this week alone where I have broke down to my loved ones about why I keep being exploited, why and how people continue to do anything other than be fair and honest, and why I keep getting screwed over. Today is the last time I allow myself to cry over that.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

B/c enough really is enough and from now on everything I do will be recorded, will be publicised, will be shared and most importantly will be protected. *I* will be protected. My work and my words will be protected. & I will come for anyone who dares to try and use me for their own gain. Enough.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I cannot keep doing this to myself and I simply refuse to. I refuse to allow myself to continually be exploited for the sake of community, human rights, and whatever else they use to make me feel guilty for saying no. I refuse to be the scapegoat, to be the bad guy for saying “enough”.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

But I am so tired of it. I am so exhausted of being the bigger and better person. I am so tired of caring too much. I am so deeply exhausted by the fact that the love I have for humanity, for my own community is exploited. That my hope for a better world is exploited.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

In return…I got scammed out of money. Money I worked for. Money I worked for while still sick. It’s not about the money. It’s about the fact that people are assholes that will exploit you until there is nothing left of you. & they’ll still expect you to defend them and keep quiet.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

But I am a dumbass that never seems to learn. This past week for example, I was asked by a person for MULTIPLE favours. Multiple favours throughout the week and b/c I actually care…I did those favours. My time, my energy, my labour…even while I am still recovering from cancer. I did it anyway.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

A Bosniak woman makes it on the cover of the Guardian and gets over 10,000 other Bosniak survivors of the war and genocide to sign an open letter to the ICJ, gets it to the ICJ, and ensures it is read by them and yet it is too much to say her name. It is too much to acknowledge her.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

But God forbid they acknowledge all the work I have done. God forbid they make it clear who did the work. Who made it happen. Who called in the favour. Who woke up at 6 am and worked for free until 9 pm. God forbid they give me the credit I am due. No, absolutely not.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

And yet, despite all of that, when people need help they still come to me. Whether it’s my work, my words, my labour…they still call. Whether it’s my connections, my network, my past experiences, my trauma, or even my child…it is still me that they call.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I stayed silent while I was mistreated by people who are looked up to in the community. I stayed silent while I was made the scapegoat when others did not do their work, did not contribute, did not do anything to warrant the attention I got but yet wanted it themselves. I hate myself for it.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

But the worst of it all is when I kept quiet. Despite all of my work and efforts…every time I was mistreated I kept quiet for the sake of community, or someone else’s reputation, or the bigger picture, or the efforts I’ve made, or the work others & I were doing or mainly because I fucking cared.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Even when I was mistreated, ignored, attacked, hated…I kept going. Harassed every single day of the past 14 years. Every. Single. Day. Okay? Not a day in my life has gone by without being called a terrorist, a whore, a propagandist, a liar, and countless other variants of hatred.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I trained people to speak. I taught them how to craft their own story. I taught them confidence. I recorded their stories when it was too much for them. Despite my own trauma, I never had an issue taking on more.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I worked 18, 20, even 24 hour days at times. Sometimes even when it was just me that did every single thing, I gave credit to others anyway. Why not? Who cares? I worked corporate in order to support all the countless hours I did pro-bono. I did so much labour—99.9% of it for free.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I never allowed myself to have my ego get the better of me. I did the work—physical, emotional, mental, and everything in between. I organised and mobilised. Everything from tiny local events to large-scale national events. I did it all…I did so much. I did it while sick.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

In the name of community, in the name of progress, in the name of love, and human rights, and justice for victims, justice for survivors, in order to educate others, in order to try and prevent further atrocities. I’ve done every unsexy, behind-the-scenes jobs there is. I was never “too good for it”

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I invested years of my life, time, effort, and energy into countless people, their projects, and the progress of our “community”. I did decades of work for free. I watched and stayed silent as others took credit for my work, over and over again. I stayed silent while my own words were stolen from me

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

It has taken me far too many years to learn that when you are the type of person who truly & deeply cares—about humans, about social justice, about humanity and helping it—there will always be someone ready to exploit you and your work. You are only good to them while they can exploit you.

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Reposted by Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura

Gwynne Hogan @gwynnefitz.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Mahmoud Khalil emerges from airport security with his wife Noor and newborn, legal team and Rep. AOC.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I don’t know how I am able to be so continuously and almost constantly utterly disappointed with people. And even more so, I cannot help but wonder why they continue to behave in ways that are so deeply unethical, immoral, and exploitative. Does it not tire their souls?

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

With the exception of two fathers who were actively abusive and one of them is in prison for the abuse, another is trying to get access to children but thankfully failing. Every report of mine gets sent to the courts and if I have anything to do with it…i’ll never let them reunite with their victims

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Even the parents, truthfully, are not some horrid humans…some are victims of abuse, some are exhausted and alone, some just never learned any better due to their own abusive childhoods…they love their kids, they simply do not know better. & it’s my job to teach them.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The kids, man, the kids are what break my heart the most and while I am helping the parents in learning new parenting approaches, trauma informed care and boundaries…my clients are actually the children. There is no such thing as a bad child, there’s just neglected children.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Working with a mother to support her as she learns to establish routines and schedules for her two children who have become addicted to phones and screens. Helping her with establishing boundaries, supporting her in ensuring her children are physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

I’ve worked with a blind and disabled woman, helping her adjust to her new reality. Assisting her with her courses in college, ensuring she gets all of the resources she needs to be successful, even developing a friendship with her due to similar ethnic backgrounds. I even got sighted guide training

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Things I have done since returning to social work: Helped supervise visitation between parents and children while helping the parent learn more about trauma-informed care, autism parenting, adhd structuring and helping the children relax, provide counselling while they relax, provide all the hugs.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

I like the way you put it. Proper selfishness is sometimes necessary.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

It really is shocking…i am so sorry

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

I love you too my angelllll. I have news btw!

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

I certainly will not ever again allow myself to succumb to being manipulated and gaslit in the way I have been. But I will love and care because that is who I am. That is who I will always be. I love that about me. It is not a weakness and I am not a fool for loving people.

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Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura @arnesa.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

What I refuse, however, is to ever be as trusting as I once was. As naive as I used to be. I will always love people and I will always care for people. I will always, always try and do my best to help the world and humanity. But I won’t be as trusting as I used to be. I won’t be naive.

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