Over the past two days, 120 people from the Western Balkans attended the conference organized within the framework of the regional program on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2), envisaged as an opportunity for young people to participate in the debate with their their peers in the region, as well as having direct interaction with policy makers and officials.
ReLOaD2 is a regional initiative implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, which works to strengthen partnerships between local authorities and civil society, specifically aiming for more great participation of citizens and young people in decision-making processes.
The conference was opened by HE Ms. Bora Muzhaqi, State Minister of Youth and Children of Albania, who highlighted the importance of the LOD model used by the European Union to finance youth organizations, but also for the National Youth Agency, the implementation structure of the Youth Strategy, drafting of the National Youth Strategy and numerous collaborations for youth activation in Albania.
Ms Hillen Francke, Head of the Civil Society, Social Inclusion and Human Capital Development Sector at the European Commission, said: “Youth has never been a priority on the agenda of the European Commission. EU, 2022 being the European Year of Youth. This also applies to our engagement in the Western Balkans, where Tirana has been designated European Youth Capital in 2022. And youth will continue to be at the heart of the EU’s support for the region. The ReLOaD2 project is one of our main regional civil society initiatives, but it also has a focus on youth. It succeeds in promoting the role of two essential actors for the future of the Western Balkans and their European perspective: civil society and youth.”
Ms. Monica Merino, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Albania, said: “Engaging and placing young people at the center of development is very important for all of us and crosses both phases of the RELOAD projects. A strong element of ReLOaD2 is the engagement of young people in local affairs, in decision-making regarding initiatives and projects that interest them. ReLOaD has created opportunities for young people to participate in internship programs, first work experiences and professional training in order to be better prepared for the job market.
The program allowed young people to exchange their opinions on the challenges and practices related to the participation of young people in community life through several round tables and workshops. Starting from the artistic play of a youth ensemble from Tirana and ending with a focused dialogue, young people made it known that they needed to be heard more often.
Participants said the conference contributed to a better understanding of institutional practices, similarities and differences relevant to young people in the Western Balkans. We hope that this conference will create new opportunities for partnerships and a space for development linked to the needs of young people.
*For the European Union, this designation is without prejudice to the status position and is in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence . For UNDP, all references to Kosovo must be understood in the context of UN Resolution 1244/1999.
