Over the past two days, more than 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 take part in discussions with 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 aimed at more great participation of citizens and young people in decision-making processes.
The conference was opened by HE Mrs. Bora Muzhaqi, Minister of State for Youth and Children of Albania who underlined the importance of the LOD model used by the European Union for the financing of youth organizations, but also for the National Youth Agency, the implementation structure of the Youth Strategy, the development of the National Youth Strategy and the 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 and Ms. Dafina PeciSecretary General of the National Youth Congress of Albania and Co-CEO of Tirana, European Youth Capital, Albania kindly delivered his opening speech introducing the topic of the conference.
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.
Youth participation in the Western Balkans leaves much to be desired, but the event highlighted positive examples of youth engagement, proving that perseverance and personal development are still important.
Ms. Sunčica Kovačević, young activist from Aarhus, ACT i Kasindolska initiative, Bosnia and Herzegovina, participated in the Youth Inspirational Talks panel, telling her activist story: “This is the story of young people who want to claim the future and who are aware that they can only do this if their voice is heard and if they participate in decision-making processes.
Representatives of local governments and partner institutions acknowledged that young people sometimes lack motivation and enthusiasm, due to the complex situation in the region, emphasizing that existing youth policies and strategies could only be implemented in synergy with young people.
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.
