POLITEIA Thematic Session, held on June 19-21 in Tirana, brought together 12 dynamic young professionals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia.
Over two intensive days they were trained about these key topics like:
“Digitalization Impact on Western Balkans Youth”
“Safeguarding Human Rights in WB6 Economies Amidst Digital Transformation”
“Youth and Digital Agenda: The Role of Different Actors and the Importance of Participation in Policy Making”
A highlight of POLITEIA Thematic Session is the group work, when after online mentoring sessions the participants will produce policy briefs.
This Politeia Thematic Session is organised under the Project “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe”, financially supported by European Union and being implemented by Center for Democracy Foundation in collaboration with Academy of European Integration and Negotiations (AIEN), Youth Act, Network of Progressive Initiatives , Academy fo Democratic Development, Kosovar Stability initiative and Mreža Progresivnih Inicijativa.
We are officially launching the open Call for Proposals for the Active Achievement Fund for Regional Informal Groups within the framework of the project Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe funded by the European Union.
The main objective of this Call is to strengthen creative groups in the Western Balkans, particularly informal ones, by providing financial support for initiatives aiming to:
Increase youth activism in their communities and participation in structured dialogue with decision makers on public policies relevant to youth
Advocate for the adoption of European values and strengthening of democratic and responsible institutions
Promote regional cooperation and political, economic and social benefits of the EU integration for the Western Balkans countries
Total available budget of the Active Achievement Fund is 30.000 EUR. Regional informal groups can apply for financial support for project that must fall between the following minimum and maximum amount:
minimum amount: 2.000 EUR
maximum amount: 4.000 EUR
Only informal groups are eligible to apply for this Call for Proposals. These groups are not formally registered and have a low level of formality and weak technical and managerial skills. The Call is open to informal groups that spontaneously gathered to solve a problem in the local community, with priority to individuals that participated in RYDE activities such as Politeia School, Politeia Thematic Sessions, Youth Policy Labs and Internship program.
The regional groups shall be composed of at least 5 young people aged 16-30 who are citizens of at least 3 out of five Western Balkan countries in which the RYDE project is implementing (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*[1], North Macedonia and Serbia). At least one person from the informal group must be of legal age in order for the project implementation contract to be signed.
Support will be provided through direct payments conducted by RYDE partner organizations that will act as intermediary organizations for the particular project. With the project proposal, the applicants should select the project host country which will consequently determine which partner organization will act as intermediary organization. The partner organizations will execute payments for costs incurred as per the approved small project budget.
The Active Achievement Fund is a sub-granting activity of the three-year regional project “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe” (RYDE), funded by the European Union in the period 2023-2026.
Center for Democracy Foundation
[1] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Uloga parlamenata u Berlinskom procesu (BP) i široj integraciji zemalja Zapadnog Balkana (ZB) u Evropsku uniju je ključni aspekt razvoja regiona. Parlamenti su glavna institucija koja predstavlja glas građana i uvijek treba raditi za dobrobit svojih birača. Regionalni razvoj bi unaprijedio živote građana u ekonomskom, socijalnom i političkom smislu. Međutim, uloga parlamenta je često na nacionalnom nivou i ova uloga je samo ograničeno prisutna u regionalnim okvirima. Berlinski proces potvrđuje da su parlamenti rijetko uključeni u potpunosti u regionalne inicijative.
Priznanje vrijednosti uključivanja parlamenata u Berlinski proces na samitu u Poznanju 2019. bio je pozitivan korak. Međutim, nedostatak konkretnih aktivnosti, kao što su međuparlamentarni sastanci, u godinama nakon samita naglašava prazninu koju treba popuniti.
Obzirom na važnost regionalne saradnje i integracije u EU, upotrijeba znanja i stručnosti istraživačkih centara Svjetske banke i povećanje uključenosti parlamenata bi zaista moglo donijeti dodatnu vrijednost Berlinskom procesu. To ne samo da bi doprinijelo daljem jačanju postojeće regionalne saradnje, već će takođe osigurati da Proces bude inkluzivniji i reprezentativniji za širi politički pejzaž na Zapadnom Balkanu.
by Ognjen Markovic, Team Leader of the RCC’s Western Balkans Youth Lab project
I was 13 years old when the first person from my close-knit circle of family announced she was leaving Montenegro. Back then I was not yet aware that it was the beginning of a ‘trend’ and that over the next few years I would keep witnessing more and more people I know leaving our homeland to find a living in the EU.
Reading that 71% of young people from the Western Balkans would consider working and living abroad, I was struck by a bittersweet feeling. To me, and to many citizens of the Western Balkans, the percentage is not just a number, because hidden behind it are the names of family members and loved ones who we will get to see only two or three times a year when they return home for the holidays.
On the other hand, the attractiveness of the EU is understandable. Beyond the promises of a higher pay, greater sense of stability and security and other socio-economic indicators, the EU offers mobility that most young people crave for. And while highways, fast trains and flight connections may sound banal, to a person who has entered adulthood only recently, they provide endless possibilities and new and exciting experiences.
For those who enjoy spending their time in nature, the EU commitment to the Green Deal and sustainable tourism provides clean air, water and easy access to well-marked hiking trails. Capitals of EU Member States have the infrastructural capacity to attract world-renowned musicians, film and art festivals. For the ambitious and career-oriented individuals, open labour market provides a broad range of opportunities, not least grounded in the process of recognition of academic and professional qualifications.
I have a deep admiration for the European Union as such, especially since I had the opportunity to experience it first hand during my study exchanges in Slovenia, Poland and Italy. It was then that I came to fully understand the benefits of cross-border initiatives that bring young people together.
It was particularly impressive that, along with the diversity of our backgrounds and interests, we could easily agree on the changes we wanted to see in the world around us. And it did not matter if students came from the Western Balkans or the EU, because we shared the same values and principles: freedom, democracy, equal opportunities. Most of all, we agreed that our voices should be heard.
I took this lesson with me as I returned to Montenegro.
Though I enjoyed and valued my time in the EU tremendously, still coming home felt right. When saying ‘coming home’, I do not mean only Montenegro but the entire region of the Western Balkans.
Namely, there is another aspect of my life through which I had the immense pleasure of developing a deep connection to our region. From a young age, I was a member of a folklore ensemble, which had taken me across the Western Balkans to numerous competitions and festivals. We would travel very often to small cities and rural areas in the region, eager to represent our culture, but even more enthusiastic to learn about the others. It is through that experience that I heard Albanian music for the first time, and loved it ever since; I revelled in Macedonian national dishes, which I still praise to everyone I meet; in Serbia I learned about hospitality and untouched sceneries, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina I discovered ceif and merak.
Everywhere I went I met brilliant people my age and I have been cherishing those friendships to this day. This made me sure that what we have in common is much more significant than what tells us apart.
From my student exchanges in Slovenia, Poland and Italy, I returned with a thought: “Where the EU has benefits, the Western Balkans has potential.”
Thus, when the opportunity to join Regional Cooperation Council’s Western Balkans Youth Lab project presented itself in 2020, I eagerly packed my bags and moved to Sarajevo, ready to assist the implementation of everything I believed in: giving young people of the Western Balkans a platform that makes their voices heard, and even more so, that involves them in the meaningful way in the decision-making processes, contributing to the fulfilment of the regional potential.
Now, in the winter of 2024, with the first phase of the project behind us, I can confidently say that it was a right decision to make.
Together with young people from across the region, we enacted real and substantial changes. From amending laws on youth employment tailored as per youth needs to creating national strategies on youth mental health, new generations in the Western Balkans can look forward to better conditions and a brighter future. Most importantly, they can find inspiration and motivation in the fact that the change comes from us – for us, as long as we stay committed to the joint perspective that we all share.
The fact that we made only the first steps on the long road that waits ahead is not discouraging. I am proud and honoured to work with incredible young people, and I do not doubt even for a second that they have what it takes to eventually turn the tides on the emigration waves, to transform the potential into benefits, and to lead the way to the family of EU Member States, where the Western Balkans rightly belongs.
* This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Center for Democracy Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Regionalni dijalog mladih za Evropu / POLITEIA Regionalna škola za participaciju mladih 2023.
Fondacija Centar za demokratiju organizovala je od 6. do 12. jula 2023. godine u Nišu „POLITEIA Regionalnu školu za participaciju mladih“, u okviru projekta Regionalni dijalog mladih za Evropu(Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe) koji se realizuje uz podršku Evropske unije.
Kroz panel debate i diskusije, polaznicima Politeia škole govorili su: Tanja Miščević, ministarka za evropske integracije, Vlada Republike Srbije; Plamena Halačeva, zamjenica šefa Delegacije Evropske unije u Srbiji; Nataša Vučković, generalna sekretarka, Fondacija Centar za demokratiju, Srbija; Antonela Valmorbida, generalna sekretarka, Evropska asocijacija za lokalnu demokratiju (ALDA); Ognjen Marković, menadžer projekta, Vijeće za regionalnu saradnju, Sarajevo; Đorđo Cvijović, Lokalna kancelarija Regionalne kancelarije za saradnju mladih (RYCO) u Srbiji; Saša Magazinović, poslanik, Predstavnički dom Parlamentarne skupštine Bosne i Hercegovine; dr Aleksandra Jerkov, članica Izvršnog odbora, Regionalna akademija za demokratski razvoj, Srbija; Kalinka Gaber, državna savjetnica u Vladi Sjeverne Makedonije, bivša državna sekretarka za pitanja EU; Vuk Velebit, stručnjak za spoljnu i bezbjednosnu politiku, Srbija; dr Jonida Begaj, Pravni fakultet u Tirani, Albanija.
Znanja i iskustva putem predavanja i interaktivnih razgovora mladim polaznicima škole prenijeli su: Prof. Eralda Cani, Pravni fakultet, Univerzitet u Tirani, Albanija; prof. dr Vladimir Janković, Univerzitet Mančester, Velika Britanija; Mateja Agatonović, pomoćnik generalnog direktora, Nova ekonomija, Srbija; Daliborka Uljarević, izvršni direktor, Centar za građansko obrazovanje, Crna Gora; Žarko Šunderić, direktor, Centar za socijalnu politiku, Srbija; Ognen Janeski, ambasador SE i EU protiv govora mržnje za Zapadni Balkan i TV voditelj/glavni urednik, Sjeverna Makedonija; Sanja Mešanović, zamjenik direktora, Republički sekretarijat za javne politike, Srbija; Miljana Pejić, generalni sekretar, Krovna organizacija mladih Srbije, Srbija; Miloš Đajić i Igor Jojkić, Centar modernih vještina; kao i predstavnice partnerskih organizacija na projektu: Brikena Hoxha, izvršna direktorka, Kosovska inicijativa za stabilnost, Kosovo*; Anida Šabanović, programska koordinatorka/menadžerica, Mreža progresivnih inicijativa, BiH; dr Kejda Nuhu, Youth Act centar, Albanija; Mona Xhexhaj, izvršna direktorka, Akademija za evropske integracije i pregovore, Albanija; Biljana Bejkova, izvršna direktorka, NVO Info Centar, Sjeverna Makedonija.
Učesnici/e „POLITEIA Regionalne škole za participaciju mladih“ 2023. bili su studenti, aktivisti i mladi stručnjaci iz Albanije, Sjeverne Makedonije, Kosova*, BiH, Crne Gore i Srbije. Ključne teme o kojima se razgovaralo: Evropske integracije zemalja Zapadnog Balkana, omladinske politike i programi, saradnja i umrežavanje mladih u regionu, socio-ekonomski razvoj, klimatske promjene, borba protiv govora mržnje u javnoj sferi…
Politeia je škola sa dugom tradicijom (od 1997) i zahvaljujući odličnim predavačima, interaktivnom načinu rada i kvalitetnom izboru učesnika, prepoznata je kao jedan od vodećih neformalnih programa edukacije za mlade u našem regionu.
POLITEIA škola 2023. organizovana je u okviru projekta Regionalni dijalog mladih za Evropu (Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe) koji se realizuje uz podršku Evropske unije. Projekat realizuju Fondacija Centar za demokratiju, Beograd (kao koordinator projekta) i partnerske organizacije: Akademija za evropske integracije i pregovore iz Tirane (AIEN); Kosovska inicijativa za stabilnost iz Prištine (IKS); Mreža progresivnih inicijativa iz Sarajeva (NPI); NVO Info Centar iz Skoplja (NGO IC); Regionalna akademija za demokratski razvoj iz Novog Sada (ADD); Youth Act Centar iz Tirane (YA). Projekat finansira Evropska unija.
– Unapređenje razumevanja i saradnje na Zapadnom Balkanu
– Jačanje aktivne podrške građana za reforme i integraciju u Evropsku uniju
Fondacija Centar za demokratiju u saradnji sa partnerskim organizacijama civilnog društva iz regiona Zapadnog Balkana započela je realizaciju projekta Regionalni dijalog mladih za Evropu (Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe).
Mladi iz regiona Zapadnog Balkana smatraju da nisu dovoljno vidljivi, niti uključeni u procese koji se tiču njihove budućnosti. Neophodno je unaprediti participaciju mladih u građanskom i demokratskom društvu, njihovo povezivanje i saradnju u regionu i osnažiti dijalog mladih sa donosiocima odluka. Projekat se realizuje u kontekstu implementacije EU Strategije za mlade, pratećeg Akcionog plana i Ekonomskog-investicionog plana za Zapadni Balkan koji je uspostavio program Garancija za mlade.
U projekat ugrađujemo iskustvo u promociji evropskih i demokratskih vrednosti i ljudskih prava, Ciljeva održivog razvoja Agende 2030, posebno vodeći računa o unapređenju položaja mladih i pripadnika osetljivih grupa, kao i iskustvo podsticanja javnog dijaloga, kreiranja i praćenja javnih politika i uključivanja građana u procese donošenja odluka.
Kroz podršku organizacijama civilnog društva i, naročito, omladinskim organizacijama osnažićemo njihove aktiviste i građane širom regiona:
da se aktivno zalažu za usvajanje evropskih vrednosti i jačanje demokratskih odgovornih institucija
da učestvuju u javnom dijalogu o reformama
da šire znanje o ekonomskom i socijalnom napretku koji donosi usvajanje evropskih standarda u javnim politikama
da rade zajedno na osmišljavanju i realizaciji projekata od zajedničkog interesa
da kroz dijalog i saradnju prevazilaze nasleđe prošlosti u regionu i daju podršku dobrosusedskim odnosima i pomirenju
Glavne aktivnosti
Znanje i razmena:
Istraživanje o omladinskim politikama na Zapadnom Balkanu
Politeia Regionalna škola za participaciju mladih
Volonterska praksa
Javni dijalog o javnim politikama – lokalno, nacionalno, regionalno:
Politeia tematske regionalne sesije o javnim politikama
Debate o politikama za mlade
Monitoring javnih politika za mlade
Regionalna konferencija
Finansiranje projekata organizacija civilnog društva:
Fond za mlade
Fond za uspešne inicijative
Dinamična komunikacija sa građanima:
Informativni i kreativni sadržaji u medijima i društvenim mrežama
Interaktivni online omladinski forum
Radimo u: Beogradu, Tirani, Sarajevu, Prištini, Skopju, Novom Sadu i mnogim drugim gradovima
Program će uključiti:
150 omladinskih organizacija i 1.500 omladinskih aktivista obuhvaćeno istraživanjem
50 učesnika/ca Regionalne škole Politeia
6 Politeia tematskih sesija
1.000 mladih na interaktivnom omladinskom forumu
10 mladih aktivista na volonterskoj praksi (stažiranje)
30 finansiranih projekata kroz Fond za mlade
6 ekspertskih analiza i predloga omladinskih politika
30 javnih debata o politikama za mlade
200 učesnika/ca uživo i 300 online na dvodnevnoj regionalnoj konferenciji
Koordinator projekta:
Fondacija Centar za demokratiju, Beograd
Partneri:
Akademija za evropske integracije i pregovore iz Tirane (AIEN)
Kosovska inicijativa za stabilnost iz Prištine (IKS)
Mreža progresivnih inicijativa iz Sarajeva (NPI)
NVO Info Centar iz Skoplja (NGO IC)
Regionalna akademija za demokratski razvoj iz Novog Sada (ADD)
“Digitalization Impact on Western Balkans Youth”
This Politeia Thematic Session is organised under the Project “Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe”, financially supported by European Union and being implemented by Center for Democracy Foundation in collaboration with Academy of European Integration and Negotiations (AIEN), Youth Act, Network of Progressive Initiatives , Academy fo Democratic Development, Kosovar Stability initiative and Mreža Progresivnih Inicijativa.
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