2023-07-17

EU Integration, Dialogue, Cooperation and Participation of Youth in Western Balkans - POLITEIA Regional School 2023

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe / 2023 Politeia Regional School for Youth Participation

Center for Democracy Foundation has organized the 2023 Politeia Regional School for Youth Participation in Niš, from 6-12 July, as part of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe project, supported by the European Union.

The participants of “POLITEIA Regional School for Youth Participation 2023” were students, activists and young experts from Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. The main topics that will be discussed are: European integration of the Western Balkans, youth policies and programs in EU/Western Balkans, fighting hate speech in public space, cooperation and youth networking in the region…

Politeia panel lecturers were: Tanja Miščević, Minister of European Integration, Government of the Republic of Serbia; Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia; Nataša Vučković, Secretary General, Center for Democracy Foundation, Serbia; Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General, European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA); Ognjen Marković, Project Manager, Regional Cooperation Council, Sarajevo; Đorđo Cvijović, Local Program Officer, Regional Youth Cooperation Office; Saša Magazinović, MP, House of Commons, Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Aleksandra Jerkov, PhD, Member of the Executive Board, Regional Academy for; Democratic Development, Serbia; Kalinka Gaber, State Advisor in Government of North Macedonia, former State Secretary for EU Affairs; Vuk Velebit, Foreign and security policy expert, Serbia; Jonida Begaj, PhD, Lecturer at Faculty of Law in Tirana, Albania.

During interactive sessions, the participants have also acquired new knowledge and experience from: Prof. Eralda Cani, Law Faculty, University of Tirana, Albania; Prof. Vladimir Janković, Manchester University, United Kingdom; Mateja Agatonović, Assistant General Manager, New Economy, Serbia; Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director, Center for Civic Education, Montenegro; Žarko Šunderić, Director, Center for Social Policy, Serbia; Ognen Janeski, CoE and EU’s No Hate Speech Ambassador for Western Balkans & TV host/Editor-at-Large, North Macedonia; Sanja Mešanović, Deputy Director, Secretariat for Public Policies, Serbia; Miljana Pejić, Secretary General, National Youth Council of Serbia, Serbia; Miloš Đajić and Igor Jojkić, Center of Modern Skills, Serbia, and RYDE PMT members: Brikena Hoxha, Executive Director, Kosovar Stability Initiative, Kosovo*; Anida Šabanović, Network of Progressive Initiatives, B&H; Kejda Nuhu, PhD, Youth Act, Albania; Mona Xhexhaj, Executive Director, Academy of European Integration and Negotiations, Albania; Biljana Bejkova, Executive Director, NGO Info-center Skopje, North Macedonia.

Politeia school, that has been organized for more than two decades (since 1997) with the participation of large number of prominent lecturers, is recognized as one of the leading informal educational programs for young people in the region.

POLITEIA 2023 was organized as part of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe Project funded by the European Union.

The Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe Project is implementing by the Center for Democracy Foundation (CDF), Belgrade (as project coordinator) and partner organizations: Academy of European Integration and Negotiations from Tirana (AIEN); Kosovo Stability Initiative from Pristina (IKS); Association Network of Progressive Initiatives from Sarajevo (NPI); NGO Info Center from Skopje (NGO IC); Regional Academy for Democratic Development from Novi Sad (ADD); Youth Act Center from Tirana (YA). The project is funded by the European Union.