2024-09-18
| Podgorica

Participation of Western Balkan Youth in Social Processes – ReLOaD2 Conference

FCD at the Regional ReLOaD2 Conference in Podgorica

Organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bosnia and Herzegovina, a two-day regional ReLOaD2 conference was held in Podgorica (September 17-18, 2024), where discussions focused on strengthening partnerships between non-governmental organizations and local governments throughout the Western Balkans region.

The Project Coordinator of the Foundation Center for Democracy, Mina Rolović-Jočić, spoke about youth participation in the process of creating and monitoring public policies, as well as how young people perceive current policies and to what extent those policies reflect their needs and priorities.

On the panel "Youth and youth involment in the society – challenges, obstacles, positive examples" speakers included Arlinda Topçiu, Head of Cabinet for the Minister of State for Youth and Children Albania, and Liridona Misinaj, Director of Culture, Youth and Sports department of the Municipality of Dragaš.

Most young people in Western Balkan countries have not participated in the policy-making process, according to the results of an online survey conducted as part of the research "Western Balkans Youth in Policy Making Processes". At the same time, Western Balkan youth agree that policies should better focus on the issues that are key for them: unemployment, quality of education, housing, youth empowerment, and emigration.

The research “Western Balkans Youth in Policy Making Processes” includes the views of civil society organizations and young individuals – political activists, journalists, scientists, and other stakeholders in the youth policy-making process. It was conducted within the project "Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe" (RYDE), funded by the European Union.