• 2024-07-10

Youth Fund „Local Youth Initiatives“ - Supporting regional projects

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe - RYDE

Through the Youth Fund of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe, We are supporting regional projects that will contribute to the improvement of youth activism, participation and policy making skills at the local and national level. We are increasing the political participation of women, empowering young people for changes in the community, for dialogue, fostering peace and integration, advocating for a green future and the Youth Guarantees.

The call for project proposals for the Youth Fund „Local Youth Initiatives“ was open to civil society organizations registered in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe - RYDE is funded by European Union.

Local engagement, activism and participation

Organization: LEAD - Association Leaders for Education, Activism and Development (Здружение Лидери за едукација, активизам и развој Скопје), North Macedonia.

Project: LEAP - Local engagement, activism and participation.

Overall Objective: The overall objective of this project is to enhance the political participation and inclusion of young people in society by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities necessary to engage effectively in political processes, particularly at the local level. The objective focuses on cultivating a culture of active citizenship and democratic participation among young people in North Macedonia.

Empowering Youth to Advocate for Green Future

Organization: Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society (Fondacija BFPE za odgovorno društvo), Serbia.

Project: Empowering Youth to Advocate for Green Future.

The project is fully in line with the Call objective since it will foster active citizenship and strengthen participatory democracy by active engagement of young people in the life of their communities. Specific objective of the project is improved role of local youth councils/LYCs from five targeted cities/municipalities in decision-making processes pertaining to environmental policies that affect youth.

Youth Action for EU Integration: Advocating the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan

Organization: PROI - Progressive Reinforcement of Organizations and Individuals (Progresivni razvoj organizacija i individua), Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Project: Youth Action for EU Integration: Advocating the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan.

The overall objective: To contribute to strengthening the capacities and fostering cooperation among civil society organizations and youth in the Western Balkans in addressing political, economic, and social challenges in the context of EU integration and development of social resilience. This initiative aims to address political, economic, and social challenges within the context of EU integration, ultimately enhancing social resilience in the region.

European Academy: fostering peace and integration through youth engagement 

Organization: AIIS - Albanian Institute for International Studies (Instituti i Studimeve Nderkombetare), Albania. Associate partner: European Movement Serbia.

Project: European Academy: fostering peace and integration through youth engagement.

The overall objective of this project is to increase the capacities and the engagement of young people from Albania and Serbia in shaping policies and public narratives that bring their countries and the region closer to the European Union. This objective has been chosen through the assessment of the current state of affairs which has seen a rising level of hostility and lack of cooperation, stagnation of the process of EU integration. 

Increasing political participation of young women

Organization: Women’s Association of Kolubara Region (Žensko udruženje kolubarskog okruga - ŽUKO), Serbia.

Project: Increasing political participation of young women.

The project's overall objective is to increase the political participation of young women in Serbia by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to overcome barriers to their full involvement in political processes and decision-making roles. By focusing on young women's political participation, the project directly contributes to increasing youth involvement in democratic processes and ensuring that their voices are represented in political decisions.

Youth - Media Network for reforms

Organization: I would like to be in the EU (Ja bih u EU), Bosnia and Herzegovina. Associate partner: Media and Civil Society Development Foundation „Mediacentar“ (Sarajevo).

Project: Youth - Media Network for reforms.

The Youth-Media Network Project is designed to empower CSOs and young people in the Western Balkans to actively engage in structured dialogues on public policies crucial to youth. Addressing issues ranging from employment, education, and environmental policies to sexual and reproductive health, youth participation, and cultural engagement, this initiative is important for fostering youth involvement in policy-making.

Voice & Impact: Empowering Youth Councils for Community Change

Organization: BBA - Beyond Barriers Association (Shoqata Pertej Barrierave), Albania.

Project: Voice & Impact: Empowering Youth Councils for Community Change.

Voice & Impact: Empowering Youth Councils for Community Change Project aims to strengthen participatory democracy by enhancing the operational effectiveness and influence of Local Youth Councils in Albania in the cities of Maliq, Saranda, Tepelena, and Gjirokastra. This project focus on participatory democracy ensuring that young people are not only numbersin their respective youth councils, but that their voices are heard, and they are active citizens in shaping and implementing local policies that directly affect their lives and wellbeing.

Future Bridges: Empowering Youth for Kosovo*-Serbia Dialogue

Organization: NSI - New Social Initiative, Kosovo*.

Project: Future Bridges: Empowering Youth for Kosovo*-Serbia Dialogue.

Overall Objective: The project endeavors to contribute to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia by engaging youth and civil society in inclusive dialogue initiatives and fostering innovative approaches to address societal divisions and mistrust. Specific Objectives: Empower Youth Leadership; Broaden Dialogue Horizons; Promote Intercommunity Understanding; Culminate Insights and Recommendations.

School Student Lab (SSL) - enhancing youth activism on local and national level

Organization: Union of Secondary School Students of Serbia - UNSS (Unija srednjoškolaca Srbije), Serbia.

Project: School Student Lab (SSL) - enhancing youth activism on local and national level.

Overall objective is to strengthen national school student activism movement in Serbia for greater impact on youth and educational policies on local and national level, through participation in policy making and monitoring and supporting structured activism. Specific objectives: To contribute to the enabling environment for activism and participation; To strengthen school student structures on local level; To develop capacity of national representative school student structure for efficient and independent development of policy papers, monitoring reports, legislation revision, and budget analysis related to education and life of school students, as youngest youth category.

The Youth Fund „Local Youth Initiatives“ is a FSTP (financial support to third parties) i.e. 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 through EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme in favour of the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2021-2023 (IPA III). The RYDE project is being implemented by the Center for Democracy Foundation from Serbia as a lead partner in cooperation with the partnering civil society organizations from the Western Balkans: Academy of European Integrations and Negotiations (Albania), Youth Act Center (Albania), Kosovar Stability Initiative (Kosovo*), Network of Progressive Initiatives (Bosnia and Herzegovina), NGO Info Center Foundation (North Macedonia) and Regional Academy for Democratic Development (Serbia).

Center for Democracy Foundation 

Project is funded by the European Union.