2024-11-05

First Regional Policy Lab (Youth Dialogue Session) on Culture and Cultural Heritage Held

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe - RYDE

The first Regional Policy Lab (Youth Dialogue Session), organised by the Centre for Democracy Foundation as part of the three-year project ‘Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe – RYDE’ with the support of the European Union, was held on 5 November 2024, via the Zoom platform.

Youth participation in cultural initiatives and activities is crucial for Western Balkan societies. Unfortunately, the level of youth involvement in cultural life and the creation of cultural policies is unsatisfactory in most countries of the region. There is a need to combine efforts to find solutions to motivate young people to engage in cultural life, as well as to improve the strategic, legal, and institutional frameworks that enable such participation.

The objectives of the sessions on culture and cultural heritage at the national and regional levels are to:

enhance structural dialogue between young people and institutional representatives
contribute to strengthening youth engagement in cultural life
jointly formulate recommendations for improving public policies relevant to young people in the areas of culture and cultural heritage.

The three-hour dialogue session brought together representatives of public administration and cultural institutions, youth representatives, civil society organisations, and independent cultural experts to discuss youth participation in cultural initiatives and activities in the Western Balkans. During the dialogue, the critical need for structural changes to enhance youth participation in cultural life was highlighted. The discussion addressed the barriers, opportunities, and strategies for integrating young people's perspectives into public policy frameworks in the field of culture.

Key Findings of the Debate:

young people want to participate in cultural life, but face systemic barriers such as financial constraints, lack of infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and restricted decision-making power.
cooperation between public institutions, civil society organisations (CSOs), and youth organisations is crucial, but requires better coordination and resources.
interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches are essential for sustainable cultural inclusion.

The results of this dialogue should serve as a foundation for the next phases of the dialogue, ensuring that the voices of young people are more effectively heard when shaping cultural policies in the Western Balkans.

Policy labs are being implemented in collaboration with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo, which runs the Western Balkans Youth Labs. Ognjen Marković, leader of the Western Balkan Youth Labs, addressed the participants of the RYDE sessions and presented the achievements of the project at national and regional levels.

The following individuals participated in the regional dialogue session:

Marija Ivković Trkulja, Youth Sector, Ministry of Tourism and Youth of the Republic of Serbia
Tijana Bugarski, Gallery of Matica Srpska
Marija Dragišić, Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia
Maša Vukanović, Institute for Cultural Development Research
Gordana Adamov, National Youth Council of Serbia
Đorđo Cvijović, Regional Youth Cooperation Office
Dunja Trifunović, Youth Advisory Group, United Nations in Serbia
Igor Pucarević, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities
Tijana Đuknić, Youth Initiative for Human Rights
Ivana Bogićević Leko, Expert on Youth and Culture
Ana Đurić, Student, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad
Evisald Arapi, Youth Activist, Albania
Kirila Cvetkovska, Centre for Audiovisual Arts, North Macedonia
Ivona Jankova, Centre for Contemporary Art and Culture, Bitola, North Macedonia
Dejan Vasilevski, Green Culture Manager, Go Green, North Macedonia
Bardha Sadria, Organization for Promotion, Equality, and Advocacy, Kosovo*
Alma Pelo Zagorčić, Civil Initiative Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina