MAKING THE EUROPEAN AGENDA MORE YOUTH FRIENDLY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS

01 Mar 2019

The first thematic regional forum in the framework of the project “Regional Youth Compact for Europe” was held on the 26th February 2019 in Tirana. The event was attended by more than 70 people, representatives of civil society, youth stakeholders and young people from the Western Balkans and gave opportunity to exchange on new ways to cooperate among various stakeholders in the region and stimulate collaborative activities for EU integration on a regional level.

The Forum was opened by Mr. Arbjan Mazniku, Deputy Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Sokol Dedja, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albania and Mrs. Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA. Opening speeches all expressed that the way to move forward for the Western Balkans is by recognising each other’s similarities, overcoming each other’s differences and progressing together in EU integration. 

The Deputy Mayor Mr. Mazniku expressed that EU integration process is not only about the technical aspects and closing the reform chapters it is much more about European values, people recognising each other and sharing together. The Deputy Minister, Mr. Dedja highlighted that negotiation chapters are about transformation of our societies and youth is the most important stakeholder in this process because youth is the future.
Mrs. Valmorbida asserted that Europe cannot be Europe without the Balkans. Joining EU means harmonisation and the chapters are harmonisation in terms of laws and procedures. “With the project “Regional Youth Compact for Europe” we are trying to show to the EU that the way to move forward for the Wester Balkans is the accession and the role of youth is key. We need an answer for the conditions in the Western Balkans societies and the answer is the EU and the moment is now.” 

Other topics discussed during the Forum were the European and Regional policies for cooperation and the panellists were Mr. Djuro Blanusa, Secretary General of RYCO and Mr. Gjergj Murra, Executive Director of the Western Balkans Fund. It was highlighted that it is a very positive sign that there are already regionally established government instigated regional institutions for cooperation. Furthermore, positive practices on making the EU agenda more youth friendly were shared from representatives of public bodies and civil society from the Western Balkan countries. 

The Forum is followed on the 27th February by the Annual Conference of the ALDA – Western Balkans Network for Local Democracy which will include local stakeholders from civil society, public and business sector from the Western Balkans to share their experience and elaborate future regional collaboration on the EU accession processes. 

The Western Balkans are facing similar challenges and it is evident that by thinking about it together and sharing positive examples is the best way to develop and bring real beneficial change on regional level. 

The Regional Thematic Network Forum and the Annual Conference is organised by Youth Act Albania, in the framework of the project “Regional youth compact for Europe” implemented by the Center for Democracy Foundation, ALDA and the Balkan Network for Local Democracy, CRTA, Youth Act and Sodem. This project is funded by the European Union and the Balkan Trust for Democracy, a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Približiti evropsku agendu mladima na Zapadnom Balkanu

Prvi tematski regionalni forum u okviru projekta „Mladi za Evropu“ održan je 26. februara 2019. godine u Tirani. Događaju je prisustvovalo više od 70 ljudi, predstavnici civilnog društva, omladinski akteri i mladi ljudi sa Zapadnog Balkana koji su imali priliku da razmijene nove načine saradnje između različitih aktera u regionu i stimulišu zajedničke aktivnosti za integraciju u EU na regionalnom nivou.

Forum su otvorili g-din Arbjan Mazniku, zamjenik gradonačelnika Tirane, g. Sokol Dedja, zamjenik ministra za Evropu i spoljne poslove Albanije i g-đa Antonella Valmorbida, generalni sekretar ALDA. Svi uvodni govori su izrazili da je način da se krene naprijed za Zapadni Balkan prepoznavanje međusobnih sličnosti, prevazilaženje međusobnih razlika i zajednički napredak u procesu EU integracija.

Zamjenik gradonačelnika gospodin Mazniku je izrazio da proces evropskih integracija nije samo o tehničkim aspektima i zatvaranju reformskih poglavlja nego o evropskim vrijednostima, ljudima koji se međusobno prepoznaju i dijele zajedničke ciljeve. Zamjenik ministra, gospodin Dedja je naglasio da pregovaračka poglavlja govore o transformaciji naših društava, a mladi ljudi su najvažniji akteri u ovom procesu, jer je mladost budućnost.

Gospođa Valmorbida je izjavila da Evropa ne može biti Evropa bez Balkana. Ulazak u EU znači harmonizaciju, a poglavlja su harmonizacija u smislu zakona i procedura. “Projektom “Mladi za Evropu” pokušavamo da pokažemo EU da je način za napredak za Zapadni Balkan pristupanje i da je uloga mladih ključna. Potreban nam je odgovor za uslove u društvima zapadnog Balkana i odgovor je EU i trenutak je sada.”

Druge teme o kojima se raspravljalo tokom Foruma bile su evropske i regionalne politike za saradnju, a panelisti su bili g. Đuro Blanuša, generalni sekretar RYCO-a i g. Gjergj Murra, izvršni direktor Fonda za Zapadni Balkan. Istaknuto je da je to veoma pozitivan znak da su već uspostavljene regionalne vlasti koje su podstakle regionalne institucije za saradnju. Nadalje, pozitivne prakse o tome da je program EU više pogodan za mlade dijele predstavnici javnih tijela i civilnog društva iz zemalja zapadnog Balkana.

Nakon foruma, 27. februara održana je Godišnja konferencija Mreže ALDA – Zapadni Balkan za lokalnu demokratiju koja je uključila lokalne aktere iz civilnog društva, javnog i poslovnog sektora sa Zapadnog Balkana kako bi podijelili svoja iskustva i razradili buduću regionalnu saradnju na procesu EU integracija. Zapadni Balkan se suočava sa sličnim izazovima i očigledno je da razmišljanjem o njemu zajedno i dijeljenjem pozitivnih primjera predstavlja najbolji način da se razvije i donese stvarna korisna promjena na regionalnom nivou.

Forum regionalne tematske mreže i godišnju konferenciju organizuje YouthAct iz Albanije, u okviru projekta „Mladi za Evropu“ koji realizuju Fondacija Centar za demokratiju, ALDA i Balkanska mreža za lokalnu demokratiju, CRTA, Youth Act i Sodem. Ovaj projekat finansiraju Evropska unija i Balkanski fond za demokratiju, projekat nemačkog Maršalovog fonda Sjedinjenih Država.

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