1 FIVE YOUTH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BALKANS TO PROSPER EDUCATION, PARTICIPATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH For the last 18 years, Friends of Europe together with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and other key partners have been addressing issues affecting the Balkans, enabling senior policymakers from the region to share their concerns and ideas with the European Union and its member state policymakers. Our Balkans series has welcomed presidents, prime ministers and ministers, as well as a few hundred key representatives from the EU institutions, member states, business representatives and civil society. In 2017, Friends of Europe and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the European Commission and NIS, organised a high level event Western Balkans at a crossroads - new challenges, changing dynamics. It brought together some 200 senior stakeholders from across Europe, the Western Balkans region and beyond to examine how democracy, peace and stability, as well as economic development and integration in the Western Balkans, depend not only on the policies and actions of national governments but also on regional, municipal and city authorities. From left to right: Ina Haxija, Era Jashari, Tanja Grabovac, Dimitrije Jovicevic, Irena Djordjevic, Mare Ushkovska
2 Friends of Europe December 2017 Youth play a crucial role in the debate and with that thought in mind, the 2017 edition of our Balkan Summit offered an opportunity for a youth delegation from the region to engage, comment and possibly disagree with their national decision-makers. The delegation included a youth representative from each Western Balkan country, and each delegate provided insightful comments during the debates, and also afterwards the idea being to offer useful recommendations from youth to decision-makers with the ambition that these recommendations will be implemented. RECOMMENDATION 1 EDUCATION The high levels of youth unemployment remain one of the most persistent problems in the Western Balkan countries, with the unemployment rate topping 50% in some states. There are little incentives for young people to stay in their respective countries, making emigration a popular option. This results in a brain drain of well-educated young professionals. However, the significance of the demographically young societies to socio-economic development in the Western Balkans is enormous, as young people could become a strong catalyst for economic growth. For this potential to be realised, the education system needs to be modernised and adapted to the demands of the labour market, providing the Western Balkan youth with an adequate set of skills. More concretely, apart from lowering tuition fees for university education, practical work placements could be integrated in school and university curricula in the form of compulsory remunerated internships. Similarly, investing in additional vocational trainings in public administration and private sector could create more synergies between the education system and employers. RECOMMENDATION 2 ENTREPRENEURSHIP Youth entrepreneurship is another important tool to combat high and persistent youth unemployment rates in the Western Balkans and to create a more meritocratic system. Although SMEs form the backbone of every economy, the entrepreneurial spirit in the Western Balkans has not yet been fully developed. In order to provide young people with more economic opportunities in their countries, governments could encourage entrepreneurial skills through early entrepreneurship programmes and educate the youth about the potential of start-ups. Reducing taxes for young entrepreneurs and improving micro-financing policies would create a more business-friendly environment and foster a start-up culture in the Western Balkans. Lastly, innovation could be further stimulated: not only through regional cooperation and best practice exchange but also by connecting start-ups in the Western Balkans with companies from the EU.
Western Balkans at a crossroads Youth Recommendations 3 RECOMMENDATION 3 PEACE AND RECONCILIATION The question of reconciliation is not only of international concern but important on national and local level. With regard to the reconciliation and peace building process, the Western Balkan states show progress in this field but more remains to be done. Boosting the capacities of local school teachers, youth and community workers contributes to better and broader exchange and inclusion. Formal education systems in particular can help in promoting reconciliation and preventing the spread of radicalisation and extremism. More concretely, the two schools under one roof approach along ethnic lines could either be abolished in favour of joint education or intercultural educational activities could be made compulsory for students studying in segregated schools in the same communities. Opportunities for intercultural exchanges among youth from different towns on national and regional level could equally be fostered by local authorities. Additionally, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office would need more funding to better contribute to the reconciliation and peace process. RECOMMENDATION 4 VALUES, DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATION It is especially important for young people that the EU sets a credible plan for accession, as the enthusiasm for EU membership in the Western Balkans has been in constant decline over the past decade. In order to create a more democratic culture in the Western Balkans and to further the EU accession process, it is vital to appeal to and include young people in public decision-making and give them more opportunities to actively participate in civil society. Moreover, the inclusion of young people in decisionmaking processes that affect them directly, like education and employment, reduces their vulnerability to economic, political and social problems. More concretely, a measure such as a mandatory quota dedicated to young and well-educated people to be part of public debates, city hall councils and the national parliaments could bring about a deeper involvement of young people in the governance of the Western Balkans. Formal education can also deliver an understanding of fundamental EU values and democracy by including these issues in daily taught subjects, as could various platforms designed for communication between EU institutions and the Balkan youth. RECOMMENDATION 5 FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION The Western Balkan states are constantly fighting against corruption that is still deeply rooted in local politics, hampering the development of a transparent political system based on the legitimacy of the people rather than personal networks. The ongoing practice of nepotism and bribery in political and societal circles makes it difficult for young people to enter and influence politics, as well as for European and international actors to build trust in the political and judicial procedures in the Western Balkans. Due to a closed circle of elites ruling the country, reforms that would support the strengthening of democracy and transparency are stalled. Corruption thus seems to be the underlying problem that closes politics in these states off from democratic renewal processes that would break personal ties, open the governing system for legitimation by the people and give everyone a chance to legally participate in policy-making.
4 Friends of Europe December 2017 YOUTH DELEGATION OVERVIEW Era Jashari Born in Kosovo, Era obtained a Bachelor in Marketing and Real Estate Management and Infrastructure from the University of Prishtina. Currently, she is completing her Master s program in Marketing. Next to her studies, she has amongst others been active as an International Coordinator for the Young European Federalists, has been working in the Centre for Youth Development and as a Government Relations Officer at the American Chamber of Commerce. Ina Haxija Ina comes from Albania and has obtained a Bachelor degree in Political Sciences at the University of Tiara, where she also completed her Master s program in International Relations. Currently, she holds the position of Deputy President of the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party of Albania. Formerly, Ina has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Albania and as an office assistant at Tirana s municipality. Irena Djordjevic Born in Serbia, Irena complemented her studies in journalism and communications with a Master degree in Terrorism, Organized Crime and Security. Throughout her studies, Irena has received multiple awards, notably a diploma for the best student of generation 2011. After gaining work experience in the field of journalism and communication, Irena now works as a researcher at the National Alliance for Local Economic Development in Serbia. Mare Ushkovska Born in Macedonia, Mare is currently a PhD candidate in International Law at the University of Skopje. Prior to that, she has completed her Bachelor and Master studies in Information Technology and Political Science in Skopje, as well as a Master in Public Policy at the University College London. During her studies, Mare has been active in the Youth Forces Union of VMRO-DPMNE, amongst others serving as Vice-President. Additionally, Mare has been working at the Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in the United Kingdom and as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program in Skopje. Tanja Grabovac Coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina Tanja has received her Master s degree in Theology from the University of Zagreb before becoming a PhD candidate at the Karl-Franzens University of Graz. In Sarajevo, Tanja is currently working as an associate for the Network for Building Peace and as a project assistant at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. In addition, she gained work experience as a religious teacher in an elementary school. Dimitrije Jovicevic Originally from Montenegro, Dimitrije s strong passion for peace-building led him to pursue studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Ca Foscari University of Venice. He regularly works with youth and international organizations on sustainable development and in 2016 was nominated European youth delegate at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Dimitrije is also a Governing Board member of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
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