OSCE initiates first Kosovo Youth Assembly

A school for democracy

As the largest demographic group in Kosovo, young people have shown a strong willingness to be more involved in policy-making. Younger generations can boost political processes and they are the ones who will see the results of the changes they wish to bring about. With the youth assemblies, they hope to have an opportunity to work for a better future for their communities and for Kosovo as a whole.

The OSCE Mission has stepped forward and offered its help to support youth assemblies in three different municipalities of Kosovo, one of them in Mitrovica, where the ethnic divide is particularly deep. The aim is to provide platforms for young people to discuss their concerns within a democratic structure. They can learn how to organize and plan various activities and find the proper tools to implement them. In other words, the assemblies will be a "school for democracy".

Meeting democratic standards

The first session of the Kosovo Youth Assembly took place in the OSCE Mission headquarters in Pristina and brought together twenty young people from Gjilan/Gnjilane and Lipjan/Lipljan. "Your decisions are going to make a difference in your communities, they will be very important for you and the community you represent", said Edit Kovacs, an OSCE Democratization Officer, opening the meeting.

All assembly members took an oath to fulfil their duties "honourably, impartially, with conscience, and in accordance with the law". Amid lively discussion the assembly elected a president and deputy president, and the statute and rules of procedure were approved. Staff members of the OSCE Mission were present to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process. The meeting was conducted with enthusiasm, proving that young people from different ethnic backgrounds can find a common language.

Besides the multi-ethnic component, gender balance was also a requirement of this first assembly. In fact, Arbresha Rrahmani, a young woman from Gjilan/Gnjilane, was elected president of the Youth Assembly in her town, having received votes from young men as well as young women. In her first speech she stressed the need to tackle the environmental situation. Her Lipjan/Lipljan counterpart pledged to fight smoking and other harmful influences on youth.

Investing in youth is investing in change

To tackle various issues within their municipalities, the youth assemblies set up thematic committees. There will be committees for education, culture and sports, for ecology and environmental protection, for social assistance to young people with disabilities, and a committee that manages the assembly's budget.

The groups work on concrete project proposals in their respective fields, which are then submitted to the Youth Assembly for approval. They are also responsible for supervising the project implementation.

Every youth assembly receives a budget of about 3,000 euros. The Assembly decides itself how to spend the money within the limits set by its statute. The Youth Assembly can also try to get additional funding for its projects from other donors, such as its municipality or the Ministry for culture, youth and sports.