Young people from Western Balkans come together under OSCE-initiated Youth Trail
Over 40 young people from all over the Western Balkans gathered on 20 June 2018 in Tirana to participate in Youth Trail 2018. The event is being organized for the second year in a row by the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Italian OSCE Chairmanship, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and Tirana Municipality. For four days, the young people will connect, explore, discuss for democracy, peace and security in the region.
Speaking at the Youth Trail opening ceremony, the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Bernd Borchardt, said that the success of Youth Trail in 2017 was the reason to organize it again. “There are still many scars in this region, but at the end of Youth Trail last years the participants told us that they learned they had many more things that unite them than separate them,” he said.
Talking about his experience, Borchardt said: “I am from the post-war generation in Germany and in the early 70s I went to France. I was about your age and I still remember the very warm welcome I received there despite the fact that relations between both countries were affected by the terrible conflict during the World War II, which caused an enormous number of victims and cruelties. This convinced me why is it so important to get young people from different countries with different experiences together and we want to facilitate that.”
Italian Ambassador Alberto Cutillo said that Italy has supported this initiative, being fully convinced of the key role youth can play, through personal engagement and co-operation, in fostering peace, security, good governance and democracy. “This is even more important in the Western Balkans, where, after the dramatic events of the past, it is fundamental to build a new generation devoted to peace and co-operation. And the first step along this path is mutual knowledge, dialogue and therefore mutual comprehension,” he said.
RYCO Secretary General, Djuro Blanusa, said: “RYCO believes that young people equipped with principles of understanding, co-existence, tolerance and respect for human rights are creating a brighter future for our region. Moreover, we believe that they should be active contributors to democratic development, social and economic prosperity, and European integration in an increasingly open Western Balkans.”
The Deputy Minister for European and Foreign Affairs, Artemis Dralo, spoke about the importance of an open dialogue in the region, not only among governments, but also among societies and generations.
During the next days, the Youth Trail participants will engage in numerous activities and workshops on topics ranging from democratic participation, gender equality, and anti-corruption to topics such as dealing with the past, regional co-operation and cultural heritage.