Youth activists from Western Balkans come together under OSCE Presence in Albania’s ‘Youth Trail’ to reinforce inter-generational dialogue through cultural heritage
From 24 to 28 August 2022, twenty young activists from the Western Balkans gathered in Tirana and traveled to Gjirokastra to discuss, learn and explore approaches on social interaction and promote democracy, peace and security through inter-generational dialogue.
Since 2017, the OSCE Youth Trail has brought hundreds of young people from the region to create a joint platform on promoting democratic values, co-operation, peace and security. The seventh edition of “Youth Trail” focused on how inter-generational dialogue shapes social interactions, promotes democratic values, nurtures good relations and contributes to the peace and security in local and regional level.
The participants discussed the intergenerational communication gap and its effects while working together, as well as experienced implications and outcomes of teamwork. They were assisted from experts of the field, and were presented with several insights and resources to reflect and act on building new culturally based communication bridges.
During the activity, the participants completed different workshops on themes of storytelling, women role and power dynamics, and intergenerational interaction, with the aim of reflecting on and drawing from good practices, to ultimately understand the impact on stability and sustainability of the communities, and consequently the democratization process.
The participants heard firsthand from local families about the challenges of preserving the old concept of traditional family contrasted with modern life, heard the contributions of historical figures to freedom — such as Musine Kokalari from Gjirokastra, an Albanian woman intellectual — through the words of one of her descendants, and were guests of a carpenter who demonstrated the old craft of woodworking and the challenge of transmitting the tradition to the younger generations.
“What impressed me was the gold painting in the ceilings of old houses in Gjirokastra, so that when the light comes in, the sparkles they create remind us the beauty of the new day to be lived and celebrated for the whole family,” said one of the participants. Another participant noted how, “Preserving cultural heritage, starts from understanding it, the logic behind it, and the history it embodies. When I go back home, I have quite some questions for my grandmother”.
During their stay in Albania, the young participants met the Ambassador of Austria in Tirana, Christian Steiner, the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) Secretary General, Albert Hani, the Deputy Mayor of Gjirokastra, Esmeralda Llongo, and the official of the Greek Embassy in Tirana, Panagiotis Anagnostoupoulos, among others.
The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the seventh edition of “Youth Trail” with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, the Embassies of Greece and Italy in Albania, and in co-operation with the Municipality of Tirana, RYCO, and other OSCE field operations in the region.