Vrnjačka Banja- RYCO Local Branch Office in Serbia in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS) and with the support of OSCE Mission to Serbia organized 4 days long Capacity building training for young people from Serbia on UN Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Agenda from 26th to 29th November. The main goal of this activity was to educate but also to inspire and empower a new generation of leaders from Serbia dedicated to fostering positive change on both local and regional levels.
20 youth activists and representatives of youth organizations had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with UN YPS Agenda, it’s importance, priorities, strategic objectives and how it is connected with the mission of their organizations, but also why this Agenda is crucial for further development of democratic processes in Serbia and fostering of active citizenship among youth. One of the main results of this training is mapping of local and regional stakeholders in order to more efficiently develop Local and Regional Agenda in the future, but also to accelerate local initiatives that will promote and implement YPS Agenda, focusing on local context and needs of young people in different communities in Serbia.
Special focus was put on the methodology of how to include in the implementation process all groups of young people as well as how to raise awareness of those who are still not active or do not see themselves as someone who can make a change. Reconciliation process and its close connection with peacebuilding was highlighted as one of the important topics within this Agenda that should be more included in the educational system and overall systematically teached and discussed. Participants got a chance to present what is done in their communities regarding YPS program implementation areas and what should be done more, modified or even kept as a good practice. Ms. Aleksandra Mihajlović, Program Assistant in KOMS, presented the just published publication “Youth for Peace and Security: Analysis of UN Agenda in the context of Serbia” that showcases the current situation of the implementation of the UN Agenda 2250 in Serbia. This training was also a space for Serbian United Nations Youth Delegates Ms. Tamara Marjanović and Mr. Mihajlo Matković to present their work, mandate and promote this opportunity for young people.
The aspiration to build an inclusive and just peace encouraged the adoption of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda. Founded in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, the Agenda emphasizes the importance of involving youth in all phases of peacebuilding, from conflict prevention to rebuilding trust and cooperation after conflict. The development of the Regional Agenda for Youth, Peace and Security for the Western Balkans is one of RYCO’s strategic priorities until 2025. KOMS also works strategically at the local level to achieve the goals set in UN Agenda 2250 and together with the RYCO office in Serbia will work on the development and implementation of the Regional Agenda in the coming period.
Youth for Peace and Security: Analysis of UN Agenda in the context of Serbia
