The next stop of RYCO’s Leadership Regional Tour took place in Montenegro, bringing together senior leadership, institutional partners, international stakeholders, and program beneficiaries through a series of high-level meetings and field engagements.
The visit comes at a significant moment, as RYCO marks a decade of its work, while Montenegro chairs the Berlin Process this year and prepares to host the Western Balkans Youth Forum, placing youth cooperation at the center of regional dialogue.
The visit combined strategic discussions with partners and direct interaction with RYCO-supported initiatives, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to aligning its priorities with local contexts and the needs of young people across the region.
Throughout the visit, RYCO leadership engaged with a wide range of partners, including representatives of the Government of Montenegro and key Ministries responsible for youth policy, foreign affairs, and EU integration. Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation, advancing youth mobility, and further embedding youth cooperation within broader regional and European processes.
High-level meetings were also held with the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, the OSCE Mission, and the United Nations system, alongside diplomatic partners such as the embassies of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. These exchanges highlighted the importance of coordination, shared priorities, and continued support for youth participation, reconciliation, and intercultural dialogue.
Engagement with Members of Parliament further highlighted the importance of strengthening dialogue between young people and decision-makers and advancing youth participation through institutional processes.
The central moment of the visit was engagement with RYCO beneficiaries and youth civil society organizations, where leadership met with a group of representatives from supported initiatives and exchanged directly on their experiences and program implementation. These discussions reflected a broader scope of RYCO’s work in Montenegro, which includes support to 7 civil society organizations, 5 individual artists, and 3 Peace Champions through the Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund, as well as 8 CSOs supported within the RYCOnnecting Youth Open Call.
Capacity building and youth engagement remain at the core of RYCO’s work in Montenegro, with more than 2,000 young people engaged through various activities and initiatives.
A field visit to Superschools activities in Bijelo Polje offered a direct perspective on one of RYCO’s flagship programs, where leadership met with students and teachers involved in exchanges. In Montenegro, the Superschools program has engaged 26 high schools and 410 students, fostering intercultural learning, exchange, and long-term connections across the region.
Media outreach formed an important part of the visit, with appearances on the Public Broadcast Service Television of Montenegro, as well as an additional TV station in Podgorica, where RYCO also highlighted its plans for the upcoming period, including the launch of a dedicated Trust Fund aimed at strengthening long-term support for youth initiatives across the region.
The Montenegro segment of the Regional Leadership Tour reaffirmed RYCO’s commitment to regional cooperation and youth-driven initiatives, shaped by the lived experiences of young people across the Western Balkans.
