Ms. Flutura Brakaj is a dedicated and humble professional passionate about promoting youth empowerment and advocating for marginalized communities. She holds a B.A. in German language and Communication from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Tirana and an M.A. in Social Policy studies.
Flutura has over seven years of experience in the civil society sector and has been involved in various international organizations' projects, coalitions, and advocacy campaigns, including SOS Children's Villages International, UNFPA, and Y-Peer Network. She has a background in non-formal education training and capacity-building, which has equipped her with the skills and knowledge to prioritize facilitating social inclusion and cohesion in areas such as democracy, human rights, intercultural learning, and civic engagement.
Her commitment to her work has earned her several awards, including the Agent of Change 2016 Award in advocating for youth development topics. In 2018, Flutura participated in a program that gave her a valuable opportunity to gain experience in German civil society organizations. She served as the Coordinator for Youth Participation and Empowerment at the Schüler Helfen Leben Foundation.
Flutura's work is rooted in a deep conviction that young individuals, youth educators, and communities can play a vital and powerful force in creating more peaceful, resilient, and equitable societies. Her unwavering belief in this vision has driven her to return to her native Albania and the Western Balkans region.
Ms. Reçi is a highly skilled professional with a strong background in youth work, gender equality, and the reintegration of migrants and refugees. She holds a master's degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana and has gained extensive experience in the field through her professional engagements, trainings and exchanges.
With a deep understanding of youth policy and youth work in the region, Ms. Reçi has served as a Project Coordinator for several youth NGOs in Albania. Her work has focused on topics such as youth empowerment and youth engagement in decision-making, which has allowed her to develop robust risk management, analysis, and decision-making skills.
Through her work in civil society, Ms. Reçi has developed a strong understanding of the challenges facing young people in the region, including issues of inequality, social exclusion, and limited access to opportunities. Her commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of young people has been demonstrated through her work, and she is eager to continue contributing to the development of the region's youth.
Ms Bulat holds BA in International Relations and MA in Project Management. Youth policy and youth empowerment are the focus of her work. Her civic engagement started in 1996 with Scouts. Since then, she has been volunteering, through which she has experienced how personal commitment can make social change.
Ms Bulat participated in the establishment of the National Youth Council of Serbia, going on to take up a leadership role as its Secretary General (2012 – 2017). She also worked as a consultant providing support in developing strategies, action plans and projects, providing training in organisational management, youth participation and intercultural learning in Serbia and abroad. She has been contracted by UN agencies, OSCE, Council of Europe, governmental institutions and various CSOs.
She was a member of the Working Group for the establishment of RYCO.
Mr Koljenović was born in Podgorica. After finishing high school, he enrolled the Faculty of Political Science, department- International Affairs. As a student, he was an active member of Student Organization MAPSS, where he was a member of the Governing Board. He was awarded as scholar of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and scholar of the German Marshal Fund within Youth Trans-Atlantic Leaders program.
After finishing Faculty, Mr Koljenović has been professionally engaged as a program coordinator in NGO Civic Alliance and external associate of the Regional Network of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights. He has been acting as representative of civil society at the Council of the State Agency for Electronic Media and a CSO representative in the Government's Operational body for the implementation of the Communication strategy on European integration. During his time in CSO, he also coordinated the Council of Europe program Schools of Political Studies for Montenegro.
He was a member of the Working Group for the establishment of RYCO.
Ms Gashi was born on 20 July 1993, in Dobrajë e Madhe - Lipjan, Kosovo*. She holds BA in Economics from the University of Pristina "Hasan Prishtina". She completed her MBA program at the University of Staffordshire, graduating in 2019.
Ms Gashi has been actively engaged in youth sector in Kosovo for more than four years through her work in several civil society organizations.
From 2015 until 2017 she was Director of Kosovo Youth Centers' Network (KYCN), which is an umbrella organization of 21 Youth Centers from Kosovo. From 2015 until 2016 she was the civil society representative from Kosovo in the Working Group during the establishment of RYCO.
Mr. Kandić is a jurist, youth worker and storyteller from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He earned a master’s degree in civil and company law at the University of East Sarajevo. During his student period, he was president of the Student Assembly and began his career as a civil activist. Prior to his current position, he gained work experience by working in the Ministry of Justice of the Republika Srpska, UNHCR, and non-governmental organizations in BiH (Institute for Youth Development Kult, Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, Civitas BiH).
He is a member of the Youth Advisory Group at the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was appointed as an ambassador of the EDYN network and a European youth ambassador for the Western Balkans by the European Commission. He is recognized as a youth leader and is the author of a number of researches, methodologies and programs in the field of youth work.
Fields of his work: media and information literacy, communications, youth policies, dealing with the past, regional cooperation, social innovations.