Skopje- Youth from North Macedonia actively participated in a lively discussion at the Youth Talks event, celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Berlin Process.
The Youth Talks event, organized by the Local Branch Office in Skopje, provided young people from various youth organizations and academia with an opportunity to discuss the positioning of youth in North Macedonia and the wider Western Balkans region. The event was moderated by Mr. Vladimir Gjorgjevski, the Head of the Local Branch Office, and featured Ms. Emmanuelle Gardille, Deputy Ambassador of France, and Mr. Otto Graf, Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany. Both ambassadors emphasized the importance of actively involving young people in decision-making processes at the national and local levels.
Ms. Simonida Kacarska, the Executive Director of the European Policy Institute in Skopje, emphasized the impact of high-level European processes, such as RYCO, on the positioning of young people in the region. Ms. Mariana Angelova, Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Macedonia, highlighted that youth representative bodies should play a key role in giving a voice to unheard, underprivileged, and marginalized young people.
The young people who participated in the discussions reached the following conclusions: There is a need for better-functioning institutions, more open spaces for youth-led activities, and improved skills development. Additionally, there is a need for a better educational system that can encourage better regional cooperation alongside international organizations. Both contracting party and local level institutions should prioritize young people as leaders for democracy and grant them the right to be active in the decision-making process.
“Young people should voice their demands and needs in their society, just like the European youth!” This was a key conclusion from the Youth Talks event, addressed by Mr. Gjorgji Tasev, Youth and Youth Policies Adviser to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia. “Young people must be given opportunities for self-development, social engagement, and cultural participation. Economic empowerment of youth should be a top priority for policy development,” noted the participants.