SARAJEVO – The Bosnia and Herzegovina Association for United Nations in cooperation with RYCO organized an online discussion which gathered civil society representatives, youngsters and institutional stakeholders to reflect on the European integration processes. The discussion took place online on 29 September.
Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ms Berina Bukva spoke about the RYCO establishment process and the organization’s aims.
“RYCO is functioning and bringing concrete results in a very politically sensitive and challenging environment but we need to look beyond one simple political or social process in our region. RYCO is here but this is not the end of the process, it is just the beginning of it,” Ms Bukva emphasized.
Participants of the online event also discussed the Berlin Process and the role young people are playing in it. A need for young people to better understand European integration, as well as its importance for regional reconciliation and European integration was highlighted as one of the key conclusions of the event.
“As we need to understand what the role of young people in the Berlin Process is, we also need to understand and better define reconciliation. RYCO is an opportunity and a mechanism for youth in the region to advance their contribution to the reconciliation. They also need to inform themselves and take their seat at the table of decision-making processes,” Ms Bukva concluded.
Concluding the event, Ms Bukva addressed participants’ questions on youth engagement and cooperation in the region, emphasizing that young people need to be more active and that the Berlin Process is a supplement of the European integration process to which youth should contribute.