SKOPJE – Within the framework of a regular yearly reporting by the RYCO Local Branch Office in North Macedonia, an informative meeting took place between the representatives of the RYCO Local Branch Office in North Macedonia and stakeholders and friends of RYCO on Tuesday, 23 March.
The online event aimed to present the experiences from fruitful and successful collaborations as well as to address recommendations and proposals for strengthening youth participation and cooperation in the region.
The welcoming remarks were delivered by Director of Agency for Youth and Sport Mr Naumče Mojsovski, Advisor for Youth and Youth Policies to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Mr Gjorgji Tasev, former Youth Representative in the RYCO Governing Board Mr Vladimir Gjorgjevski, former members of the RYCO Advisory Board Ms Andrea Ugrinovska and Mr Metodija Stojceski, and Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in North Macedonia and recently appointed RYCO Secretary General Mr Albert Hani. The meeting was moderated by RYCO Local Branch Office in North Macedonia Program Assistant Ms Elena Mishevska.
“I remain committed together with my team to create policies and measures for young people that will improve their status and increase their participation in the decision-making process. The Agency will be in the service of RYCO and together we will improve the status of youth in North Macedonia. I encourage young people to be loud and with our support to create a path to move forward,” Mr Mojsovski highlighted.
Speaking of RYCO’s contribution to youth cooperation in the region, Mr Tasev focused on the opportunities offered to them for shaping a better future.
“RYCO is a platform that brings new energy to the region, promoting mobility, diversity, democratic values, active citizenship and intercultural learning, but also finding common solutions to the challenges. It is important to understand that we must work together, live together, be open, accept our differences and see the region move forward strongly,” he emphasized.
In addition, the former Youth Representative of North Macedonia in the RYCO Governing Board, Mr Gjorgjevski shared his experience and recommendations that potential applicants may consider while applying for the role of the new youth representative of North Macedonia.
“It was a great honor to be the first democratically elected Youth Representative of North Macedonia in the RYCO Governing Board, and with a great responsibility to represent the needs and interests of young people from North Macedonia and the region. I hope that my successor will continue and upgrade youth participation and regional cooperation, because a better region starts with the youth,” Mr Gjorgjevski emphasized.
The meeting continued with discussions on the 2020 yearly report and the planned projects and activities for 2021, which were presented by Ms Mishevska.
“The Advisory Board members played an active role in the development of RYCO since its establishment by giving constant support and advice. Many times we were called to offer solutions and unblock the processes, as well to share our opinion about the strategic directions of the organization. We were great friends of the Governing Board and constant supporters and promoters of the RYCO mission,” Mr Stojceski underlined.
“It was a great challenge in the beginning to predict what the work of the Advisory Body would be when it was even the initial period of the work of RYCO, and it’s not a secret that it was a challenging job, but we, the youth, are embracing challenges. We were a dynamic team of idealists who selflessly used their personal contacts and spent many hours in finding the best solutions to advance the work of the office and overcome the faced obstacles. Dealing with this type of challenge required a lot of creativity because RYCO is the first structure of its kind. А structure that in practice offers space for significant youth participation, at times more advanced than certain national frameworks for youth participation,” Ms Ugrinovska added in her remarks.
In conclusion, Mr Hani took the opportunity to reflect on the past achievements of these collaborations and expressed commitment for further upcoming developments.
“We tried to be a great friend and partner with the organizations and schools implementing projects granted by RYCO, by giving constant support and advice. Although at the start it was a challenging job, with limited resources and low recognition, with our tireless work and many additional hours spent in the field, we managed to be well-recognized, creating a lot of sustainable partnerships. What is most important, we are now involved in almost all processes and working groups dealing with youth and youth participation. With my new position as the newly appointed General Secretary of RYCO, I will be committed to increasing the team and political involvement of RYCO in the region, regionalize many good ideas and local success stories and make the region more connected,” Mr Hani concluded.