RYCO Secretary General, Albert Hani, attended a conference organized by the “Beyond Borders Stakeholders Conference”, in Bonn. He shared RYCO’s experience in Western Balkans regional cooperation with key European stakeholders working with youth and on youth-related topics.
During a panel discussion titled “Does regional cooperation work and what are the evidence that prove it?”, SG Hani emphasized the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the political will of the political elites in the Western Balkans 6 (WB6) to cooperate freely, especially considering the clear desire for cooperation expressed by the youth.
He also highlighted the strong connection between RYCO’s work and European Commission programs such as Erasmus+, Solidarity Corps, etc. emphasizing RYCO’s responsibility to promote European values in the Western Balkans region.
RYCO is a product of the European Union and embodies their political commitment to integrating the WB6 region into their structure. Programs supporting youth from the EU, WB6, and other European regions should explore avenues to enhance synergies, foster collaboration, facilitate knowledge exchange, and learn from shared experiences, as exemplified by the Beyond Borders (SALTO) conference.
During the subsequent “Storytelling Session,” the Secretary General presented specific best practices and experiences from various projects, notably highlighting the positive outcomes of the “Superschools Project,” which is also supported by the European Commission.
As a leading example of regional cooperation in the WB, RYCO feels compelled to inspire CSOs to initiate similar initiatives across different European regions. Concurrently, RYCO expresses its willingness to share its experiences and insights with interested parties.