KOPAONIK – For the eighth consecutive year, the RYCO Local Branch Office in Serbia, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, hosted a capacity-building training for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Serbia, focusing on project proposal writing in the fields of intercultural exchange, peacebuilding, and reconciliation. This year’s edition took place on Kopaonik mountain from the 7th to 10th August 2025, gathering 13 CSO representatives from various regions of Serbia. The program provided participants with the opportunity to sharpen their knowledge and gain hands-on experience in designing impactful project proposals that promote regional cooperation and reconciliation in the Western Balkans.
Opening the training, Djordjo Cvijovic, Local Program Officer at RYCO Serbia, welcomed the participants, expressed gratitude to the OSCE Mission to Serbia for their longstanding partnership, and highlighted the essential role that empowered youth and active civil society play in strengthening mutual understanding and reconciliation across the region.
Throughout the four intensive days, participants engaged in a mix of interactive lectures, group work, and practical exercises. Guided by a trainer and the RYCO team, they developed concrete project ideas in line with the priorities of the RYCO open calls for CSOs. The sessions walked them through all stages of proposal development, from identifying challenges young people face and setting realistic objectives to crafting a coherent methodology and a realistic budget. Moreover, participants also discussed how to shape an intercultural exchange agenda, which RYCO requires in all projects it supports. They shared ideas and discussed examples of activities that can bring young people together and encourage genuine intercultural learning.
The training featured two key tools jointly developed by RYCO Serbia and the OSCE Mission to Serbia: the Beginner’s Manual for Project Proposal Writing 101, offering a step-by-step approach to effective project design, and the Participation Game, which actively involves young people in shaping project ideas to ensure they address real needs and foster genuine engagement.
