KOSOVO/NORTH MACEDONIA – Within the third RYCO Open Call for Project Proposals, supported by the Federal Republic of Germany, OJQ Qendra e Gruas “ATO” (QG-ATO) from Kosovo, in partnership with SHMP “Bahri Haxha” from Kosovo and SHMEK “8 Shtatori” Tetovo from North Macedonia, implemented the project “Social Bridge”.
The project enabled an open and safe environment for the empowerment and capacity building of young people from different communities and high schools from Kosovo and North Macedonia. It provided them with the space to learn about intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
“I am very pleased to say that this program has taught students to develop basic skills of communication, negotiation, understanding and conflict resolution. At the same time, it has influenced the socialization of students while helping them create new friendships and learn more about different cultures,” Project Coordinator Ms Fikrije Ferizi stated.
71 young students took part in the project activities and were trained and certified in the “Peer Mediation” program.
“Socialization, communication and cooperation have not been absent in our training. This socialization of students from different communities has been achieved through various virtual games and physical activities. These activities have created a spirit of cooperation and socialization among students giving them the opportunity to get to know each other better,” Ms Ferizi added.
Through interactive training, activities and teamwork, the young project participants met new people, made new friends and gained new knowledge and skills. Furthermore, they also broadened their horizons and explored new possibilities for regional youth cooperation in the fields of peacebuilding.
“This training will be useful for me in the future and I hope that there will be several more such training sessions,” Mr Jovan Bozinovski, project participant, highlighted.
“I am very satisfied with the quality of the training, the topics and themes treated are of crucial importance for me and my peers in the region,” Ms Albiona Zeqiri, project participant, underlined.
The diversity, energy and motivation of the young participants during the project implementation, strengthened their cooperation and enabled them to build a strong network of young peacebuilders.
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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.