3rd Ideas go public Lab – Public Debate: “Succeeding despite…” – the challenges of “young Europeans” in Western Balkan countries, 18 February 2022, Pristina, 11.00-12.30

The panel will explore the challenges and prospects of “young Europeans” in Kosovo (and similarities across the Western Balkans region) in the current socio-economic context, the existing education system, limited freedom of movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic impact. The recent breakthroughs of young Kosovars in the international arena will paradoxically be used to illustrate their (bumpy) road to success, helping us unveil the main challenges encountered.

A short clip of an internationally awarded Kosovo short movie screening is followed by a discussion around the following questions:

• What mechanisms exist for the participation of young people in Kosovo? What about in other Western Balkan countries? Any best practices? How can they be improved, and how can decision-making be made more inclusive for young people?
• How can institutions provide a more favourable environment for young people in Kosovo and support them to achieve their maximum potential?
• What are the top three priority areas that can be improved with immediately available resources? What is the longer-term strategy?
• What role should civil society have? Advocacy? Or direct interventions?
• How can the EU contribute to empowering youth in the Western Balkans beyond promises of enlargement and demands of youth-friendly strategies?

Discussants:

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo, The Alternative
Besa Luci, Editor-in-chief, Kosovo 2.0
Eroll Bilibani, Producer/Head, Dokufest, Kosovo
Jehona Gjurgjela, Executive Director, Youth Development Foundation – TOKA, Kosovo

Moderated by Vedran Džihić, Senior Researcher, Austrian Institute for International Affairs (oiip), WB2EU Network

• Venue: Swiss Diamond Hotel, Sheshi Nëna Terezë p.n, Prishtinë 10000
• Livestreaming via YouTube and Facebook

• On-site participants are required to pre-register, wear a mask and display a negative corona certificate (vaccinated, valid PCR test, recovered). Checks will be made upon the entrance.

In cooperation with: