Balkan Youth Cooperation

09/03/2026

✨ When we were invited to collaborate on this event, we were excited from the very first moment!

Not only because you already know how much we care about questions of belonging in the Balkans and the multiple identities that shape who we are and what the word Balkans really means. But also because we truly believe that it’s not enough to simply build bridges between us — we need to cultivate something deeper: a shared supranational identity that allows all of us to stand on equal ground. 🌍

Together with Terratoka and Όμιλος Διεθνών και Ευρωπαϊκών Θεμάτων , we opened a space to reflect on these ideas and discuss what connects us beyond borders.

From our team, our amazing Aphrodite Gkortsou delivered a short opening greeting, and together with Aphrodite Georgiou she co-facilitated one of the two focus groups of the event. 💬

Participants had the opportunity to share their perspectives, listen to each other, and most importantly discover all those small things that connect us — the everyday similarities that quietly build a shared identity of coexistence and cooperation across the Balkans. 🤝

Because sometimes the most powerful bridges are built through conversation.

03/03/2026

See you there!
🇬🇷 🇦🇱 🇪🇺

Εσύ, πώς αντιλαμβάνεσαι τη γέφυρα που ενώνει τους δύο λαούς;

Ελάτε να ανακαλύψουμε:

🔹 Πώς διαμορφώνεται η ταυτότητα της νέας γενιάς που μεγαλώνει ανάμεσα σε δύο πατρίδες;
🔹 Ποια είναι η ευρωπαϊκή προοπτική της Αλβανίας και ο ρόλος της στη γειτονιά μας;
🔹 Πώς η κοινή ευρωπαϊκή ταυτότητα μπορεί να φέρει κοντά τις κοινωνίες μας και να δημιουργήσει ευκαιρίες για το μέλλον;

📅 Πότε & Πού

Η εκδήλωση θα λάβει χώρα την Παρασκευή 6 Μαρτίου 2026 και ώρα 16:00, με την στήριξη του Γραφείου του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου στην Ελλάδα.

Τοποθεσία: Στις ολοκαίνουριες εγκαταστάσεις του Europa Experience Athens, Σταδίου 44-46 Αθήνα
(Είσοδος από Πεσμαζόγλου 5)

⚠️ Σημαντικές Πληροφορίες Εισόδου

Για την είσοδο στον χώρο των εκδηλώσεων είναι απαραίτητη η επίδειξη ταυτότητας, διαβατηρίου ή ταυτότητας στο GovGrWallet app (στο κινητό σας). Παρακαλούμε να προσέλθετε τουλάχιστον 15 λεπτά νωρίτερα για την ταυτοποίησή σας κατά την είσοδο στο κτίριο και την έγκαιρη έναρξη της εκδήλωσης.

📝 Εγγραφή και Πιστοποιητικά

Η συμμετοχή είναι δωρεάν και θα χορηγηθούν πιστοποιητικά παρακολούθησης.

Επιβεβαιώστε άμεσα τη θέση σας συμπληρώνοντας τη φόρμα: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GRubsfEXc3f-e4u55opeLCnXSG4RalgdX66UkWJry8U/

Σημείωση: Το όνομα στο πιστοποιητικό θα είναι ακριβώς όπως το συμπληρώσετε στη φόρμα.

Σας περιμένουμε με χαρά! ✨

Γίνε μέλος σήμερα της κοινότητας mazi.eu!

04/02/2026

📣 Our co-founder Theodora Vounidi shares her reflections on the journey of organizing the 1st Essay Competition on the Right to Analog Life — a new initiative coordinated by Balkan Youth Cooperation and hosted by the Global Academy for Future Governance.

The competition gave young people a platform to explore one of today’s most pressing questions:
how artificial intelligence shapes our daily lives, our mental balance, and our right to remain human in an increasingly digital world. The awarded essays showed that youth do not reject technology — they call for ethics, limits, and space for meaningful, “analog” ways of living.

👉 Read all the insights from this experience here:
🔗 https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/02/04/youth-voices-artificial-intelligence-and-mental-balance-insights-from-1st-essay-comp-on-right-to-analog-life/

And don’t forget — the next edition is coming soon!
Stay tuned and join us — because the more youth voices are heard, the stronger the awareness and the dialogue about the future we want to build 💬🌍.

As societies increasingly navigate the promises and pressures of artificial intelligence, questions surrounding mental well-being, autonomy, and human creativity are gaining renewed urgency.

24/12/2025

Last Saturday was a success!
Thank you NGO Building the Balkans for the amazing workshop!

16/12/2025

✨ NextGen Balkans: Youth Cooperation Series ✨
Session 3 | Gender Equality & Youth Empowerment

How do we talk about gender equality today?
And how do we turn knowledge into empowerment and action?

In Session 3 of the NextGen Balkans series, we explore gender equality from multiple perspectives — academia, civil society, and lived experience — using these insights as a bridge to an interactive, youth-led workshop ✊

🤝 Co-organized by NGO Building the Balkans & BYC

🎙 Moderators
• Marientina Kontse
• Niki Braniste

🎤 Guest Speakers
🔹 Dr. Iakovos Makropoulos
Postdoctoral Researcher, Queen Mary University of London
Working on gender-based violence against women in politics

🔹 Pinelopi Theodorakakou
Co-founder & Head of Empowerment Programmes & Training Interventions, WHEN.org.gr
A non-profit organization dedicated to women’s professional and economic empowerment, gender equality, and inclusive workplaces

🧠 Interactive Workshop
“Unwritten Rules, Untold Stories:
Youth Reflections on Gender Stereotypes”

💬 Learn. Reflect. Challenge stereotypes.
🌱 Empower youth voices and shape a more equal future — together.

📣Stay tuned! BtB is taking the floor on Saturday!

10/12/2025

NextGen Balkans: Youth Cooperation Series

Second Session: Digital Skills & Innovation by NGO Building the Balkans

👇🏻

04/12/2025

Do join!

Essay Competition 2025 Awards!

Governments all around the globe are talking in Technology, Mind and Health. Issue with increasing intensity and scope – hereby is our contribution to the pr...

03/12/2025

Angelos sings in the Children’s Chorus of the Greek National Opera. Marilena has been doing voice-over work since she was 5. Katerina is the only girl on her mixed football team.

A panel filled with real-life young superheroes 🦸

As our co-founder and panel moderator Theodora Vounidi said: “When we were kids, we used to say ‘When I grow up, I want to be…’ — usually followed by a dream. But these kids didn’t wait to grow up to become something. They became it today, proving that sometimes all it takes to be great at something is to truly, deeply want it. “💫✨

And the energy they brought? Off the charts. A panel filled with laughter, optimism, and pure joy — the perfect way to close this year’s Good Stories Summit, exactly as it deserved.

A huge thank you to StoryMentor for the initiative and for creating space where all these stories can be heard. And of course, to the parents, who provide the supportive environment that allows these stories — and these kids — to truly bloom. 🌱💛

PS. A big shout-out to our amazing team, Evangelos Priftis & Stavroula Tsitsiri , who volunteered at this year’s event!

InspiringKids

14/11/2025

This year, our co-founder Theodora Vounidi is returning to the Good Stories Summit stage!
But this time, she won’t be sharing our story — she’ll be moderating an incredible panel of inspiring youth voices.
✨ Stay tuned for more! ✨

‼️ And don’t forget to apply https://www.eventora.com/el/Events/good-stories-summit-2025

What is the Good Stories Summit?
Is an annual celebration of storytelling dedicated to Civil Society, education, entrepreneurship, and culture. It’s a platform that amplifies Greece’s creative forces and highlights best practices and powerful stories.

The first stories were shared on November 3rd, 2023, at the Good Stories Summit I. Since then, a total of 80 storytellers and more than 700 participants have confirmed that good stories, positive initiatives, and impactful actions have the power to spark social change and illuminate solutions.

About the organiser:
Storymentor is a Non-Profit Organization that uses storytelling as a tool for communication, awareness, and change.

10/11/2025

✨ Meet the Keynote Speakers & Panelists of the “Technology | Mind | Health” Event!

We’re proud to be part of this international dialogue on innovation, psychology, and well-being — together with remarkable leaders and researchers from around the world.

🗓 Event Date: 4 December 2025
🕒 Time: 12:00–15:30 (GMT)

⸻

🎤 Keynote Speakers:
• Christoph Wiederkehr – Austrian Education Minister (tbc)
• Khaled El-Enany Ezz – UNESCO Secretary-General Candidate
• Isiaka A. Imam – D-8 Secretary General
• Charles Oppenheimer – Oppenheimer Trust

⸻

💬 Panelists:
• Eduardo Bunge – Palo Alto University, Dept. of Psychology
• Marc Potenza – Yale School of Medicine (tbc)
• Birgitta Dresp-Langley – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
• KaT Zarychta – Technology, Innovation & Holistic Health
• Ronia Schiftan – Advanced Psychology, Media (tbc)

⸻

🏆 Closing Session:
Essay Competition Award
🎙️ Theodora Vounidi, PhD (c) DUTH/ co-founder Balkan Youth Cooperation
🎙️ Salomé Lannier, University of Luxembourg

⸻

💡 All Essay Competition participants have a guaranteed seat at the event!
⏰ Deadline 16th November
💌 DM us for more info

We’re so happy to be among such inspiring voices — let’s show that the youth can make their voices heard worldwide 🌏

03/11/2025

🌍 NextGen Balkans: Youth Cooperation Series

We are pleased to announce a new collaboration between BYC and NGO Building the Balkans.

The NextGen Balkans is a two-month online program (November 30 – January 31) that brings together 16 young people from Greece and Kosovo to exchange ideas, discuss shared challenges, and co-create youth-led solutions for their communities.

Format: Online via Zoom | Every Saturday
Application Deadline: November 15
Selected Participants Announced: November 20

The program includes eight interactive sessions focusing on:
• Youth Participation & Democracy
• Digital Skills & Innovation
• Gender Equality & Youth Empowerment
• Climate Action & Environmental Awareness
• Artificial Intelligence & Civil Society
• Social Entrepreneurship & Employment
• Cultural Exchange & Regional Cooperation
• Civic Engagement & Volunteering

More information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f3lpdw3hdpoRkUHR_VwzcwcK22B6C-CWUposvIt6kvs/edit?usp=drivesdk
Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GLqOwM9Y03iBPwSYlkxlLVeTQ_MxVkpC7DgzP0t3Za0/edit?usp=drivesdk

Let’s build bridges, not borders — and shape the future of the Balkans together.