10/07/2026
๐ช๐บ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐ฌ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ท๐ฝ๐ฐ
As part of the ongoing project DELIBERATE (Democracy, Engagement & Literacy to Build Inclusive European Representation and Trust in Elections), funded by the EU's CERV Programme, representatives from various European countries gathered in Prishtina, Kosovo, for a series of sessions aimed at strengthening democratic participation. ๐ช
Hosted by the youth-led NGO truAktiv, the event provided a collaborative space for participants from Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Kosovo to explore the challenges facing modern democracy and to develop actionable solutions.
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The program was structured around two core sessions:
๐๐
๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐: The morning session focused on fostering trust through "story circles," where participants shared personal experiences and identified common values that promote inclusivity.
๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐:
- Community Mapping: Participants worked in diverse groups to analyze their local environments. Notably, the working group consisting of representatives from Zavod Boter (Slovenia) and Korenyak (Bolgarija), along with a youth representative from Kosovo, collaborated on a visual mapping exercise. They developed a conceptual model focused on creating "Green Spaces for Kids," identifying key stakeholders such as the public sector, educators, parents, and NGOs needed to realize this vision.
- Civic Engagement Lab: In this session, the same team analyzed structural challenges to democratic participation and formulated specific proposals to address them.
๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
The experience was both inspiring and thought-provoking. It was refreshing to see how easily diverse groups can find common ground when the goal is a more inclusive society. While the challenges facing youth are significant, the shared enthusiasm and the concrete, practical ideas generated during the day instill a strong belief that meaningful change is possible. This wasn't just about theoryโit was about recognizing the strength that lies in our collective ability to act locally and think European.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ
Building on their discussions in the Civic Engagement Lab, the team from Zavod Boter, Korenyak, and the youth representative from Kosovo formulated targeted recommendations to overcome barriers to youth involvement and declining institutional trust. Their key proposals included:
- Modernizing Institutions: Integrating digital tools to make civic participation more accessible and appealing to digital-native generations.
- Transparent Action: Moving away from tokenism to ensure that youth input is genuinely integrated into policy outcomes, demonstrating that their voices hold real weight.
- Educational Reform: Shifting school curricula from abstract political theory to hands-on citizenship training, such as debating and community project management, to equip youth with practical skills.
The event concluded with a deliberative forum where these recommendations were shared, fostering a shared commitment to building a more inclusive future from the local to the European level.
