This project is a joint initiative of partner organizations from Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. It aims to foster interethnic and cross-border reconciliation among youth from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo, and Serbia through an innovative series of activities. Establishing community-level leadership groups comprised of young opinion-makers that would, through a structured educational and networking program, help counter divisive narratives and practices while amplifying the voices leading to conflict prevention in the future.
The three-year project will contribute to raising the awareness of young people in three countries about the shared problems and encourage them to cooperate in solving them, which ultimately contributes to reconciliation. The intention of the three year-long project is to identify young opinion-makers that will undergo a structured program aimed at building their understanding of common issues, creating networks, and providing platforms to amplify their voices in their respective communities.
Objective 1: Creation of a network of 40 change leaders who will second-track reconciliation through learning skills needed to frame problems, find allies, and cooperate to deliver solutions in the security area.
Objective 2: Building trust within a network of change leaders and among local communities, particularly divided ones, through the researchers’ exchange.
Objective 3: Contribute to the fight against nationalist narratives that prevent reconciliation with narratives on political and security cooperation because of implemented activities.
Activity 1: Establishment of the “Regional Peacebuilding Academy (RPA)”
Activity 2: Working with students - activities with the Regional Youth Partners on security topics and regional security policies
Activity 3: Exchange programme - young leaders will work on research projects and produce policy analyses in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
Activity 4: Communications and advocacy - public advocation of project outputs
This project is supported by USAID and implemented by Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Sarajevo, Divac Foundation, Peer Education Network (PEN), PRONI, and International Republican Institute Global (branches in Kosovo, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Serbia).
