At a moment marked by democratic fatigue, political polarization, digital fragmentation, and growing
distrust between institutions and citizens, young people across the Western Balkans are increasingly
searching for new ways to participate, cooperate, and shape public life. At the same time, the region
stands at a decisive stage of its European integration: the renewed momentum of EU enlargement has
placed the democratic fundamentals (rule of law, fundamental rights, functioning democratic
institutions, accountable public administration and an enabling civic space) at the very centre of the
accession process.
The 2026 Internation Youth Conference positions youth as participants within democratic systems and
active co-designers of the region’s future cooperation architecture and of its path towards the European
Union. The conference is built on a simple premise: the values that determine whether EU accession
succeeds are the same fundamentals that determine whether young people trust, stay in, and build their
societies. Bringing together young people, policymakers, civil society actors, institutional and EU
representatives, researchers, media actors, and innovators from across the region and Europe, the
conference explores how new “Cooperation Zones” can strengthen democratic fundamentals, EU values,
regional solidarity, peacebuilding, participation, social innovation, and inclusive development.
Rather than organizing discussions around isolated sectors, the conference is designed as an interactive
ecosystem of dialogue, experimentation, systems mapping, storytelling, and collective action.
Concretely prototyping an adaptive and forward-looking cooperation, linked to the future of Europe,
and its promotion priorities in the Western Balkans context, as well as to the EU’s enlargement and youth
engagement priorities in the region. Through policy labs, live civic demonstrations, participatory
mapping exercises, future-oriented sessions, and youth-led exchanges, participants will jointly explore
how cooperation can move from symbolic dialogue toward practical, sustainable, and youth-led
transformation.
The conference places particular emphasis on:
• democratic fundamentals and civic trust, grounded in the EU values,
• meaningful youth participation, including in the EU accession process,
• regional cooperation and peacebuilding, as pre-conditions of EU enlargement,
• digital and democratic innovation, media literacy and resilience to disinformation,
• inclusion, non-discrimination and gender-responsive participation,
• social innovation and entrepreneurship futures, and socio-economic convergence with the EU,
• and the role of youth in shaping resilient democratic societies in the Western Balkans and Europe,
on the path towards EU membership.
24.09.2026 [Thursday]
OPENING NIGHT: STORIES OF COOPERATION ON THE ROAD TO THE EU
19:00 – 19:30 OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE
Topic: EUROPE STARTS HERE – Youth, EU values and the enlargement of our common future
The conference opens with short welcome addresses framing the event within the European integration
of the region and the EU support to youth participation:
• Welcome address by Mr. Metodija Stojceski, executive director of Youth Alliance – Krusevo and
Mr. Niko Choneski, Mayor of Municipality of Krusevo;
• Welcome address by Ms. Elena Grabul, Senior Advisor, Regional Cooperation Council-Liaison
Office Brussels
• Address by a representative of the Delegation of the European Union on EU support to youth
participation, EU values and the enlargement perspective of the Western Balkans (TBC)
19:30 – 21:00 REGIONAL NEXT-GEN LEADERS AWARD CEREMONY
The opening ceremony celebrates young people, initiatives, movements, and organizations
strengthening regional cooperation, democratic youth participation, EU values, solidarity, and
peacebuilding across the region.
Designed as both a recognition and inspiration moment, the ceremony is designed as a storytelling and
narrative-building moment that highlights collaboration across different Cooperation Zones, and how
youth-led initiatives are actively shaping new forms of regional connection, social innovation, and civic
engagement in their communities and beyond, in the region and in the wider European space.
The ceremony introduces the conference’s central theme:
“What are the democratic and social fundamentals needed for the future of cooperation in the
region and for its European integration?”
The evening will feature:
• Youth decision makers (Ministers, Mayors, Members of the Parliaments) from across the
Western Balkans and the EU,
• Regional collaboration showcases, including EU-supported youth initiatives,
• Multimedia storytelling on what Europe means to young people in the region
25.09.2026 [Friday]
RESTART
DAY 1 – Rebuilding Democratic Trust and Regional Cooperation on the Path to the EU
10:00 – 12:00 Evidence and policy panel
Topic: THE PARTICIPATION GAP – Data, Democracy and Reality where young people participate and
live, and what EU accession requires.
The session explores the relationship between missing evidence and data, participation and institutional
trust, structured in two interconnected parts. First, a provocation presenting findings from the Youth
Participation Index (YPI), highlighting regional and country-specific trends. Then a moderated multi-
stakeholder dialogue bringing together representatives of the State Statistical Offices, public institutions,
EU representatives, civil society organizations, and media actors to reflect through guided discussion,
addressing the findings critically and concretely, with a solution-focused orientation. The critical lens will
focus on the lack of relevant, disaggregated and regularly updated data on youth participation, including
evidence gaps related to all participation levels, barriers to civic engagement, gender dimensions, trust
in institutions and unequal access to decision-making. The findings are read alongside the assessments
of democratic participation and civic space contained in the EU’s annual enlargement reporting, where
reliable data is a pre-condition for credible reform. The session will ask:
“How can democratic systems meaningfully respond to youth realities when the data needed to
understand them is incomplete, fragmented or missing, and how can youth evidence inform the EU
accession process?”
Speakers:
• Mr. Gjoko Velkovski is the Minister of Social Policy, Demography and Youth of the Republic of
North Macedonia
• Ms. Vesna Pantelić, Acting Assistant Director, Statistical Office of Republic of Serbia
• Relevant speakers from the institutions for data and young people from WB6 and Turkey (in the
process of invitations)
12:00 – 12:45 Coffee Break
12:45 – 14:00 Co-creation design lab
Topic: NO MORE EMPTY PANELS – Designing accountability between youth and institutions, from
dialogue to commitments
Participants move from discussion toward collective action through facilitated co-creation processes
focused on identifying the top three priority actions for improving youth participation pathways,
democratic responsiveness and defining one concrete commitment per stakeholder group. These inputs
are then structured into clear outputs, including policy recommendations, civic engagement
mechanisms, and cross-sector cooperation actions, each linked where relevant to national reform
agendas and EU accession priorities. The process is facilitated through rapid co-creation methods, such
as small group work with results captured visually through a participatory digital “Commitment Board”.
14:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 High-level policy dialogue
Topic: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COOPERATION – trust, participation and shared responsibility in the
region and in the EU accession process
A high-level policy dialogue exploring the essential foundations needed for meaningful and sustainable
regional cooperation among young people, civil society, institutions and communities. Instead of
focusing only on projects, tools or individual good practices, the discussion will address the deeper
conditions that make cooperation possible: trust, democratic participation, inclusion, solidarity,
institutional transparency, access to opportunities and shared responsibility. These are the same
fundamentals (rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic institutions and civic space, that stand at the
core of the EU accession process) which makes them a shared agenda of the region and of the European
Union. Panelists will reflect on how these fundamentals currently function across the region, where they
are strong, and where they remain weak, fragmented or absent. The discussion will also examine how
participation of young people shape the quality of regional cooperation, and whether existing systems
provide enough space for youth voices to influence decisions, policies and community development. The
panel will ask:
“What are the key democratic, social and economic fundamentals that must be strengthened for
regional cooperation to become more inclusive, trusted and responsive to youth realities, and how
do they connect to the EU accession path of the region?”
Speakers:
• Official representative of the European Economic and Social Committee, Western Balkans Follow-
up Committee (TBC)
• Official member of the EU–North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (TBC)
• Ms. Maja Varoshlija, ALDA
17:00 – 17:30 Coffee Break
17:30 – 19:30 Participatory ecosystem mapping session
Topic: THE COOPERATION ATLAS – Mapping what connects, what fragments and what is still missing
on the road to the EU
Building on the experience zones, participants collectively map the current cooperation ecosystem
across the region by identifying strong practices, emerging opportunities, fragmented areas, and missing
democratic links. Through a facilitated systems-mapping process, participants place each demonstrated
practice, tool, or approach into a shared Cooperation Zone Map, visually organizing them into thematic
areas and connecting them to the fundamentals of European integration. The session encourages
participants to move from isolated experiences toward a shared strategic understanding of how different
cooperation structures interact and where stronger integration, solidarity, and institutional and EU
support are needed. Special attention is given to:
“Which democratic and social fundamentals — including those assessed in the EU accession process
— are currently weak, fragmented, or absent across regional cooperation systems?”
21:00 MANIFEST PARTY
Culture, Connection and Collective European Futures
An informal evening dedicated to cultural exchange, artistic expression, music, storytelling, and regional
connection, celebrating the cultural diversity that is part of Europe’s shared heritage.
26.09.2026 [Saturday]
REROUTE
Day 2 – Reimagining Participation, Mobility and Youth Futures in an Enlarging Europe
10:00 – 12:00 Future Forward Session
Topic: FUTURES WORTH STAYING FOR – Reimagining work and opportunity in the region through social
innovation, entrepreneurship and regional resilience and convergence with the EU
This future-oriented session is an interactive and outcome-oriented session where young participants
showcase their enterprise ideas to an international audience of peers, mentors, and stakeholders. The
session combines short team presentations with live feedback, audience engagement, and facilitated
networking moments, creating a dynamic space for learning, validation, and collaboration. Through
direct interaction with representatives from civil society, business, and public institutions and EU-funded
programmes, participants will refine their ideas, explore practical pathways for implementation, and
identify potential partnerships and support mechanisms. The session also connects youth
entrepreneurship to the wider question of opportunity, brain drain and socio-economic convergence
with the European Union — why young people leave, and what would make staying worthwhile. The
session places strong emphasis on peer exchange, cross-regional cooperation and inclusive participation.
12:00 – 12:45 Coffee Break
12:45 – 14:00 Interactive Policy Lab
Topic: FROM STREETS TO SYSTEMS – Turning Youth Experience into Democratic Infrastructure for EU
Accession
This participatory policy laboratory creates space for young people and stakeholders to collaboratively
transform lived experiences into concrete proposals for democratic youth participation, peacebuilding,
regional cooperation and institutional accountability. Each facilitated working group will identify
practical pathways for strengthening cooperation, participation mechanisms, and civic trust, while
exploring how democratic values, EU values and institutional responsiveness can become more visible
in practice. Resulting in 1 concrete recommendation to integrate youth in peace and security governance
per working group. Structure of policy output: identified challenge; Proposed intervention; Responsible
actors; cooperation mechanism; Implementation entry point; relevant EU accession or reform-agenda
anchor.
14:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Immersive cooperation zones
Topic: COOPERATION OS – future prototyping digital, civic and human systems for regional connection
and European integration
Participants move through a series of immersive “Cooperation Zones” that showcase real practices,
innovative tools, civic technologies and participatory practices shaping the future of youth cooperation
and participation, in the region and in the EU. Using experimentation, dialogue and live demonstrations,
each zone will host a 12–15-minute experience demonstrating different infrastructures for civic
participation, democratic engagement, and regional connection. Featured cooperation zones: Digital
cooperation zone – presenting the Youth DigiZone platform and tools for online collaboration and
participation and digital citizenship; a Policy & Civic Participation Zone, demonstrating mechanisms such
as youth councils, policy labs, and advocacy processes, including simulations of how youth input reaches
institutions and EU accession structures; an EU Values, Inclusion & Social Cohesion Zone, featuring
practices from interethnic dialogue and peacebuilding, non-discrimination and fundamental rights, as
well as methods used in exchanges and workshops; and a Mobility & European Exchange Zone,
highlighting youth exchanges, volunteering opportunities, including Erasmus+ and the European
Solidarity Corps, and cross-border initiatives that strengthen regional cooperation. Creative & Media
Cooperation Zone may be included, focusing on digital campaigns, storytelling, podcasting, and the role
of youth narratives in shaping regional dialogue and countering disinformation about the EU and the
region, and Emerging futures and innovation zone.
17:00 – 17:30 Coffee Break
17:30 – 19:30 Cross-sector matchmaking and ecosystem session
Topic: SUPPORT WALLS – from ideas to allies, building regional and European ecosystems of support
This action-oriented session transforms the outcomes emerging from the Interactive Policy Labs,
Cooperation Atlas Mapping, and youth showcase sessions into concrete pathways for collaboration and
further development. Through a participatory “Support Walls” format, mentors, institutions, civil society
organizations, networks, EU-funded programmes and stakeholders present tangible support
opportunities connected to the showcased youth ideas, including mentorship, partnerships, funding
pathways, mobility opportunities, and regional cooperation mechanisms.
Designed as an interactive and visually facilitated exchange space, the session enables direct connections
between ideas and resources while encouraging long-term collaboration, cross-sector partnerships, and
sustained support for youth-led initiatives across the region. A dedicated “European Opportunities” wall
makes EU support concrete and accessible, presenting programmes and instruments open to young
people and youth organisations in the Western Balkans. Beyond resource matching itself, the session
also creates space for collective reflection on what kinds of ecosystems, infrastructures, and support
systems are needed to strengthen youth participation, democratic engagement, civic innovation, and
regional cooperation across the region, on the path to EU membership.
21:00 CLOSING CEREMONY
Topic: FROM KRUSEVO TO EUROPE – Youth commitments for democratic fundamentals and EU
accession
The closing ceremony consolidates the results of the conference and hands them over to institutional,
regional and European partners:
• Presentation of the consolidated conference outputs: policy recommendations on youth in peace
and security governance, the Commitment Board, and the Cooperation Atlas;
• Youth and stakeholder commitments read out and formally handed over to institutional
representatives;
• Closing address by a representative of the Delegation of the European Union, reflecting on youth
participation in the enlargement process and on EU support to young people in the region;
• Closing words by the host organisation and announcement of follow-up steps, including how the
outputs will be channelled towards national institutions, regional partners and EU accession
dialogue structures.
27.09.2026 [Sunday]
RECOMMIT
Day 3 – Seeding and harvesting youth narratives, relationships and collective futures
in the region and in Europe
10:00 – 12:00 Collective reflection and harvesting session
Topic: HIGHLIGHT HUNT – What are we taking forward together
The conference concludes with an energetic, game-based discovery process designed to surface the
most meaningful moments, ideas, conversations, and connections emerging throughout the
programme. Through a facilitated “Highlight Hunt,” participants move through the space engaging in
spontaneous conversations, storytelling exchanges, and thematic discovery activities that invite them to
collectively identify the boldest ideas, unexpected encounters, transformative insights, and future
cooperation possibilities generated during the conference. Guided by thematic prompts such as the most
unexpected moment, the boldest idea, and the most unlikely connection, participants uncover diverse
perspectives and hidden highlights across the group. This interactive format not only revitalizes the room
with movement and curiosity, but also strengthens networking, reinforces shared experiences, and
brings forward the richness of the conference in an authentic and engaging way. Combining participatory
harvesting methodologies with playful and reflective interaction, the session creates space for
participants to collectively reflect on what must be strengthened, protected, and reimagined in order to
support more democratic, inclusive, and cooperative futures across the region and within an enlarging
European Union.
