Generation hope: Youth as catalysts for change in Kosovo

By Fabian Kuzmic

Kosovo is not only the youngest European nation, but also boasts the youngest population in Europe, representing enormous untapped potential. To tap into this potential and empower today’s youth to shape Kosovo’s future, Anđela and Petar work tirelessly for the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Minority Development (CCDMD) and Young Active Gracanica, respectively. On Monday, 19 June, we visited the CCDMD youth centre in Gracanica and eagerly listened to their stories, expertise, and enthusiasm.

Both the CCDMD and Young Active Gracanica are non-governmental, non-profit organisations aimed at embracing cultural diversity, especially among young people. The organisations gather young leaders from all ethnic communities in Kosovo to make a positive difference through art and engineering. They play games, teach each other languages alongside other skills, and issue certificates to enrich their qualifications – all with the goal of uniting the youth through shared interests and challenges.

When I scrolled through the CCDMD’s Facebook page prior to the meeting, it became clear that there is an emphasis on providing young people with as many opportunities as possible, especially for familiarising themselves with technology. This immediately reminded me of the direction that Prime Minister Albin Kurti has in mind for Kosovo’s future: improving education and building technological capacities. 

Peace, Youth, and Security – these three essential themes have not only guided us throughout our trip and research so far, but are also front and centre in Anđela’s and Petar’s projects. Both NGOs are part of a wider implementation effort of UN Resolution 2250, which was adopted by the UN Security Council in 2015 and marks the first multilateral policy framework that acknowledges “the important and positive contribution of youth in efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.” This monumental resolution signalled a shift in how we perceive youth and their contribution to peace and security.

UNSCR 2250 urges states to establish mechanisms that would allow young people – defined as those between 18 and 29 years old – to actively participate in peace processes and to give them a greater voice in decision-making at the local, national, regional, and international levels. Indeed, when Anđela and Petar were talking about their work, Resolution 2250 often came up, as it forms an important basis for their work and grants young people crucial legitimacy by recognising their role as peacebuilders.

However, perhaps one of the most shocking statements I heard on this entire trip came from Petar: “The most hate exists among young people”. Whereas older Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serbian generations usually know at least some Serbian or Albanian and still remember the horrors of the war, young people usually only know either Albanian or Serbian. Such a language barrier significantly hampers any inter-ethnic and inter-cultural exchange.

Furthermore, Anđela mentioned that young people are more susceptible to radicalisation through social media or other internet fora. Learning about this was unsettling and directly contradicted one of my previously held beliefs. I had thought that with all the possibilities the internet offers today, young people must be the most open-minded generation, having access to so much information and so many perspectives from all around the world. 

But according to UNMIK Deputy SRSG Barrie Freeman, statistics from the Kosovo International Organisation for Migration (IOM) show that more than 72% of young Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs have never spoken to peers from other communities. I was shocked by this number, considering that these young people live in the same country, in the same cities. Faced with such unexpected facts, I was even more inspired by the initiatives of the CCDMD and Young Active Gracanica that aim to bridge these divides.

An especially memorable project was the United Nations Youth Assembly, which happened for the 5^th time as a two-day event in Prizren. The assembly brought together 125 young leaders and activists from across Kosovo communities, in addition to 25 youth delegates from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – as well as more than 50 experts from the region.

UNMIK Deputy SRSG Barrie Freeman commented on the success of the event on Facebook: “Our world today faces unprecedented challenges, from increases in armed conflict to the impact of climate change, to the rollback of women's rights in many countries... [but] over these two days, you've broken through deeply-rooted boundaries to create partnerships and friendships that will hopefully go beyond this event.”

All this underscores the importance of Anđela’s and Petar’s work. It was incredibly refreshing to hear their stories and how, even in their personal lives, they make a conscious effort to engage with people and media from other ethnicities and minority groups in Kosovo. For instance, Anđela, coming from a Serbian background herself, told us that her best friend is Albanian and has even invited her to meet her parents. While this might not appear to be a big deal for many of us, such a simple act speaks volumes about their level of friendship and can have enormous inter-ethnic significance in Kosovo, given its long and complex history of ethnic tensions.

We were all reminded that working with youth and forming meaningful connections can have a much wider impact than just among young people, as it also shapes how older generations think about others and cooperate with each other. Even though positive change in people’s attitudes and perceptions takes time, the process starts now. Just as Anne mentioned in our meeting with the Global Shapers Community Prishtina:

“Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today.”