Press Release

Young people in the Western Balkans break down stereotypes and build mutual trust

23 October 2023

From 21-23 October, 23 young women and men from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia, as well as two young refugees from Burundi and Afghanistan who live and work in Serbia, participated in a Regional Youth Camp at Lake Palić in Serbia.

Photo: © UNFPA Serbia

Over the weekend, the youth participated in workshops on youth activism, social entrepreneurship, and video and photo production. They shared experiences on activism and showed that they can work well together as a team.

The regional youth camp at Palić is part of the "Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust" project, implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with UNFPA, UNESCO and UN Women, with financial support from the UN Secretary General's Peacebuilding Fund.

The closing of the camp was marked by the symbolic planting of a birch tree, as a sign of fostering understanding and trust among young people in the Western Balkans. The tree was planted together with the young people by the Assistant Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Nina Mitić, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of the UNDP in Serbia, Fabrizio Andreuzzi.

UN entities involved in this initiative

UN Women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund

Goals we are supporting through this initiative