Connecting Youth

 Connecting Youth is a grassroots regional youth platform implemented by Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), together with the umbrella youth organizations of the six Western Balkans Countries – National Youth Congress of Albania, National Youth Council of Macedonia, National Youth Council of Serbia, High School Students Union of Montenegro, Kosovar Youth Council and Youth Council of Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina -, and with the support of Hanns Seidel Foundation.

The six partner organizations and Cooperation and Development Institute have signed the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation “Working together through the Connecting Youth” in March 30, 2018. As per article 2 of this Memorandum, “the parties commit to work together to get the best results from youth EU and regional cooperation in the region and further support the role and contribution of the youngsters in the society. To this end, the Connecting Youth represents a strategic and valuable resource for all the partners, as well as for their youth member organizations. All parties agree to use and to contribute to it.”

With the aim to promote youth connectivity in the Balkans, CY offers since 2017 a unique and tailor-made space to youngsters from the region where they meet, plan, organize, implement and voice up their action. In CY youngsters can find partners for joint activities, design and implement joint initiatives, exchange ideas, consult a youth library, and built and carry outreach and lobbying action. CY is designed to function as a resource center for youth in the Western Balkans.

CY also offers a wide array of existing initiatives, national, regional and EU-supported that target youth and cover the Western Balkans.

In November 2021 Connecting Youth was awarded the Intercultural Achievement Award 2021 in the category of Technology from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. The award recognizes and promotes civil society organization initiatives that embrace intercultural dialogue and foster positive changes in regional cooperation.

The official website of Connecting Youth (CY) is: http://connecting-youth.org/, where more information can be found.