This project aims to foster inclusive and representative participation of Kosovo youth in local decision-making processes and to promote inter-ethnic cooperation by partnering with a multi-ethnic network of young peacebuilders “United Youth Task Force.” The Project launched in January 2020 seeks to address identified weaknesses of youth advisory boards mandated by law to exist within each of Kosovo’s municipalities - the so-called Local Youth Action Councils (LYACs). In ten ethnically mixed target municipalities, the project strengthened LYACs through capacity-building of LYAC members, facilitation of advocacy meetings between ethnically diverse youth and local authorities and support for drafting municipal Youth Action Plans reflecting the needs of non-majority communities. It also launched a Kosovo-wide awareness-raising campaign “Make Your Voice Heard” featuring the voices of young change-makers from all communities as well as youth-led responses to COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, the project was modified to provide a platform to address youth-specific needs in times of COVID-19 and seek for joint solutions, through organization of online meetings between local youth from diverse communities and municipal directors for Culture, Youth and Sports, Offices for Communities and Returns and Gender Equality Officers. Furthermore, in the framework of the project, in response to the pandemic, UNMIK supported the capacity of Gracanica Innovation Center and Klokot/Kllokot Multi-Ethnic Youth Center “SMAART” to produce face protection shields and other personal protective equipment through a donation of 6 3D printers and filaments. Through the project, three multi-ethnic youth-led peace initiatives received small grants in support of implementation of local youth policies in cooperation with all involved LYACs.
Organizations:
UNMIK , United Youth Task Force
Locations: Kosovo-wide
Start Date
: 01, January 2019
End Date
: 01, June 2020
Tags: #YOUTH
