Through the Višegrad Fund-supported project “The New Democratic Wo/Men of the Western Balkans – Increasing Youth 
Participation in Democracy”, Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with partnering organizations from Poland, Montenegro, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, will aim to increase the awareness of democratic processes among the youth of the Western Balkans and enhance youth participation in policy-making processes.
Focus of the project
Young people critically lack knowledge, skills, and competencies to be actively engaged and in political processes, often leaving them feeling alienated from government, public policies, institutions.
Based on numerous studies published, the majority of today’s youth in the EU and the Western Balkans are the least politically engaged generation – both formally and informally. They often claim that authorities do not care about their needs and problems and young people cannot have any impact at all on the current direction of their country – their voice is unheard even through elections since their level of participation is low. Young people tend to be passionate about a single-issue topic, e.g. climate change, poverty, individual freedoms, LGBTIQ+ rights, etc., which does not often necessarily translate into votes. The youth is becoming more and more socially inactive, detached from the local and national policies.
Throughout the project, young people will:
- get involved in various real political issues that challenge the nation,
- solve problems faced by nations (modeled on a variety of actual problems),
- learn about the importance of leadership, organization, and getting involved in local and national activism, and
- adapt their knowledge and skills to be able to become an active citizen promoting democracy.
