We invite you to apply for the POLITEIA Regional School for Youth Participation that will take place July 6-12, 2023 in Niš, Serbia.
The first POLITEIA School for Civil Society took place in 1997 where youth gained valuable knowledge of democratic and European values. Since then, hundreds of young people were taught and motivated to actively participate in social and political processes. POLITEIA is recognized as one of the leading non-formal educative programs for because of its great choice of lecturers, interactive methodology as well as choosing qualified participants. POLITEIA was raised to a regional level during a three-year regional project “Regional Youth Compact for Europe - RYCE” (2018-2021) and participation is now available for young people from the entire Western Balkans region. POLITEIA Regional School is organized within the three-year regional project“Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe” funded by the European Union.
Some of the main issues of this year’s POLITEIA will be:
- European Union and enlargement - Western Balkans and accession to the EU: stagnation or progress?
- National, Regional and European Identity - How can we connect them?
- What kind of economic and social progress does the adoption of European standards bring?
- What kind of country and society do we want to build?
- Public space - inclusive, democratic, without hate speech and fake news
- What are the domestic assignment on the way to the EU? How does the EU help us achieve them?
- Key challenges at the national and regional level
- Regional cooperation - a condition for EU accession or a real need in the Western Balkans?
- What are public policies and how are they designed?
- What are the youth policies in the EU and the Western Balkans?
- Dialogue between youth and decision-makers - how is it organized, who participates in it, what is discussed?
Participation in the POLITEA Western Balkans School for Youth Participation is open to final-year undergraduate high school students, students, young professionals and activists from the age of 18 to 25 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Serbia and North Macedonia. Participants will be chosen according to their academic, activist and other achievements as well as their motivation for being part of POLITEIA alumni network.
Successful candidates will be those who have a strong interest in acquiring new knowledge about the social, economic and political benefits of the European integration of the Western Balkans, youth policies, youth networking at the regional and European level, as well as mechanisms for participation in the process of creating and implementing public policy.
Certificate for successfully completing POLITEIA Regional School for Youth Participation will be awarded to the POLITEIA participants.
The deadline for submitting application is June 4, 2023.
Please kindly note that participation in POLITEIA Regional School for Youth Participation 2023 is free of charge! The organizer is also covering all accommodation, food and travel costs.