Tirana Youth Summit 2024 brought together more than 100 young leaders, activists, and experts from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania to address urgent challenges in the region and forge a path for a democratic, peaceful and inclusive future. Under the theme Loud Resistance, the Summit focused on empowering youth to stand up against the rise of far-right ideologies, anti-democratic practices, violations of human rights and many more and to motivate them to make a change in their communities.
The 7th edition of Youth Summit took place from the 17th until the 20th of December in The Pyramid of Tirana, a venue that allures with its impressive architecture in which the reflection of the country’s history is engraved. The program consisted of four panel discussions, two parallel workshop group sessions and extra-curricular activities related to the topic of resistance and transitional justice.
The Summit was opened by Anja Zloporubović, Program Coordinator at YIHR Serbia and Uresa Ahmeti, Communications Coordinator at YIHR Kosovo. The opening ceremony included messages of support by Grannies against the right (Omas gegen Recht) and the Croatian singer Severina. Furthermore, YIHR alumni shared their experience and how YIHR shaped them as activists and by doing so, they reminded the participants of the importance of boldness and bravery. Following the opening, the day started off with YIHR Talks: Late Night Talk Show. This panel brought together activists, influencers and artists and discussed the responsibility behind using physical and digital public spaces. It highlighted the role of social media in amplifying diverse voices and fostering inclusion.
The second day of the Summit started off with the New Age Anti-Democratic Practices panel discussion, which focused on the rising threats to democracy – lack of media freedom, political propaganda, and anti-gender movements. “Sometimes it can be radical to be hopeful and imagine a different reality”, one of the panelists, Gresa Hasa, pointed out, referring to the current situation in the region. Furthermore, the third panel discussion, under the name Unresolved Legacies: Never Again to Whom?, reflected on the lasting effects of past Balkan conflicts and the spillover effects of current, ongoing conflicts.
The final panel, Embracing Resistance: The Future of Democracy, took place on the last day of the Summit and delved into youth-led resistance movements with activists and NGO representatives from Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania sharing their experiences and discussing the civil sector’s role in social change. The panelists emphasized the importance of freedom and the role of youth in shaping the future in the region.
Apart from captivating panels, TYS participants also attended two workshops on a specific topic during which they worked on forging actionable strategies for the future. The workshops, under the names Rebuilding Through Memory (mentor Margareta Blažević, Program Officer at YIHR Croatia), Voices at the Margins – Strengthening Minority Rights (mentor Naim Leo Beširi, Executive Director at Institute for European Affairs), Reclaiming Power – Feminism, women’s rights and anti-gender movements (mentor Marija Ratković, publicist and activist), Against the Tide – Reclaming Democracy (mentor Mario Mažić, consultant and founder of YIHR Croatia) and Echoes of Truth: Combating disinformation and propaganda (mentor Bjanka Stanković, journalist at Vidi Vaka) explored the topics of transitional justice, minority rights, women rights and anti-gender movements, democratization and media literacy and propaganda. As a result of working on these important matters prior to and during the Youth Summit, participants formed specific recommendations for improvements in these fields, which will be furthermore summed up in a TYS declaration.
Regarding additional activities, the participants got to enjoy not one, but two movie screenings: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, a short movie by Croatian film director Nebojša Slijepčević and Milena, a movie done by Željko Stanetić. Doroteja Antić, Program Assistant at YIHR Serbia moderated a vibrant discussion with Stanetić and the participants following the screening. The participants also had the chance to visit two famous and historically important museums in Tirana: The House of Leaves and The Bunk’art museum. On the final evening, they enjoyed an excellent performance by a musical act from Pristina, La Fazani.
The Tirana Youth Summit 2024 demonstrated the vital role of young people in shaping a democratic and inclusive future. From peace-building to challenging anti-democratic practices, the summit highlighted the power of youth-led action in creating lasting change. The voices of young activists are loud, determined, and inspiring, pushing for a brighter, more democratic tomorrow.
