Over the past few decades, the Western Balkans have undergone a major process of transformation, yet certain challenges to peace and regional stability still remain. Divisive narratives increasingly take place on the internet, particularly on social media platforms, as well as in public situations and everyday social interactions, and have the potential to aggravate regional dynamics, and create mistrust and grievances.
Young people in the region continue to be influenced by negative legacies of the past and the online spread of fake news, disinformation and hate speech, replicate stereotypes and reinforce distrust. However, more and more young people are becoming media and information literate and are responding to hate speech with positive stories and messages. Youth in the Western Balkans are crucial for strengthening democracy and promoting positive social transformations, yet decision-makers often fail to take their needs and aspirations into account. Therefore, engagement of young people in advocating for positive narratives and influencing decision-making processes needs to be further stimulated and improved.
In this context and as part of the regional UN initiative 鈥淵outh 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust,鈥 the UN Peacebuilding Fund supported the organisation of the Summer #YOUth Camp at the emerald Bora膷ko Lake, in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina last July. Twenty students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia met to work on social media campaigns promoting inclusion, cultural diversity and shared cultural heritage. Organised in partnership with the Centre for the Development of Youth Activism (CROA), it was an opportunity to meet and exchange experiences and challenges that they had encountered during the development of their products.
Their journey began in March by joining the Regional Youth Academy on Constructive Narratives. Designed in a hybrid model, the Academy offered educational sessions and workshops guided by regional experts from the Universities of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Belgrade and Montenegro in order to encourage and provoke young people鈥檚 critical thinking in opposing divisive narratives, hate speech, gender norms, stereotypes, prejudices and other forms of inequalities. The goal was to empower young people to actively engage in the prevention of and fight against misinformation, harmful and manipulative content, particularly in social media, as well as to improve mutual understanding, respect and trust through the concept of media and information literacy (MIL).
It made me think if we are a society of prejudices, what are my prejudices, what are the prejudices of my society? I got the answers, and therefore started solving them at my micro level. I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to meet colleagues from the region, as well as expanding my social network. Through projects like this one, we show that we have not stopped in time and that we can progress, only when we are given the opportunity.
Participants worked on the creation and implementation of public advocacy campaigns, showing their willingness to make positive changes in their communities. The youth camp was an opportunity to reflect on the importance of recognising hate speech, which often leads to intolerance and attacks/violence, including on journalists. This confirmed the need to promote intercultural content in both formal and informal teaching processes, in order to encourage and develop better intercultural sensitivity among young people, as well as civic engagement, proactivity and readiness to live in a diverse society.
Reflecting on the engagement of young people during this project Professor Lamija Silajd啪i膰, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo, underlined: 鈥The work of young people on the creation and implementation of public advocacy campaigns showed that they want to make positive changes in their communities. This also confirmed that it is necessary to promote intercultural content in both formal and informal teaching processes, in order to encourage and/or develop better intercultural sensitivity among young people, as well as civic engagement, proactivity and readiness to live in a diverse society.鈥
A team of mentors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia worked diligently with these young people making sure that they enhanced their potential within all phases of the project, from the initial idea to implementation.
Almost half of the 150 students who attended the Academy decided to further pursue the development of public advocacy campaigning skills, through the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) programme. Under the watchful eye of their mentors, the teams created 12 campaigns tackling issues and challenges faced by vulnerable and marginalised groups, mainly related to inequalities, violence and other negative occurrences in their communities. The campaigns enabled young people to become active contributors to positive transformations in and across their communities. They also provided the students with the tools to learn more about prejudices within societies, allowing them to reflect on them and foster progress.
As an illustration, students tackled the issues that their blind and visually impaired colleagues face during their education in terms of access to academic literature. A team from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade announced their awareness of the need for equal access to education, claiming that the campaign represented only the beginning of their journey towards building an inclusive education system.
To attract more youth to their cause, students created joint social media platforms titled . While identifying challenges related to the moderation of such platforms, young people expressed their willingness to improve this tool and use it to further promote constructive ideas, to point out problems and to advocate their solutions.
We are proud of our students who have raised awareness in our society about the problems of young people with disabilities. They have put all our instructions into practice much better than we could have imagined and are still publicly advocating and working on making life better for their colleagues!
Students visited important cultural and historical sites in Sarajevo and Konjic. They learnt about local heritage and shared history, the significance of valuing and enjoying it today and the obligation we have towards future generations to preserve it. Students particularly enjoyed their visit to in Konjic, a meeting point for artists from around the world who transformed this site, which officially remains under military control, into a prestigious regional cultural institution.
Learning shared history can lead to sustainable peace in a deeper context. The camp was an example of how addressing differences through work and cooperation are key to overcoming challenges, learning, and exercising tolerance and understanding. 鈥淥ur differences enrich us, and without tolerance that wouldn't be possible. On the other hand, those differences make tolerance necessary鈥, concluded Milena Mati膰 Bla啪i膰, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo.
The United Nations initiative 鈥淵outh 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust鈥, is financed by the UN Secretary-General鈥檚 Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women. The main goal of the regional initiative is to empower young people to engage in constructive narratives, strengthen intercultural dialogue, inclusion and gender equality, and create mutual understanding and trust, while enhancing the role of youth in promoting increased comprehension and respect for diversity in the region.
