Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) celebrates its 7th birthday. The RYCO was established on 4 July 2016 by the governments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia (known as Western Balkans 6), within the Berlin Process. With a head office in Albania and local branch offices in Tirana, Sarajevo, Pristina, Podgorica, Skopje, and Belgrade, RYCO is the only intergovernmental organization dealing with peacebuilding, reconciliation, and cooperation in the Western Balkans through youth exchange programs.
So far, RYCO has empowered more than 31,000 young people, by investing over 7 million euros in youth exchange programs, on regional and local levels. It has organized four Open Calls supporting nearly 240 civil society organizations and 115 schools. Soon, the new Open Call for CSO will be launched. Within its flagship project Superschools, RYCO connected over 150 schools, 1,000 students, and 300 teachers across the region. Through a project Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs (RISE), RYCO supported nearly 400 young entrepreneurs.
The impact of these numbers and efforts in the last seven years can be symbolically presented in a message sent by a student of Superschools exchange between Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.
“This exchange means a lot to me. It helped me break the religious prejudices I had before participating. There was also a fear of language barriers. But, only 10 minutes after I met my peers from Skopje, I realized there are no differences between us. I believe that the friendships we have created will last for a long time,“ said Adna Oraščanin from the Centre for Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth, from Sarajevo.
- RYCO is devoted to the needs, concerns, and dreams of youth in WB6
In the WB6 region live more than 3,5 million young people aged 15 to 29 years, who make up over 20% of the total population. RYCO Secretary General Albert Hani emphasizes that RYCO has been committed to enhancing understanding and unity by offering transformative programs that address their needs, concerns, and dreams.
“Today we celebrate togetherness in striving to build bridges of friendship, break down barriers, and empower the next generation to create a brighter European future for the Western Balkans. It is the continued belief in our mission that fuels our efforts, and our team is looking forward to many more years of collaborative action, as we create a brighter future”, says Mr. Hani.
RYCO Deputy Secretary General Denis Piplaš pointed out that young people are vital actors in the building of sustainable and peaceful societies.
“Recognizing and supporting youth is an essential step towards developing a cohesive and prosperous region. Peacebuilding creates an environment where young people can flourish, access quality education, gain employment, and participate actively in decision-making processes”, says Mr. Piplaš.
- Improving the position of youth on a local level
RYCO has a local branch office in Albania, where they organize activities and implement projects on an everyday basis. Working together with youth organizations, governments, municipalities, and international organizations, they have managed to improve the position of youth on the local level.
“It all starts with the youth and now. We, as a Local Office in Albania, have an open-door policy to welcome youth, support their initiatives, give them the space to promote their experiences with RYCO activities and invite them to be active contributors to our policies and projects. With our work, we encourage youth to be the change makers that our region needs,” stated Alba Brojka, the Head of the Local Branch Office in Albania.
Bringing youth together in educational, cultural, civic, and social activities empowers them to share experiences, break down prejudices, explore other cultures, learn about each other, and reach personal fulfillment. Youth can bring positive change and overcome remnants of the past, but it needs to be heard, valued, supported, and empowered. And RYCO will continue working on that, as its slogan says: A better region starts with You(th).
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
If you want to learn more about RYCO’s activities and possibilities for youth, please visit the website www.rycowb.org.
