“Can Old Gloves Fit Young Hands?”

Learning about the Western Balkans from a Different Perspective Background

Conflicts are an inevitable part of life. Yet, they can have disastrous outcomes if not managed properly, especially when in one way or another everyone in the society is affected. One important remedy is to address and work on the process of peacebuilding and reconciliation. The road to peace and reconciliation is not an easy one, and it requires a strong commitment to communicating openly, building trust and understanding. Therefore, these seminars aim to bring at the forefront the well-known stories of conflicts in the Balkans but from a transformative perspective and based on the need for peace in the region. They also aim to build a network that brings together students from the region, discussing and interacting with each other about urgent and important issues via a seminar program that teaches about regional cooperation and reconciliation.

The series of this enriching seminar program has three-fold objectives:

A key component of these seminars is youth inclusiveness, as young people take the lead on discussions and help each other in raising awareness on various topics related to peacebuilding in the region. Awareness raising is seen as the most essential step towards conflict transformation and reconciliation.

The organizing partners – the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) Local Branch Office in Albania and Epoka University, strive to contribute to this process by offering a platform that educates for peace locally, nationally and regionally.

The Reconciliation Seminars are planned to take place from March to June 2021 in an online format, depending on the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will be held in English and/or Albanian, based on the experts and key-note speakers who will be invited to each event. To access the registration form and join the first online event, please click here.