LAUNCHING OF THE DIGITAL CIVIC CENTER OF THE WESTERN BALKANS
INVITATION
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the launch of the Digital Civic Center of the Western Balkans. The event will be held virtually on the 31st March from 16:30 – 19:00. The Digital Civic Center is a platform that will provide civic education - dialogue and information on socio-political issues - and pedagogical support to citizens and existing educational institutions of the societies of the Western Balkans further training on educational policy issues of the youth and adult civic education, a structural dialogue with political decision-makers as well as concrete related training measures for its members. With the aim to strengthen a critical, pluralistic, democratic and peaceful dialogue especially for young citizens from the region, by offering an attractive range of educational seminars and events, the program content will cover topics such as: regional cooperation, strengthening democracy and the participation of young citizens in political decision-making processes, the rule of law, democratic values, dealing with history, human rights and strengthening the European integration process of the Western Balkans. The Western Balkans should participate and contribute to the future of Europe. Its citizen's involvement through information sharing and active participation is essential to build a shared sense of belonging across the region and for them to contemplate their future in the same light as the future of the EU. The Civic Center will reflect the region's diverse identities, deal with its history, and contribute to shaping its future development. It will be a place of shared resources and a regional platform for free democratic expression accessible to all. With the aim to manifest the region's political reflection, advance good governance, and demonstrate the power of truly public space. The project’s permanent working group of civil society representatives (WB6 and EU) long term plan is to develop and realize one or more "real" physical civic centers, presenting a regional European offer of civic education with a corresponding adequate technical and spatial infrastructure. The Digital Civic Center of the Western Balkans is part of the overall project “one way ticket no more”, which is supported supported by crossborder factory in cooperation with the regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) with financial support of the German Foreign Office and since 2022 also by the The Western Balkan Forum Beyond. The results of this project are particularly the result of civil society engagement of a group of young professionals from the Western Balkans, offering their insights and knowledge demonstrating a great commitment in working towards regional cooperation. Their advocacy work consists also for the establishment of places of political youth and adult civic education
AGENDA
LAUNCHING OF THE DIGITAL CIVIC CENTER OF THE WESTERN BALKANS
16:00 – 16:15
Welcome and introduction to the project "One Way Ticket No More" and the platform "Digital civic center of the Western Balkans"
- Dr. Frédéric Jörgens, Deputy Head of Department in charge of Western Balkans, German Foreign Ministry - Mr. Albert Hani, Secretary General of Regional Youth Cooperation Office /RYCO
- Mr. Astrit Istrefi, Executive Director of The Balkan Forum
16:15 – 16:30
Keynote speech “The role of civic education in democratic societies”
- Mrs. Antje Müller, Program Director of the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business
16:30 – 17:00
Discussion in two working groups
· How can I form my political opinion and what does critical thinking means?
· How to strengthen the role of (young) citizens in politics?
17:00 – 17:30
Presentation of the working groups and discussion with experts
17:30 – 17:45
Keynote speech “The war in Ukraine and its implications for the Western Balkans and EU”
- Mr. Dušan Reljić, Head of Brussels Office of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
17:45 - 18:15
Discussion in two working groups
· How the war in Ukraine is changing Europe?
18:15 – 18:45
Presentation of the working groups and discussion with the experts
18:45 – 19:15
Final remarks
Project conference from 26 - 30 November 2021 in Berlin
Agenda
Since 2020, a group of young citizens from the Western Balkans has been working on concrete ideas and projects that contribute to further strengthening democratic, peaceful, pluralistic and forward-looking development in their region. They work in specific thematic areas.
This group - initiated by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and crossborder factory - was formed in spring 2020 to contribute to the conference of the Foreign Office "YOUNG PEOPLE, MIGRATION AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGE IN THE WESTERN BALKANS" from the perspective of young citizens. After this conference, the young participants of the group decided to continue working on the implementation of concrete ideas in weekly online meetings and focused on three topics:
Making regional cooperation and regional mobility of young citizens in the Western Balkans stronger.
The aim is raising awareness among young citizens about the importance of the regional cooperation and regional mobility, in particular through organising discussions on challenges and potentials, as well as with a multifaceted advocacy campaign and within concrete discussion forums developing concrete ideas.
Establishment of independent civic institutions in the Western Balkans. The aim being to
strengthen the political and civic education and providing information to citizens via the offer of qualified, regional and European youth and adult civic education.
Contribute to a debate on climate change by discussing the so-called just transition concept.
The aim is to raise awareness among young citizens on the issue of climate change, its social, political, economic and socio-political consequences, by taking as an example the participation of young citizens in the process of "just transition" in the field of energy.
Due to the global pandemic, this group has so far only met in virtual space but in a weekly online working group. From 27 - 30 November, the group will meet for the first time for a working workshop in Berlin to present and discuss interim results of their work and to discuss further project steps.
Friday, 26 November 2021
Arrival until 18:00
Check in Hotel Ibis, Prenzlauer Allee 4, 10405 Berlin
Tel: +4930443330
Dinner
Saturday, 27 November 2021
Conference Room:
Crossborder factory
Saarbrücker Str. 24 / House D / 2nd floor
09:15 Transfer from the hotel to the conference room (walk 4 min)
09:30 – 13:00 Presentation of the agenda
“One way ticket no more”: group’s first real meeting - reviews, expectations, perspectives
Ice breaking exercises, discussion and brainstorming in the light of the current developments in the region
13:00 Lunch
14:30 – 18:00 Where do we stand in the work of the 3 group themes?
- Mobility and Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans
- Promotion of the development of civic centers in the Western Balkans
- Climate change and “Just Transition”
Introduction by one rapporteur per topic followed by discussion (60 minutes per topic)
19:00 Dinner talk: “We are all Europeans!”
Joint home-cooked Dinner
Sunday, 28 November 2021
09:30 - 12:30 What is needed and what is to be done? (Plenary session)
- Mobility and Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans
The Campaign to Strengthen Mobility and Regional Cooperation in the Western Balkans
- Promotion of the development of civic centers in the Western Balkans
- Climate change and “Just Transition”
Introduction by one rapporteur per topic followed by discussion (60 Min per topic)
12:30 Lunch
13:30 – 15:00 Work on presentations of Action Plans for the working groups
Group 1: Mobility and Regional cooperation in the Western Balkans
Group 2: Promotion of the development of civic centers in the Western Balkans
Group 3: Climate change and “Just Transition”
15:00 – 16:30 Presentation and feedback (Plenary session)
30 minutes long presentation and feedback on each group
16:30 – 17:00 Preparations for the upcoming meetings in Berlin
17:00 – 18:00 “A political walk through Berlin Mitte ” Guided tour
18:00 – 19:30 Visit of the Christmas market (Sophienstraße)
19:30 followed by dinner (Clärchens Ballhaus, Auguststr. 24)
Monday, 29 November 2021
10:00 – 12:00 One way ticket no more - Concrete steps and projects of young citizens for an encouraging development in the countries of the Western Balkans
Meeting with German Foreign Office (tbc)
12:00 Lunch
14:30 – 17:00 The role of civic centers and “civic education” in a democratic society
Meeting and discussion with NN, European Academy , Berlin
Georg Pirker, Association of German Educational Organizations /, Arbeitskreis Deutscher Bildungsstätten (AdB)
NN, Federal Agency for civic Education / Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BPB)
NN, European Academy Berlin
18:00 Opening of the civic Center of the Western Balkans/ Hybrid event
Presentation of concrete programme until July 2022 and our partners
18:30 “Regional cooperation and regional mobility from the perspective of young citizens”
Online-Round table with guests
Followed by a farewell dinner
Tuesday, 30 November 2021
09:00 - 11:00 Germany and the Western Balkans after the German elections - Discussion
Departure