Veles/Ohrid/Mavrovo, February/March 2024 – Over 30 young participants from nine municipalities in North Macedonia joined the camp in Ohrid from February 28 to March 2 to develop initiatives promoting intercultural dialogue among youth. The participants strengthened their capacities to create community-specific solutions and partnerships.
The ideas of the youth included volunteer opportunities for young people, empowering them with a stronger voice in municipalities, legal training for participation in decision-making, a technology, design and business development hackathon, inclusion of youth with disabilities, youth collaboration through street art, and uniting youth around plastic recycling campaigns. Youth from different cultures and communities build trust through the camp and collective work. The initiatives contribute to creating positive narratives about diversity, inclusion, and encouraging interaction among community groups.
Advanced-level training of trainers for youth on topics related to promoting constructive narratives, collaboration, intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding, and trust was held from February 18-22 in Veles.
After a total of 14 sessions, advanced theoretical lectures, interactive tutorials, and group work, the participants successfully enhanced their knowledge and skills as peer educators. During the four-day training, topics related to identity, culture and intercultural dialogue, conflicts, peace, reconciliation, and youth activism were in focus.
Additionally, the participants expanded their knowledge of mentoring, specifically providing constructive feedback, and diligently planned upcoming workshops to be conducted at the local level.
Simultaneously, from March 7 to 10, a Creative Training – Media Products Boot Camp was held in Mavrovo, with the participation of 15 young creative people from Veles, Struga, Ohrid, Bitola, and Gostivar.
The participants acquired knowledge and skills in the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling, investigative journalism, audio and video story production, as well as video and audio editing and preparation of video and audio segments through theoretical lectures and practical tutorials. Additionally, they familiarized themselves with the techniques of journalistic photography as an addition to journalistic stories.
The participants collaborated in groups with guidance from their mentors to develop stories related to the needs and challenges young people face at the local level. During the training, the topics of media products on which they will continue working in the following period were established.
One of the series of published media products - podcasts, is a podcast featuring a discussion between activists Sara Milenkovska, co-founder of the "Stella" network and researcher on gender issues and policies, and Rita Behadini, co-founder of the Center for Equal Opportunities "Bubamara". The conversation focuses on positive changes in areas related to online violence, namely cyberbullying, as well as issues related to gender equality and building trust through constructive narratives.
All activities are organized within the framework of the regional project "Youth for Inclusion, Equality, and Trust," implemented by the Youth Educational Forum in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
