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FGYO's networks
- Published : 18.06.2026
Published by: OFAJ | DFJW
Networking Meeting in Tirana: Youth Shaping the Europe of Tomorrow
Published : 18.06.2026
From 8 to 12 June 2026, professionals in international youth work from eight countries met in Tirana. The participants exchanged ideas on how to strengthen young people's participation in society at the multilateral level.
Albania continues its path toward membership in the European Union. For several weeks, large civic movements, particularly driven by young people, have been mobilising across the country. Against this backdrop, youth workers, representatives of associations, educators, trainers, and stakeholders involved in international youth exchanges from Germany, France, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia gathered in the Albanian capital.
The networking meeting was organized within the framework of the Franco-German Youth Office’s (FGYO) Southeastern Europe Initiative by its regional coordinator at Peuple et Culture (France), together with partners from the Interkulturelles Netzwerk association (Germany) and RIAS (Albania). Around 20 professionals discussed how to build a more supportive, democratic, and inclusive Europe.
The current situation in Albania played a particularly important role in the discussions. Many young people in Albania are actively engaged in environmental protection, the preservation of natural habitats, and the promotion of greater citizen participation. This generation wants to have a voice in decision-making and actively shape its future. Participants emphasized that these aspirations resonate far beyond Albania’s borders.
Through workshops and exchanges on best-practice projects, professionals and multipliers addressed the challenges facing youth organizations today: social polarization, democratic engagement, mental health, ecological transformation, and access to international mobility opportunities. These concerns are widely shared by young Europeans across national borders.
As the European Union continues to deepen its relations with the countries of Southeastern Europe, participants stressed that European integration goes beyond institutions. It is built through encounters, cooperation, and lasting relationships.
The networking meeting aligns with the Sarajevo Declaration, adopted in 2025 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Southeast Europe Initiative. Under the motto “United Youth for a Common Future,” the declaration calls for the creation of a European space for young people based on reciprocity, inclusion, and solidarity.
In Tirana, participants reaffirmed this vision. They also highlighted the educational approach that has guided the initiative for more than 25 years: intercultural encounters are spaces for democratic learning, where listening, cooperation, and mutual understanding form the foundations of European citizenship.
The FGYO thanks all participants, associations, and guests for the discussions and valuable contributions, including H.E. Karl Bergner, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany; H.E. Catherine Suard, Ambassador of the French Republic; Dafina Peci, Executive Director of the National Youth Congress of Albania; Alketa Kuka, Director of the Goethe Center Tirana; Odeta Barbullushi, Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Tirana; and Evis Myftari, Head of Office of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office in Tirana, as well as representatives of the Young Southeast Europe Society (Germany), Opens Youth Alliance (Serbia), and NUV Optimisti (Montenegro).
