Western Balkans Forum for Progressive Youth

The Olof Palme International Center and the Swedish International Liberal Centre are taking a joint Swedish initiative, aiming at establishing a network for progressive social democratic and liberal youth in the Western Balkans region. This work is carried out in close co-operation with the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party of Sweden.

A common problem in the countries targeted is that much of the international contacts between parties and organisations are made on a central level as funds are lacking for the younger activists to meet across the borders. The aim of this project is to create new networks and meeting grounds for members of liberal and social democratic youth movements.

Concerning the activities the ambition is to arrange a series of meetings over the years 2007-2008 where separate matters will be discussed to identify the common concerns as well as those perceptions which separate the different ideological groupings.

The first meeting, apart from a planning session in Stockholm, is planned to be held in Moster on the 30th of August to the 2nd of September 2007.

Mostar conference

A planning session was organised on 18-19 February 2007 in Stockholm. The schedule of the conference, the themes, the participants, the timeframe leading to the conference and its follow-up was defined. The planning session in Stockholm decided that a first conference is to be held in Mostar between the 30th of August to the 2nd of September 2007.

The themes for the years 2007-2008 are education and unemployment in relation to the EU, as these two issues are a main concern of all youth movements in the Western Balkans. Theses themes will be considered within the framework of the Copenhagen Criteria (democracy, rule of law, human rights, functioning market economy, and adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union), which are requirements for EU membership.
The discussion around the selected themes will not begin at the conference. By starting the discussion and cooperation between movements before the conference we want to ensure that the conference itself will be as valuable as possible, focusing on substantial issues. Therefore discussion has already started through discussion papers produced on the different themes. Comments on the documents can be made by members of the forum.

Based on the original document and the comments a new draft for discussion will be produced and presented at the conference.

Draft paper on Youth Unemployment

Draft paper on Education