• 2025-09-10

Supported Regional Informal Youth Groups from the Western Balkans

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe (RYDE)

As part of the Active Achievement Fund for 2025, five regional informal groups have been selected for support. This sub-granting initiative is implemented within the framework of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe (RYDE) project, funded by the European Union. The implementation of their three-month projects began on September 1, 2025, and will last until November 30, 2025.

The Call for project proposals for the Active Achievement Fund for 2025 was open to the regional groups composed of at least 5 young people from at least 3 Western Balkan countries. These groups are not formally registered and have a low level of formality and weak technical and managerial skills.

The aim of the program is to empower youth in the Western Balkans to participate in a structured dialogue on public policies relevant to youth, advocate for the adoption of European values and strengthening of democratic and responsible institutions and promote regional cooperation and political, economic and social benefits of the EU integration for the Western Balkans societies.

Here is the list of supported informal groups in 2025:

• Informal Group: United for Property Justice (composed of five young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro).

Project name: “Property Rights Beyond Tradition: Her Land - Her Voice”.

The main objective of the project is to contribute to reducing the gender gap in property ownership and inheritance across the Western Balkans (especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo) by increasing awareness, knowledge, and capacity among women, especially young women, regarding their inheritance rights and the mechanisms for their protection.

Intermediary partner organization: Regional Academy for Democratic Development (ADD), Novi Sad, Serbia

• Informal Group: GenWB (Generation Western Balkans) (composed of nine young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia).

Project name: “Plan B(alkan): Youth for Reform”.

The main goal of this project is to raise awareness among young people and improve their understanding of the Western Balkans Growth Plan (specifically in Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia), by analyzing the implementation of key reforms, financial allocations, and youth-focused policies, and by translating complex policy content into accessible, youth-friendly formats.

Intermediary partner organization: NGO Info Center Foundation, Skopje, North Macedonia

• Informal Group: Youth Pulse Network (composed of five young people from Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo);

Project name: “Youth Pulse: Health Talks Forum".

The main objective of the project is to raise awareness among youth about mental and reproductive health and involve them in structured conversations with health decision-makers, such as Local Units of Health Care Services or Health Care Centers in localities. Through forums, surveys, and advocacy, the aim is to build young people’s confidence to speak on health issues and generate recommendations for better youth health policies.

Intermediary partner organization: Youth Act Center, Tirana, Albania

• Informal Group: BalCANians (composed of five young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia).

Project name: "Opportunity RYDErs".

The project aims to empower 18 young ambassadors from Bela Palanka, Foča, and Štip to promote EU mobility and volunteering programs like Erasmus+, ESC, and DiscoverEU to at least 150 peers. It aims to increase applications, build peer support, and highlight the real benefits of EU integration for youth, fostering a stronger connection to the European community through collaboration with schools and local authorities.

Intermediary partner organization: Center for Democracy Foundation, Belgrade, Serbia

• Informal Group: Red Lines (composed of five young people from Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo).

Project name: “Red Lines - Breaking the lines of menstrual stigma and silence”.

The main objective of this project is to challenge menstrual stigma and promote a cultural shift towards openness, dignity, and justice by actively engaging and empowering young people (particularly in underserved regions) to raise awareness of menstrual health as a human rights issue, dismantle harmful myths and taboos, strengthen youth advocacy and social media activism, and build sustainable, youth-led movements that foster inclusive dialogue and long-term change in their communities.

Intermediary partner organization: Kosovar Stability Initiative, Pristina, Kosovo

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe (RYDE)