Held under this year’s slogan, “Democracy Speaks Back!” Youth Summit created a regional space for young people to discuss democratic backsliding, youth participation, transitional justice, media freedom and human rights, while jointly developing recommendations that will inform future advocacy and cooperation across the Western Balkans.
This year’s edition was particularly significant as the Youth Summit took place in Novi Pazar – a city that has emerged as an important symbol of solidarity, empathy, and civic resistance thanks to the student-led movement and broad citizen support. By moving beyond regional capitals, this year’s Summit recognized the importance of local communities in shaping democratic change and highlighted that some of the region’s most important political conversations are increasingly happening outside traditional centres of power.
The Summit opened with welcoming remarks by Summit hosts – Demir Mekić, YIHR activist from Novi Pazar, and Vijola Fejzullahu, young activist from Livrit Creative Centre in Preševo, who welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of creating regional spaces where young people can openly discuss shared challenges and collectively imagine democratic alternatives, followed by opening remarks from Bojana Selaković, Coordinator of the National Convention on the European Union, and Anna Chiara Vigna, Junior Adviser to the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue. The opening ceremony also included messages from Irena Joveva, Member of the European Parliament, and Serbian student activist in political exile, Mila Pajić.
Democracy, Truth and Participation
The programme featured three panel discussions addressing some of the region’s most pressing democratic challenges.
The opening discussion, “What Changed After Youth Spoke Back?”, moderated by Aleksandar Milanović (YIHR Serbia), brought together Luka Dmitrović (Europe Elects), Jona Cenameri (Faktoje) and Risto Saveski (Youth Educational Forum) to discuss recent civic mobilisations and youth-led democratic movements across the Western Balkans.
The second panel, “Beyond Denial: Youth-Led Efforts for Truth and Justice in the Western Balkans”, moderated by Ivana Nikolić (YIHR Serbia), featured Branimir Đurović (YIHR Serbia), Mirela Osmanović (Srebrenica Memorial Center), Adelina Hasani (KIPRED) and Senad Šabović (European Institute of Peace), focusing on war crimes denial, memory, accountability and reconciliation.
The final discussion, “Democracy Without Citizens?”, moderated by Iva Georgijev (YIHR Serbia), brought together Rina Kadiri (YIHR Kosovo), Kenan Alić (Sandžak Center for Democracy) and Naser Šabić (YIHR Bosnia and Herzegovina) to examine democratic participation, institutional trust and civic engagement.
From Discussions to Recommendations
Alongside the panel discussions, participants worked in four thematic groups dedicated to Democracy & Participation, Reconciliation & Future, Freedom of Media & Speech, and Human Rights.
The workshops were mentored by Ivana Nikolić, Tamara Šmidling, Vladimir Arsenić, Jona Cenameri, and Melina Mikić Božanić, who guided participants in exchanging regional experiences and developing practical recommendations on strengthening democracy, media freedom, reconciliation and human rights.
Building Regional Connections
Beyond the official programme, participants explored Novi Pazar through a guided memory walk, literary workshop “My Meaning of War, My Meaning of Peace” and informal networking activities that encouraged dialogue, exchange of experiences and the creation of new regional partnerships.
The eighth YIHR Youth Summit concluded with participants presenting the key recommendations developed during the four thematic workshops. Together, these proposals will form the basis of the Novi Pazar Youth Summit Declaration 2026, which will be published in the coming weeks.
The Declaration will bring together the collective conclusions of more than 110 young participants from across the Western Balkans, offering recommendations for governments, European institutions, civil society organizations and international partners on strengthening democracy, reconciliation, media freedom, human rights and youth participation throughout the region.
As participants departed Novi Pazar, they carried with them far more than workshop conclusions. They left with new partnerships, regional friendships and a renewed commitment to defending democratic values through solidarity, dialogue and collective action.
Under the theme “Democracy Speaks Back!”, this year’s Youth Summit reaffirmed that democracy is not sustained by institutions alone. It is strengthened every day by citizens who choose to participate, organize, challenge injustice and imagine a more democratic future together.
This project is funded by the European Union, German Development Ministry (BMZ) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the donors.
