Stronger Voices for Better Choices is a project supported by the European Union and implemented within the Youth Hub for Western Balkans and Türkiye Network, coordinated by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, in partnership with Beyond Barriers (Albania), Institute for Youth Development KULT (Bosnia and Herzegovina), NVO Prima (Montenegro), Democracy for Development (Kosovo*), Youth Alliance Kruševo (North Macedonia), and Community Volunteers Foundation (Türkiye).
With adequate capacities and strong regional networking, civil society organizations (CSOs) play a crucial role in mobilizing citizens and addressing key challenges emerging from transition processes. One of the most pressing challenges is ensuring the meaningful inclusion of young people in political, economic, and social transformation processes.
Launched in November 2024, the project builds on the long-term commitment of the Youth Hub for Western Balkans and Türkiye Network to creating an enabling environment for greater social, economic, and political participation of young women and men across the region. Special attention is given to the inclusion of marginalized youth, including young women and girls, Roma youth, youth with disabilities, minorities, and young people from rural areas. The project seeks to reach those who often lack access to information and opportunities, are not active in local communities, or remain disengaged from the EU accession process.
The Youth Hub for Western Balkans and Türkiye Network
The Youth Hub for Western Balkans and Türkiye Network is a regional network of 92 youth organizations working to strengthen youth participation and engagement in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye.
The network was established in 2016 by five founding organizations: Partners Albania for Change and Development (Albania), Mladiinfo International (North Macedonia), NVO Prima (Montenegro), Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation (Serbia), and Community Volunteers Foundation (Türkiye).
The partnership expanded in 2020 with the inclusion of Youth Alliance Kruševo (North Macedonia), and further in 2023 with Beyond Barriers (Albania), Institute for Youth Development KULT (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Democracy for Development (Kosovo*).
Youth hubs are local, youth-led organizations that design and implement their own initiatives while supporting other local youth projects through fundraising, project management, and promotion. The added value of this model lies in its ability to connect young people, local governments, and the business sector, fostering sustainable local development.
Youth Participation Index
As part of its core activities, the Network publishes the annual Youth Participation Index (YPI), a unique methodology for collecting data and monitoring youth participation in decision-making processes across political, economic, and social spheres.
Based on data collected continuously since 2016, the Youth Participation Index provides a comprehensive overview of trends and youth opportunities through 25 indicators of political, economic, and social participation. It serves as a practical tool for policymakers and civil society organizations to design evidence-based programmes aligned with the real needs of young people, while also enabling the monitoring of positive and negative trends over time.
Each edition of the Index places particular emphasis on the position of young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
The eighth annual edition of the regional Youth Participation Index (YPI) Vol. 8, presented in April 2025, pointed out the insufficient representation of young people in political life throughout the Western Balkans and Turkey, the exclusion from employment and education of certain categories of young people, as well as risks such as long-term unemployment and poverty, especially for young women and those living in the countryside.
Project Approach and Key Results
The project applies three core methods to achieve its objectives:
- Strengthening evidence-based policymaking and the implementation of youth-related reforms in the Western Balkans and Türkiye, with the Youth Participation Index as a key outcome.
- Enhancing advocacy capacities and regional cooperation of more than 90 CSOs to influence decision-making processes and public debate on youth issues.
- Increasing the engagement, visibility, and impact of CSOs in raising public awareness, mobilizing citizens, and promoting civic participation among young people.