The Empowering Western Balkan Youth for a Greener Future project is a regional initiative that equips young people of contracting parties from Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia with the tools, knowledge, and practical experience they need to lead the region’s green transformation.
We connect university students, recent graduates, and marginalized youth with opportunities in the renewable energy sector, especially solar energy. Through advocacy training, hands-on internships, intercultural exchanges, and community-led campaigns, this project promotes youth leadership, environmental responsibility, and regional cooperation.
Empowering Youth for greener future
About the Project
Our Goals
Boost Green Advocacy
Empower educated youth to engage in environmental policy discussions and support Western Balkans’ alignment with EU climate goals.
Create Green Job Opportunities
Train marginalized youth in solar energy and green entrepreneurship to improve employability and reduce brain drain.
Foster Regional Unity
Bridge cultural and ethnic divides through shared environmental goals and intercultural collaboration.
Lead Partner
Friends of Korça Association
Partner Organizations
Coalition of youth SEGA,
enter for Sustainable Development,
local universities,
high schools,
solar and green energy companies.
Action for Green Growth
Driving change through training, advocacy, and intercultural connection.
Intercultural Meeting
A Regional Exchange on Sustainability, Advocacy, and Green Opportunities
1. Site Visit: FIX PRO Company (May 29)
- Focus: Practical insights into the green economy.
- Highlights: Showcased circular production, solar energy adoption, recycling
initiatives, and sustainable agriculture aligned with the Green Agenda for the
Western Balkans. - Outcome: Highlighted the growing potential for green jobs and internships for
youth, inspiring participants with a scalable model for regional sustainable
development.
2. Session at Fan S. Noli University: “Empowering Youth for a Greener Future” (May 29)
- Focus: The role of youth leadership and academic collaboration in driving the
Green Agenda. - Highlights: University students presented sustainability projects; civil society
organizations shared best practices in advocacy; RYCO outlined funding
opportunities for regional initiatives. - Outcome: A strengthened commitment to collaboration between academia, youth
organizations, and regional partners for education and joint green initiatives.
3. Afternoon Session: Local Advocacy & Youth Action (May 29)
- Focus: Community-based environmental action and youth-driven solutions.
- Highlights:
– Korça Alpin NGO presented decades of work in eco-tourism, forest protection,
and education.
– Preca College students presented their "solar school" initiative to install panels
and promote renewable energy. - Outcome: Identified challenges (funding, engagement) and plans for increased
regional collaboration and support for student-led projects.
4. Session in Pogradec: “Youth Advocacy for Biodiversity Protection” (May 30)
- Focus: Protecting the Ohrid-Prespa ecosystem through youth activism.
- Highlights: Discussions on grassroots campaigns, successful advocacy
strategies, and the need for stronger cooperation with local institutions and
donors. - Outcome: A shared commitment to strengthen youth networks and pursue joint
environmental projects, reinforced by a site visit to Drilon National Park.
5. Final Session: Advocacy Plan for the Green Agenda (May 30)
• Focus: A practical workshop on designing youth-led advocacy initiatives.
• Highlights: Provided a framework for setting goals, target audiences, and
communication strategies for priorities like solar energy, circular economy, and
biodiversity protection.
• Outcome: Participants left equipped with a model for local action and expressed
strong enthusiasm for future collaboration and applying lessons learned in their
communities.
Overall Conclusions & Follow-up
The exchange successfully:
• Fostered intercultural dialogue and regional partnerships.
• Empowered youth by showcasing tangible green opportunities in business, academia, and advocacy.
• Generated concrete follow-up plans, including:
- Promoting local success stories and regional partnerships.
- Supporting youth training and internships in green companies. o Developing and implementing local advocacy plans for sustainability.
• Fostered intercultural dialogue and regional partnerships.
• Empowered youth by showcasing tangible green opportunities in business, academia, and advocacy.
• Generated concrete follow-up plans, including:
- Supporting youth training and internships in green companies. o Developing and implementing local advocacy plans for sustainability.
Equipping Youth with Green Job Skills
In summer 2025, marginalized youth from Korça, Prilep, and Bar gained hands-on training and internships in local solar and green technology companies. Organized by a coalition of NGOs, this initiative provided practical, job-ready skills to enhance employability and inspire green entrepreneurship.
Beyond reducing youth unemployment, the project strengthens regional human capital by combating brain drain, fostering social cohesion, and aligning the Western Balkans with EU sustainability goals through local economic growth.
