Seven partner organizations from six countries — Belgium, Spain, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania — joined forces under the Empowering Human Dignity of EU and Western Balkans Youth project with a straightforward goal: give young people from both EU and Western Balkan countries meaningful opportunities to connect, learn and grow together, regardless of geographic or economic barriers. Looking back across the first period of implementation, that goal has been met with real results.

What we delivered — 28 online sessions across five program strands, engaging 274 participants from all six partner countries. The activities covered youth leadership, human dignity and EU values, critical thinking and media literacy, hybrid project participation, and intercultural dialogue — all delivered online, making them accessible to young people who would otherwise have limited access to international learning experiences.

Each partner brought something distinct to the table. World Youth Alliance Europe coordinated the project and, with SSM JIE, delivered advocacy-focused Academies for youth leaders, drawing on its expertise in connecting young people with EU values and human dignity education. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, BRAVO organized two Winter Academies — structured experiences that gave participants from across the Western Balkans practical tools in civic engagement and youth leadership.

The media literacy strand came alive through the work of EPOKA University in Albania, which designed and delivered a series of expert seminars on topics ranging from civic discourse and data privacy to the influence of artificial intelligence on the information we consume daily. AMJE from Spain added a complementary voice with its own event on the responsibilities of audiences in an era of information overload. Closing the circle on the intercultural dimension, KVRP from Kosovo hosted Intercultural Talks that gave participants from all six countries a genuine space for peer dialogue — on identity, shared values, and what it means to build bridges across borders.

Connecting virtual and in-person realities — A special element of the program was the Hybrid Projects strand, which connected online participants directly to existing in-person events, including international leadership conferences in Zagreb and Brussels. Young people from six countries joined conferences and expert presentations virtually — demonstrating that quality intercultural learning does not require physical travel, and opening doors for youth who could not otherwise take part. Certified Training Program sessions on human dignity and EU values were delivered in small groups, ensuring depth of discussion on fundamental rights, solidarity and democratic values. Dividing larger sessions into smaller ones was a deliberate choice by the partners, and it allowed more young people to participate than the original format would have permitted.

Impact and reach — Beyond the session figures, the first period produced strong outcomes: developed skills and competencies of youth workers, increased social inclusion, and soft skills gained by young people, including youth with fewer opportunities, from three Program countries and three countries not associated to the Programme. The activities featured a strong non-formal learning component aimed at fostering intercultural learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and the recognition of competencies young people had developed. To amplify the impact beyond direct participants, the consortium produced press releases and newsletters throughout the period, alongside a continuing social media campaign.