International Youth Conference “European Values for Southeast Europe”

In September 2015, Kruševo, a town in Macedonia was again host to the International Youth Conference, gathering 60 youths and representatives from NGOs from 16 countries. The aim was that the youths endorse a common set of values such as human dignity, freedom, equality and a respect for human rights.

The program included a diverse mix of experts, activists and academics and diplomats covering topics such as the spending of EU funds in the respective countries of southeastern Europe, the migration crisis, ideas for a European social model in the 21^st century, protests in the region of southeastern Europe and the future of southeastern Europe within a wider Euro-Atlantic context, the relationship between governments and the media as well as investigative journalism.

Furthermore, one of the sessions focused on the relationship between radical ideologies and democracy, where questions of radical right-wing parties in Europe was addressed providing the notion that these parties represent a huge threat to Europe in a political sense and that space for moral responsibility in politics must be created.

One of the keynote addresses was given by the German Ambassador in Macedonia, Dr. Christine D. Althauser, which was followed by a short panel discussion on the ongoing refugee crisis.    

In one of the concluding sessions, Dane Taleski gave one of the authors gave a presentation of the FES Dialogue SOE papers “Lost in Democratic Transition -  Political Challenges and Perspectives for Young People in South East Europe”.

For more information on the International Youth Conference visit the following link:

http://yia18.org/2015/07/13/international-youth-conference-european-values-for-the-future-of-the-southeast-europe-krusevo/