Is peace a state we are aspiring to, and do we understand its significance only when it is at stake? Is diversity a value, wealth, or a threat? This concept cuts sharply through society, leaving young people with the obligation to find an answer. I ask myself these questions when traveling through the Western Balkans region where I often meet most diverse social structures. In that situation, I see bones of contention everywhere, and very few solutions. On the faces of people with whom I had long talks about this topic deep emotions were looming, mostly lament, or rather hope. Usually this latter one, which presents itself as a belief that the future holds something better, strongly attracts and links me to the interlocutor. Seems that ``Similis simili gaudet``.

If I could notice something based on all my experiences, without entering into an obscure field of generalization, then I would say that young people are those who more than seniors express hope as the backbone of their thoughts about the future of the Western Balkans. If our aim is progress, then shackled axes from the past are something we need to get rid of. The more liberal minds, that is those who know that wars/violence have never brought something good to any nation, should be in the position to lead. Therefore, young people, when thinking about the future, should start to build bridges of understanding, cooperation, and solidarity among themselves. In other words, by assuming the role of “Piemont” to create a road towards reconciliation, they should be the sun on the horizon that leads us to a prosperous future.

The mere application of already existing models as a solution to a problem doesn`t always yield good results. One bright example, showing that it sometimes does work, is the concept of youth cooperation, as the well-known Franco-German product, stimulated through different types of exchanges, seminars, conferences, seems to be faultless, also in the case of the Western Balkans. Nevertheless, the involvement of young people brings along a huge risk of indoctrination, especially in the case of youngsters in politics. Therefore, I consider that the aforementioned various types of informal cooperation should be prioritized, as they represent a chance for them to meet and communicate. By communicating they are given an opportunity to understand the other side. Once having reached that point, they will be able to cooperate in the future when crucial decisions will be upon them to take.

This summer, as a scholarship holder, I attended two summer schools, one of which was an international event which took place in Austria, and the other one was regional, held in Montenegro. When making a parallel between these two, I came to the conclusion that both were immensely inspiring to me because of the authenticity of the places, people I met, and ideas I came up with afterward. Soon after coming to Alpbach, I realized why it was a life-changing experience instead of just an event. It was mostly because of the unique chance to meet around 700 scholarship holders from all around the world with whom I was debating different aspects of diversity and resilience in Europe, and to attend lectures delivered by many influential figures with diverse backgrounds, namely, the former UN Secretary General, European Commissioners, Nobel winner of economics, statesmen, etc. The second event, in Montenegro, gathered young people from Western Balkan countries providing them with an opportunity to exchange experiences, brainstorm new ideas, foster trust between youth belonging to different ethnic groups. The same conclusion came out from both experiences, namely, that voices of youth have a capacity to make visible changes, therefore, they are meant to be raised, be heard and commissioned for a common good to achieve sustainable peace in the region, Europe, or elsewhere. 

Like many young people in the region, I too see the changes in my mindset, then thinking about it, I realize that it took some time and effort to reach that point. It doesn’t happen all of a sudden, as it requires one to run out of the comfort zone and embrace new circumstances which bring along a different vision of the world. Ultimately, exchanges, gatherings and cooperation with people coming from different backgrounds represent an invaluable experience which can bring answers to questions and doubts that throw the shadow of fear on everything that is different. Therefore, youth cooperation in the Western Balkans will strengthen the bonds between different nations, ensuring the resilience of the region.

If we know that the discord has transformed us into a less relevant underdeveloped region, why not now change that discourse, and united in peace work towards cooperation so that we progress and shine together. In the end, our diversity is the value and wealth from which we can all benefit!

Author: Bojana Lalatović