Funded by the European Union · CERV · Project No. 101253022
risebalkans@gmail.com Instagram LinkedIn
RISE Balkans logo – Empowering Youth Voices RISE BalkansEmpowering Youth Voices across the Balkans

Project Goals

RISE Balkans aims to strengthen youth participation in democratic life, transparency and anti-corruption initiatives across Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania and North Macedonia. The project pursues 3 specific objectives, which guide its 15 work packages, moving step by step from research and capacity building to youth-led action, institutional dialogue and exchange at European level.

Objective #1

Knowledge, skills and motivation

Increase the knowledge, skills and motivation of young people to participate meaningfully in democratic decision-making, with a focus on good governance, transparency and anti-corruption. This is pursued through national research, thematic Good Governance Clinics, the training of Youth Civic Drivers, Governance Talks and experiential Youth Bootcamps.

Work packages: WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP6

Objective #2

Youth-led civic initiatives

Empower young people to design, implement and sustain civic initiatives that promote responsibility, integrity, solidarity and engagement in governance. Young people are supported to lead their own initiatives with mentoring, to produce storytelling outputs and to engage directly with decision-makers through national policy dialogue forums.

Work packages: WP3, WP5, WP6, WP7 and WP8

Objective #3

Regional cooperation and advocacy

Strengthen regional cooperation, cross-border peer learning and youth advocacy for democratic reforms and participatory policymaking across the Balkans and the EU. Regional online events, an online final conference and an advocacy and study visit to Brussels foster solidarity, shared learning and European civic activism.

Work packages: WP9 to WP15

Presentation of research findings to young people at a RISE Balkans workshop in Tirana

Who is the project for?

  • University students and academically active young people aged 18–26, who can act as multipliers of civic participation in their communities.
  • Young people with fewer opportunities, including young people from rural areas, ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ youth, young people with disabilities and young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Youth and civil society organisations, educators, public authorities and policymakers, who engage with young people through the activities of the project.

Our sustainable Impact

  1. In the short term

    More than 4,000 young direct participants learn how laws are made and how they can influence public decisions, and gain the confidence to take part.

  2. In the medium term

    Young people move from individual learning to collective action, forming cross-border networks on good governance, anti-corruption and participatory democracy, while youth organisations become stronger.

  3. In the long term

    Civic education content becomes part of academic curricula and training programmes, the open-access tools of the project remain available, and lasting channels of dialogue connect young people with decision-makers at local, national and EU level.