Vienna, July 2-5, 2025
From July 2 to 5, 2025, a group of young people from Preševo and Bujanovac, together with representatives of civil society, youth offices, journalists and practitioners of Citizen Initiatives, stayed in Vienna on a trip marked by joint learning, networking and open dialogue.
This diverse group was united by a common desire to build more inclusive communities – places where everyone has the opportunity to participate, be accepted and contribute to shaping a better future. The aim of this visit was to deepen the understanding of how inclusive policies are designed and implemented in practice. The participants had the opportunity to get to know first-hand the mechanisms for the protection of minority rights, to learn more about strengthening civil society, inter-ethnic cooperation and empowering young people for active participation in decision-making.
Vienna was the ideal host for such a meeting. As a city of human rights, with a rich tradition of multilateral diplomacy and inclusive policies, Vienna provided inspiration and concrete examples of how local authorities can support diversity and build communities where everyone has a place and where diversity is a strength, not a challenge.
During two intensive working days, the participants had the opportunity to talk with international organizations, representatives of institutions and civil society organizations, including:
Inspirational talks in the OSCE Department for Southeast Europe
Meetings with the Delegation of the European Union to international organizations in Vienna
Exchange with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (Fundamental Rights Agency)
Visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria
Cultural and educational activities at the University of Vienna, Commonroom and Impact Hub Vienna
These meetings opened a space for learning, encouraged participants to think critically, plan for cooperation and recognize shared responsibility in building a more inclusive society.
However, the real value of this visit lay not only in the meetings with institutions and policy discussions, but also in the sharing of personal stories, experiences, dreams and challenges – across borders of ethnicity, professions and life paths.
The visit was rounded off with a discussion entitled “We make a home in the cracks: The practice of belonging and inclusion in a broken world.” This open and honest space brought together youth, human rights activists and artists from the diaspora to think together: How do we build a sense of home in places shaped by disruption, migration and change? It was a valuable opportunity to hear the voices of young people and explore the complex but beautiful process of creating a sense of belonging.
We ended the visit with a strong reminder:
“In an age when machines are getting better at being machines, humans must get better at being humans.”
The presence of these young people reminded us once again of the strength and beauty of community, as well as how powerful it is to come together to share, learn and together imagine a more inclusive society where everyone truly has a place. This is confirmed by their words – because they brought with them valuable insights and new motivation:
“The study visit was extremely important for me, not only as a personal experience, but also as an opportunity to reflect on the reality of our community in Serbia. We learned that there are no shortcuts – concrete work, open dialogue and mutual understanding are needed. Only by engaging together can we build a better future for everyone.” – participant of the visit
“For me, this visit was much more than ordinary meetings. As a girl from Presevo Valley, I had the opportunity to sit at the table with representatives of the OSCE, FRA and ministries – and to speak openly about discrimination and the struggle of young people and women from my region. I returned with more confidence and hope that my voice will not be alone.” – participant of the visit
This study visit was supported within the project “Empowering Albanian youth and improving integration into Serbian society”, implemented by Citizen Initiatives, and financed by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).
Vienna, 2–5 July 2025
From July 2 to 5, 2025, a group of young people from Preševo and Bujanovac, together with representatives of civil society, youth offices, journalists and Civic Initiatives interns, stayed in Vienna on a trip filled with shared learning, networking and open dialogue.
This diverse group was united by a common desire to build more inclusive communities – places where everyone has the opportunity to participate, feel accepted and contribute to creating a better future. The purpose of this visit was to deepen the understanding of how inclusive policies are conceived and implemented in practice. Participants had the opportunity to get to know the mechanisms for the protection of minority rights, learn more about building the capacities of civil society, interethnic cooperation and empowering young people for active participation in decision-making.
Vienna was the ideal host city for such a meeting. As a city of human rights, with a rich tradition of multilateral diplomacy and inclusive policies, Vienna offered inspiration and concrete examples of how local government can support diversity and build communities where everyone has their place and where diversity is a strength, not a challenge.
During the two intensive days, participants had the opportunity to meet and discuss with international organizations, institutional representatives and civil society organizations, including:
Inspiring conversation at the OSCE Office for South-Eastern Europe
Meetings with the Delegation of the European Union to international organizations in Vienna
Exchange with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Visit to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Cultural and educational activity at the University of Vienna, Commonroom and Impact Hub Vienna
These meetings created space for learning, fostered critical thinking, collaborative planning, and recognition of shared responsibility for building a more inclusive society.
However, the greatest value of this visit lay not only in the official meetings and policy discussions, but also in the sharing of personal stories, experiences, dreams, and challenges – across ethnic borders, professions, and personal histories.
The visit concluded with an open discussion in a fishbowl format on the topic “We Make Home in the Cracks: The Practice of Belonging and Inclusion in a Broken World.” This candid space brought together young people, human rights activists, and artists from the diaspora to reflect together: How do we build a sense of home in places shaped by divisions, migration, and change? It was a precious opportunity to hear the voices of young people and to explore the complex and beautiful process of creating belonging.
The visit ended with a powerful statement:
“In an era when machines are getting better at being machines, humans must get better at being humans.”
The presence of these young people reminded us once again of the strength and beauty of community, and how important it is to simply come together to share, learn, and imagine together a more inclusive society where everyone has their place. This is also evidenced by their words – for they took with them valuable experiences and a new sense of motivation:
“The study visit was extremely important for me, not only as a personal experience, but also as an opportunity to reflect on the reality of our community in Serbia. We learned that there are no shortcuts – we need concrete work, open dialogue and mutual understanding. Only with joint commitment can we build a better future for all.” – program participant
“For me, this visit was much more than formal meetings. I had the opportunity, as a girl from the Preševo Valley, to sit at the table with representatives of the OSCE, FRA and ministries – and to speak openly about the discrimination and challenges of young people and women from my country. I returned from Vienna with more confidence and with the hope that my voice will not remain alone.” – participant of the program
This study visit was carried out within the framework of the project “Empowering Albanian Youth and Encouraging Integration into Society”, which is implemented by Civic Initiatives and funded by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).
