From 25th to 29th April 2025, Contemporary art center Skopje, NMK and Deli-Nish, SR, organized a workshop entitled “Youth, Culture, and Activism for Change”, in Mavrovo, North Macedonia. Project is financially supported by RYCO (Regional Youth Cooperation Office). The workshop focused on using culture, art, and activism as tools for initiating change and fostering cooperation.
We explored topics such as creative and artistic activism, youth and cultural diplomacy, intercultural collaboration, self-organization, development of local initiatives, reconciliation and conflict resolution through art and culture, support for minorities, as well as cross-border and regional cooperation.
During these days, we had the wonderful opportunity to work with a group of about 20 young people (aged 21 to 28) from the region. We discussed issues related to culture, activism, and social transformation. We were honestly and very positively surprised by their perspectives—how they believe problems should be solved, how citizens can organize, and how they perceive both the challenges and the opportunities within our societies.
We were truly impressed and inspired by the values they expressed and stood for—justice, solidarity, professionalism, and togetherness. We were moved by the empathy they showed toward different social groups, and the commitment and courage they demonstrated in defending their views and visions for a better future and a better Western Balkans.
Overall, it seems the future isn’t so dark—if we just offer a little help to these young people to scatter the dark clouds that have hovered over our skies for decades.
Thank you, Anastasija S. and P., Angela, Elena, Ilina, Kamelija, Martin, Andrej, Gjole, Milan, Ljazi, Ema, Ozbek, Filip, Teodora, Čedo, Veljo, Bogdan 1 and 2, Dejvid, Angel…
Thank you, not only for the wonderful experience and dedicated work, but even more for reminding us that what we’ve been doing hasn’t been in vain, that not everything is as bleak as it sometimes seems, and that with you, there is real hope for a better future, a better N. Macedonia, Serbia and a better region.
