Youth Empowerment: Encouraging Citizenship Engagement and Entrepreneurship in the Polog Region

Within the civic engagement grants awarded by Civica Mobilitas, the Institute for Leadership and Public Policies is one of the partners of the Association for Democratic Initiatives – Gostivar, which will implement activities under the project entitled “Youth Empowerment: Promoting Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurship in the Polog Region.”

The primary target group of the project consists of young people aged 15 to 29. Additional target groups include civil society organizations, informal groups, activists, media representatives, the business community, local authorities (mayors and councilors), local socio-economic councils, and local institutions from the Polog region.

The overall goal of the project is to improve the social environment in which young people in the Polog region operate, particularly by raising awareness of youth migration, while fostering civic engagement and entrepreneurship.

Planned activities include:

• Research on the causes and current status of youth migration from the Polog region;
• Public debates to present and discuss research findings;
• A workshop on local civic advocacy;
• A two-day training for 20 young people on civic engagement;
• A two-day training on entrepreneurship and the development of practical leadership skills;
• Open networking events;
• Implementation of an informational campaign;
• Organization of a joint event promoting traditional crafts and values in Gostivar;
• Organization of a joint event for civil society organizations and food producers in Tearce.