DATE: 18 MAY 2018, BELGRADE

The Foundation “Qemal Stafa” attended a two-day workshop on May 15-16 in Belgrade on the opportunities for developing new regional strategies in the Western Balkans, based on the SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) objectives.
The event was organized by Swedish Partners, the Olaf Palme Inernational Center (OPC) and the Center Party Foundation in Sweden.
Participants, representatives of Western Balkan political foundations from Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia discussed their common strategies and objectives and addressed methods on increasing the number of young people and women participating in political activities and in policy making.
Four new ideas were proposed at this meeting:
1. Strengthening of the cooperation of political parties and organizations to design effective policies for free and fair elections, human rights and gender equality.
2. Building platforms for fostering political dialogue and for the creation of party coalitions mainly in post conflicting countries and in countries with weak party systems.
3. Strengthening of political parties and organizations, as well as cooperation with each other and with various institutions (public office).
4. Strengthening the self-confidence and motivation of that part of society that is not involved in political processes and political decision-making processes, focusing on women’s participation in politics and youth participation.
Undertaking such initiatives is done to be closer to the cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans. A fruitful regional cooperation program is expected to strengthen maximum representation of young people and women in the policy making process.
It was also highlighted the need for ongoing political dialogue between the sister parties in the region and the promotion of party coalitions.