Hera

August 31, 2026

Youth Connect: Building Inclusive Participation through Local Partnerships

Young people in North Macedonia are routinely excluded from local decision-making — despite being directly affected by policies on education, public spaces, and community development. Through Youth Connect: Building Inclusive Participation through Local Partnerships, implemented by HERA – Health Education and Research Association in partnership with the National Youth Council of Macedonia and supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) under the RYCOgnizing YPS grant scheme, we worked to change that.

The project focused on strengthening youth participation, building local partnerships, and supporting youth-led peacebuilding across North Macedonia — through the establishment and revitalization of Local Youth Councils, capacity building for young people, and deeper cooperation between youth, municipalities, civil society, and institutions.

Capacity Building Training, Veles

A four-day training in Veles brought together more than 50 young people from municipalities across the country. Through workshops, discussions, and practical exercises, participants built skills in youth participation, advocacy, democratic engagement, local governance, and the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda — and developed concrete local initiatives to carry home.

Municipal Partnerships

The project team held meetings and dialogues with six municipalities — Gostivar, Struga, Probishtip, Kisela Voda, Bogdanci, and the City of Skopje — to encourage institutional support for Local Youth Councils and stronger youth participation mechanisms. Memoranda of Understanding were signed with Gostivar and Probishtip, while several others expressed commitment to supporting youth-led initiatives. Local Youth Councils in these municipalities are now developing Action Plans through active dialogue with young people and institutions.

Upon the invitation of the Mayor of Gostivar, the project also facilitated a regional meeting with municipalities from the Polog region to share good practices, exchange experiences on Local Youth Councils, and explore further cooperation.

National Youth Forum "Here to Stay!", Skopje, May 2026

The Forum was the project's defining milestone. More than 200 young people, institutions, municipalities, civil society organizations, and international partners gathered in Skopje to discuss youth's role in democratic development and peacebuilding. Participants produced a Youth Declaration with concrete recommendations on youth participation, accountability, inclusion, mental health, environmental justice, and local governance.

Outreach and Communications

Social media campaigns, videos, media coverage, and public events amplified young people's voices and promoted meaningful youth participation and the YPS agenda — reaching thousands online and offline, and opening new channels for dialogue and civic engagement.

"Before this project, I didn't believe young people could really influence decisions in our municipality. After the training and the Forum, I realized that our voices matter when we, young people from different communities, organize together and speak up." — Participant from Struga

The project demonstrated that young people are active partners in building more inclusive, democratic, and peaceful communities, besides being merely beneficiaries of change.

POLICY PAPER