Ahead of International Youth Day, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) warns that the position of young people in Montenegro has not substantially improved, despite frequent political rhetoric describing them as “the country’s most valuable resource.” In reality, young people remain among the least represented groups in decision-making processes, while facing limited opportunities for quality education, employment, professional development, and meaningful participation in public life.
Through years of research and direct engagement with young people, CCE has consistently pointed out that many of them do not see their future in Montenegro. The reasons remain largely unchanged – a lack of prospects, distrust in institutions, the feeling that knowledge and hard work are not sufficiently valued, and the perception that political and social opportunities remain closed to young people who are not part of political or other privileged networks.
Young people are most often mentioned during election campaigns or on commemorative occasions, while comprehensive and long-term youth policies remain absent. As a result, they are denied equal opportunities to participate in shaping decisions that directly affect their future. This approach deepens apathy, weakens trust in institutions, and further encourages young people to leave the country.
At the same time, young people are increasingly exposed to social polarisation, hate speech, disinformation, and various forms of manipulation in the digital environment. This is why the education system must place greater emphasis on developing critical thinking, media and digital literacy, democratic culture, and civic values, while strengthening programmes that encourage active youth participation in society.
Through its long-standing work with young people, CCE continues to create opportunities for their development. Through the SYNERGY Montenegro programme, implemented together with partners and supported by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and the Ministry of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs, we invest in strengthening youth policies, building the capacities of organisations working with and for young people, and supporting initiatives that provide them with concrete opportunities for growth. Through two calls for proposals, 17 projects with a total value of EUR 277,910.65 have been supported, involving 26 civil society organisations from all three regions of Montenegro and five public institutions. These projects focus on developing career and digital skills, protecting mental health, promoting youth employment, and increasing young people’s participation in democratic processes, while addressing the concrete needs of local communities.
CCE believes that young people are not asking for privileges – they are asking for equal opportunities. It is therefore essential that institutions move beyond declarative support and develop policies based on the real needs of young people, enabling them to have a genuine influence on decision-making. A society that sees young people only as its future, but excludes them from its present, risks losing precisely the generations it expects to drive its development.
International Youth Day, marked on 12 August, was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the challenges facing young people and to encourage governments to develop policies that improve their quality of life and strengthen their participation in society.
Milica Borozan, Programme Associate