Young people are not passive by nature, and their willingness to engage often depends on whether they have space to express their ideas, support to develop them, and a sense that their voices are genuinely heard. It is therefore important to create concrete opportunities for their participation, connect them with institutions and organisations that can support their initiatives, and show them that knowledge, activism and innovative ideas can have a real impact on community development, was the message conveyed today at the Youth Café, organised by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) at Cetinje Gymnasium.
“It is important for us to maintain direct contact with young people, to work on strengthening youth organisations, as well as young people who face difficulties in accessing education and the labour market, which is also a focus of this programme. At the same time, we are creating space for young people to engage directly with decision-makers and to participate more actively in processes that concern them,” said Nikola Đurašević,Programme Associate at CCE, at the opening of the event, noting that 12 smaller youth projects financially supported through CCE’s SYNERGY programme are currently being implemented.
The challenges and opportunities facing young people were discussed by Vlado Marković, youth activist, Dejana Dizdar, Secretary General at the Secretariat for Education, Sports and Youth of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, and Dr Anđela Martinović, founder and project development coordinator of the non-governmental institution Montenegrin Science and Technology Hub Znanje – Episteme.
Reflecting on the local administration’s approach to young people, Dizdar emphasised that the Old Royal Capital seeks to build a model in which young people are not merely beneficiaries of youth policies, but partners involved throughout the process, from identifying problems and proposing solutions to implementing initiatives. “Our goal is to develop a model in which decisions about young people are not made without young people. The local administration should create space for dialogue, enable direct communication with decision-makers and demonstrate that their participation can produce concrete results,” Dizdar said.
She also recalled an activity organised within the Europe Goes Local initiative, during which Cetinje hosted 45 experts and representatives of institutions working with young people from 11 European countries, noting that such exchanges provide opportunities both to present local experiences and to adopt good European practices. She also announced the launch of a Youth Parliament, through which young people will become familiar with the functioning of local government and work on concrete proposals to improve life in the community. She stressed that the aim is not to create an educational simulation, but to ensure that young people’s initiatives have a clear path towards the competent bodies of the Old Royal Capital. “This does not mean that every proposal can automatically be accepted or implemented, but it is our responsibility to ensure that every serious proposal is considered and that young people receive an answer as to what we can implement, within what timeframe and, if something is not possible, why,” Dizdar said.
From the perspective of young people, Marković pointed out that passivity is not predetermined, but is often the result of an environment in which young people’s ideas remain unrecognised and unsupported. “Moving beyond the role of observer requires an environment in which young people feel that their initiatives have value and can bring about concrete change,” he said. Marković noted that his interest in social sciences, from engagement at school to participation in international Model United Nations conferences, was often accompanied by financial and other obstacles. As an example of support that can open new doors for young people, he highlighted his experience with CCE, which provided him with support to participate in that international event. “There will always be walls along the way, but it is important to look for doors that can turn an obstacle into a new opportunity. Young people should not wait for the future, but should act now through their experiences, ideas and ambitions, because what we do today determines the future we will have,” Marković said.
Speaking about opportunities for young people in Cetinje, Martinović emphasised that the Youth4Smart Cetinje project, recipient of the international WSIS Champion Prize 2026, demonstrates that science, technology and innovation can be successfully developed in Montenegro when knowledge, commitment and cooperation are present. Through practical activities and mentoring, the project engaged young people in designing solutions to concrete community needs, connecting civil society, local government, scientists from the diaspora and other partners. She recalled that the project established a system for monitoring the fill levels of waste containers, marking Cetinje’s first step towards applying the smart city concept in Montenegro. The project’s broader significance is also reflected in its ranking among the five best in the world in the e-Environment category. “Young people today have more opportunities for education, professional development and international networking, but this does not necessarily mean leaving without returning. Knowledge and experience gained around the world can be brought back to the local community and transformed here into concrete initiatives. For more such examples to emerge, stronger and continuous systemic support for young people and their ideas is essential,” Martinović said.
Students of Cetinje Gymnasium also took part in the Youth Café, while Anja Novović, Una Đurković, Sofija Martinović and Vasilije Bogdanović shared their impressions. “We particularly appreciated that the discussion focused on topics that are close to us and genuinely relevant to our everyday lives, the opportunities available to us, but also the problems we face. The conversation was engaging and dynamic, the information was presented clearly and in a way that was easy for us to understand, and it was also important that we were not merely an audience, but had the opportunity to hear different experiences, ask questions and exchange views. Events like this are valuable because they give young people space to get involved, to better understand the opportunities available to them and to see that their ideas and views can matter. We would like to see more discussions and opportunities like this for young people to participate,” they said.
The Youth Café brought together more than 30 students of Cetinje Gymnasium, and the event is part of the programme “SYNERGY Montenegro – Strengthening Youth Networks and Empowering Resilient Groups and Young People in Montenegro”, implemented by CCE in partnership with the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and NGO Multimedijal Montenegro, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, with the financial support of the European Union and co-financing from the Ministry of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs.
Milica Borozan, Project Assistant