Written by Tringa Thaqi, Young European Ambassador from Kosovo
Change rarely begins with something dramatic. Rather, it starts with a question, a perspective or the feeling that something could be done better. Disagreement can be part of that process. When we question the way certain issues are approached, it allows us to look beyond established ways of thinking and consider what could be different. But recognising the need for change is only the beginning. What comes next requires time, well-founded arguments, persistence and the willingness to remain engaged even when the results are not immediate. Change should not necessarily be understood as something negative. We need to strip it of this connotation and see it instead as a chance to question what has become familiar, create new possibilities and take the first step towards something better.
This is particularly relevant to the Western Balkans. We are a region with a complex but rich history, and while its difficult chapters continue to influence the present, they should not determine the limits of what comes next. On one hand, building a more stable and connected region requires political commitment, institutional work and cooperation among states. On the other hand, and often less visibly, it requires stronger connections between people, particularly those who will live with the consequences of today’s decisions for decades to come. Lasting stability cannot be built by institutions alone. It also depends on trust, understanding and the willingness to engage with one another with a shared vision for the future, knowing that the challenges we address today should not become a burden that future generations have to carry.
This is where young people have a distinct role to play. Not simply as the leaders of tomorrow, a phrase we hear often, but as members of the communities whose direction is being shaped today. Young people can question what has become normal, bring new perspectives into public conversations and approach challenges without being entirely defined by divisions inherited from previous generations. Their meaningful participation should therefore not be treated as an additional element of European integration, but as part of creating the foundations on which that integration can be sustained.
My engagement in public and social spheres has continued to open spaces for learning, participation and exchange. The Young European Ambassadors network has given me another space to put this into practice through connections with young people across the Western Balkans and Europe. Being part of YEA has opened many doors for me. Some have led to opportunities to work in areas that matter to me, while others have led to conversations, collaborations and perspectives that have shaped the way I approach my work.
This is one of the most valuable aspects of regional cooperation. Countries can work together through institutions and formal agreements, but relations take on a new meaning when people from those countries meet and discover that many of the issues they encounter are not unique to one place. Such encounters do not erase differences, nor should they. Instead, they create room to understand them better and find common ground while preserving the richness of different perspectives.
The European integration of the Western Balkans is therefore not only about aligning institutions or fulfilling formal requirements. It is also about creating a culture in which dialogue, mutual respect and a sense of shared responsibility become part of how we relate to one another. This is where networks such as YEA can contribute, by bringing young people together across borders and giving them the space to turn ideas and experiences into action within their own communities.
The impact of youth engagement can be understood much like a ripple effect. Its significance lies not only in the immediate outcome of an initiative, but also in the ideas, relationships and actions it sets in motion beyond it. What begins in one place eventually reaches much further. Meaningful change does not require one person to change everything. It begins when someone decides that something can be different and takes the first step, without knowing how far its impact will reach. Perhaps the more important question is not only how we understand the issues around us, but whether we also consider what role we can play in shaping what comes next.
