A series of open days promoting the new call for Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) continued last week with YEAs presenting their network in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

On 9 June, YEAs from Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted the YEA Open Day at Europe House in Sarajevo. In cooperation with the EU Delegation in BIH, the event featured a YEA presentation and a celebration of 35 years of the Erasmus programme but also a lively discussion with Ambassador Johann Sattler. Around 50 young people won prizes at the YEA quiz and had a great time meeting new friends.

On 10 June, YEAs from Kosovo hosted the YEA Open Day at Europe House Pristina. On this occasion, YEAs and the EU Delegation organised an open discussion between the EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Tomáš Szunyog, the YEAs and the young people who had gathered.

The week ended with Strumica and Niš Open Days where YEAs met with their peers and invited them to join the network to become the third generation of YEAs.

The YEA platform is a creative network of young activists from across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). YEAs come from different backgrounds, yet they all share a common vision: the Western Balkans united in diversity. They learn about each other and the EU together, pursue creative projects, acquire new skills, connect via social media, and organise inspiring events – always driven by the idea that activism in youth is the most powerful force of social change.

The aims of the network are: to share EU values; to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Western Balkan partners; to showcase the tangible results of this cooperation; to contribute to policy dialogue on various topics; and to help increase civic activism.