YEA of the Month September 2023

My name is Adi Softić, Young European Ambassador from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I am an experienced chairperson with a long history of work in the entertainment industry, culture and event management. ​

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Buckingham.
I am also the co-founder of the ‘Ex Files Maglaj’ project which archives surviving photographs and belongings following the floods of 2014.

YEA of the Month August 2023

My name is Luka Grandić, Young European Ambassador from Serbia.

I study graphic design, and through my designs and artworks, I try to spread European ideals and values.

I took part in the Sarajevo Film Festival this summer on a Human Rights programme.

Listen to what I have to say about my incredible experience!

YEA of the Month July 2023

My name is Taulant Ferati, I am Young European Ambassador from Kosovo*.

In 2021, I co-founded an NGO called ‘Follow UP’ to provide reintegration services for marginalised communities.

I am very passionate about philosophy and politics. As a young historian, I want to use my passion and future profession to impact Kosovo’s cultural and political development.

YEA of the Month June 2023

My name is Xhuljana Mucaj, I am Young European Ambassador from Albania who is currently pursuing a Master of Laws at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

I previously studied Law and Business Administration while advocating for equal opportunities.

In my opinion, it is important to support young people living in rural areas in achieving all they wish for.

YEA of the Month May 2023

My name is Mila Mladenova, YEA from North Macedonia. I am a 22-year-old medical student enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.

I am a founder and vice president of Youth Empowerment Association, a civil society organisation which aims to promote youth participation and active citizenship in order to achieve better youth policies & greater involvement of the young population in the decision-making process.

Over the past two years, as I am the Young European Ambassador, I have actively organised and participated in numerous events and initiatives across the Western Balkans and the EU addressing crucial topics such as health, media literacy, environment, human rights and the EU integration.

This May I had the chance to celebrate Europe Day in the heart of the European Union, Brussels, and engage in insightful discussions with EU representatives about the most pressing issues of our time and the opinions and perspectives of the young people in the region.

YEA of the Month April 2023

My name is Edina Osmanović, YEA from Montenegro. I am a young women entrepreneur from Montenegro, an innovator, youth and ecological activist, and hopefully a leader of tomorrow.

I recently obtained a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurial Economics – Business Psychology and Management, where I graduated on the topic ‘The impact of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Negotiation Skills on the Socio-Economic Development of the Western Balkans’.

I am trying to be a voice of positive change via social media and street activism, by promoting human rights, equality, women’s entrepreneurship, innovation, and trying to raise awareness about the social issues that we are having in our community and the region.

YEA is a great platform, which gives us the opportunity to be a young game changers in the region and to show all of the values and possibilities that young people are having in the Western Balkans.
I believe that this is showing us that we can become another bridge between Western Balkans and the European Union.

YEA of the Month March 2023

My name is Hadžera Selimović. I study Political Science and International Relations at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology (SSST)/University of Buckingham in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the age of 12, I have volunteered and worked on youth activism projects in my country and abroad. I am a former volunteer coordinator with seven years of experience at festivals in Sarajevo, including PitchWise Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Aljazeera Balkans Film Festival and Youth Film Festival.

I am the Head of the Enter Student Club at the SSST. In 2019, I participated in the Youth Leadership Program in Dayton, OH, USA, organised by the US Embassy in Sarajevo. Additionally, in 2019 I became a fellow of the BOLD Leaders network in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Moreover, in 2020, I won a grant from the US Embassy to implement a civic engagement project.

I have also been a TED-licensee since 2020 and was the founder and organiser of the first TEDxYouth event in south-east Europe, TEDxYouth@Ferhadija. In August 2021, I became an alumna of the Summer School for Refugee Rights and Migration organised by the UNHCR. As of August 2021, I have been a part of Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations project. In October 2021, I spoke at the UNESCO SEE Regional Conference ‘Media and Information Literacy for Public Good’.

YEA of the Month February 2023

My name is Fatima, I’m an 18-year-old high schooler, youth worker, activist and passionate about psychology.

I have been volunteering for the Centre for Autism and Developmental Disabilities since I was 14. I was on many Erasmus projects so I met and learned a lot about different cultures and became interested in organizing events for young people and raising awareness of the importance of youth activism in my community.

I am also very passionate about photography. The photo exhibition ‘Naši Heroji’ (Our Heroes) that I had in the museum Ras, Novi Pazar, represented black and white portraits of children with autism and Down syndrome. In my first project in 2021, funded by the U.S. Embassy, I tried to make a deep connection between teenagers from my school and children with developmental disabilities, and help them with understanding each other while developing their social skills.

Being a YEA can help me be even more successful and give me more experience in every aspect of youth activism.

YEA of the Month January 2023

Stjuart Islamaj is our young star of YEA coming from Albania.

Being a student at the University of Tirana, Faculty of History and Philology studying Journalism and Communication, Stjuart is also a trainee at the European House in Tirana helping his country on its way to EU on daily basis.

A true activist in the areas of human rights, EU integrations, and youth activism, he has always enjoyed socializing, helping, and being in constant touch with people.

When he was in middle school he came across an organization called Vlora Youth Center, and participated in the awareness-raising campaign against Gender Inequality. From that day on, his mission stayed the same – to be engaged in youth activism and help shape and transform his community into a better place.

Stjuart also enjoys creating digital content on social media so make sure you follow him – on TikTok too!

YEA of the Month December 2022

Damjan is a wonderfully inspiring young person who has a clear vision of what the role of young people in today’s society represents: leadership, activism, and dedication.

Not only has he been one of the most active YEAs on WeBalkans events, but he is also very active in his local community. He organized our street action for International Women’s Day in Kumanovo as well as the event which promoted the 6th European Youth Goal, Moving Rural Youth Forward together with Europe House in Kriva Palanka.

Furthermore, he loves painting and he runs a small art shop! He enjoys reading and writing poems, essays, and short stories as well. One of his biggest passions is theatre and cinema. He also loves the feeling of being helpful and helping other people. He is passionate about environmental protection and believes that only by taking care of our planet and each other, we can thrive in a better future.