On April 3, 2025, Sarajevo’s Goran Čengić Hall welcomed over 2,000 visitors for STARfest 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s largest youth-focused career development and employment festival. Bringing together high school and university students, young jobseekers, parents, businesses, NGOs, and institutions, STARfest provided a dynamic platform to explore career paths, engage in skills-building workshops, and meet some of the region’s top employers and changemakers. Among the inspiring voices at the event were Young European Ambassadors (YEAs), who actively contributed to the conversations around youth empowerment, mental health, sustainability, and the future of work.
The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) were well represented at the event, with Emina Balota, Alen Kubat, Emina Odobašić, Eljesa Maxhuni, Flori Imeri, Andrea Darabašić, Anton Gjolaj, and Uroš Šestović actively engaging with participants throughout the day.
Throughout the programme, YEAs took part in workshops, panel discussions, and informal meet-ups, representing the YEA network and its mission to foster youth participation, regional cooperation, and the promotion of European values across the Western Balkans.
They actively promoted the YEA network and WeBalkans platform as a key space for youth engagement in the region, while also informing participants about a wide range of EU-supported opportunities- ranging from mobility and education programmes to youth-led projects and cross-border collaboration initiatives.
“STARfest really stood out as a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas,” said Flori Imeri, one of the participating YEAs. “I had the chance to dive into topics I’m passionate about, like mental health and sustainability, and engage in meaningful conversations with young people who are eager to make a difference. It was both inspiring and motivating to represent the YEA network and promote the WeBalkans platform as a tool for youth empowerment in the region.”
By sparking meaningful conversations and exchanging experiences with peers, the YEAs helped create an atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration. Their participation at STARfest 2025 reinforced the importance of youth-driven initiatives and highlighted the value of platforms that empower young people to shape their futures locally, regionally, and beyond.
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