Demand to Governments in the Region – Establish Regional Exchange Fund

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR), a network of non-governmental organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia, calls on governments in the region to commit themselves to setting up of a Regional Exchange Fund, it was said at a meeting of activists of this network, held in Montenegro on October 31, 2010. The Regional Exchange Fund shall be working on forging new ties between young people from the countries that succeeded the former Yugoslavia and encouraging exchange of youth from these countries inspired by the Franco-German model.

In scope of activities aimed at enhancing regional cooperation, since its inception YIHR has been implementing the Exchange Programme between youth, journalists and other civil society actors, between Kosovo and Serbia in particular, as well as between other countries it operates in, through different educational and cultural projects. This YIHR programme has engaged more than two thousand young people to date. YIHR remains dedicated to establishing the communication among new generations and to establishing of Regional Exchange Fund.

YIHR believes that such a fund could contribute to breaking down prejudices, improving cooperation and understanding among youth in the region and facilitating the process of overcoming the burden of the recent wartime past.

YIHR was founded by young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia with a view to enhancing youth participation in societal democratization and strengthening the rule of law through the process of dealing with the past, as well as by establishing new progressive conections in the post-conflict region of former Yugolslavia.