Issue
Forty percent of Albania’s population is under 25, but a decade of insecurity and declining opportunities has left many young people alienated and demoralized. Twenty percent of the 15-24 age group has left the country in the past 12 years. A 2001 UNICEF/OSCE youth opinion poll found that 44% of young Albanians expect to live in another country (preferably Western Europe or North America), and only 1% believes politics will contribute positively to the development of their country. Add to this the high rate of unemployment, falling quality of education and rise in human trafficking, prostitution, drug abuse and the threat of HIV/AIDS -- and the outlines of a crisis in adolescence quickly emerge. Young people’s views and capacities must be part of the process as the country shakes off its past and works to become a modern democracy and join the European Union. UNICEF’s strategy is designed to support young people’s participation in Albania’s development. Projects to date have demonstrated that youth have enormous capacity and a vital role to play in shaping their country’s destiny. Some statistics may differ from UNICEF's official data due to differences such as definitions and sample size. Complete official UNICEF data can be found on the main UNICEF website at www.unicef.org
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