U-Report for the Western Balkans
Regional digital platform supporting youth activism ‘U-Report for the Western Balkans’ launched
PODGORICA, 16 May 2018 – What are young people interested in, what would they change within their local communities, and how would they solve the problems they are facing? A chance to jointly find the answers to these questions is given to young people from Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo through the first regional digital platform “U-Report for the Western Balkans”.
U-Report is already being used by 42 countries throughout the world, but this one is particularly important because it is the first U-Report for three countries – Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro. It will be possible to analyse its results for each individual country, going right down to the level of municipalities, but also for all three countries together.
“U-Report for Western Balkans” was launched simultaneously in Pristina, Tirana and Podgorica.
On that occasion, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Afshan Khan, invited young people from the region to join the global community of U-reporters, comprising of more than five million young people.
Your opinions, your ideas, your dreams… these should always be considered when there are decisions that will have an impact on your lives.
UNICEF Representative to Montenegro, Mr. Osama Khogali, reminded that the future of the entire society depends on today’s young people.
Because we know that, as much as your future may be in our hands today, our future is certainly in your hands. We, the adults in the room, have an obvious choice to make today – we must invest in you – we must prepare and equip you for your tomorrow.
At the event in Podgorica, Andrijana Paljusevic and Ognjen Sekulic took the floor on behalf of young people.
Ognjen invited all his peers to apply for the U-Report using Messenger and Viber and to start using this new online service which is free and anonymous. He explained that every month two surveys will be conducted among young people by means of U-Report. “I am inviting government institutions, youth organisations and those dealing with young people to call us. Feel free to suggest a survey you would like to conduct”.
Nenad Koprivica, a representative of the Ministry of Sports, is confident that U-Report will facilitate participation of young people in the society.
I believe that through continued cooperation and this platform we shall create the preconditions for young people to actively participate in the policy- and decision-making processes.
UN Resident Coordinator to Montenegro, Ms. Fiona McCluney, reminded the audience that the digital platforms launched so far by the UN System, in cooperation with national partners, have achieved impressive results.
Through U-Report, Montenegro will be able to gather valuable information on an array of issues, while young people in Montenegro will have a user-friendly way to engage.
Through “U-Report for the Western Balkans”, young people in Pristina, Tirana and Podgorica will join U-reporters, some five million of them throughout the world, who are using this tool to share opinions on the issues affecting them and to exercise their influence on the development of youth policies and services.
