(NON ) INVOLVEMENT OF YOUTH IN DECISION MAKING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF PEJA 

Ilustration: Studio Permanent

 

The engagement of young men and women in political processes and decision making is fundamental in the formulation of contemporary and future politics. Inclusive participation is not only a political and democratic fundamental right, but it’s also crucial in the building of stable and peaceful societies and the political development that answer specific needs of young generations according to the ACE electoral knowledge network. In order for the youth to be represented in an adequate way in political institutions, decision making processes, and especially in selection, they have to know their rights and to be given the necessary knowledge and capacities in order to participate in all forms and levels.

The engagement of the youth in decision making processes increases the level of democracy in our country and also offers the decentralization of power in many ways. Further on, the engagement in these processes enables the youth to create special experiences, which can serve them in the future. Research shows that the young women and men who are offered support and opportunities to partake in decision making processes have higher self-confidence levels, make positive career choices and a higher level of engagement and responsibilities in the future. 

Although in Kosova we often hear the phrase “youth is our future”, it is unclear how much our youth is actually treated as such, and how many mechanisms and possibilities there are for them to contribute to their country. This reality varies from country to country. While in the developed places research shows that there is a trend of the increase in engagement of the youth in decision making processes, the same trend is not present in our country. Often the youngsters are deprived of their freedom or completely detached from political processes, thus leading to a considerable fraction of our population having little or no voice and impact in decisions that affect their lives directly. 

According to research from the Democratic Institute of Kosovo, taking place in 2018 with the title “ The research report of the opinion: Related to the beliefs and behaviors of young voters,” shows that one in 10 youngsters has been engaged once in political processes while only one out of five youngsters has been engaged more than once in political processes. 

Among the causes that contribute to the non-engagement and lack of perspective of the Kosovar youth, according to an editorial entitled “Youth in decision-making” by Drita Dibrani, published in D4D, are “the lack of economic perspective, political passivity and the lack of integration and organizational awareness, moral and social. An attribute in this social contrast is also the lack of political horizon in this key phase, as well as the wars between generations”. When this lack is observed at the central level, and then translated into local policies, the emptiness and the need for radical changes become even more apparent.

A similar situation can be found in the municipality of Peja, although according to the director for culture youth and sport in Peja, Xheneta Syka, intensive work is being done in this sector and different opportunities for the youth are being created. She highlights that there are projects which will be functionalized and help the youth.
“We have invested in public spaces (infrastructure)  and the engagement in volunteer work” , says Syka.
She highlighted the last YLM (Youth Leading Municipality) project which she did together with some international organizations.
Besides this there is no sign of real improvement. Even the youth council seems to be dysfunctional and anonymous. Further on,  there are not enough  attempts made in the inclusivity of youth and formal processes of the municipality as is it seen from the last public hearing of August 2022 where there was a high absence of youth, out of 70 participants there were only three youngsters that represented their organizations and they didn’t pose any requests for the youth.
Currently the governing crew of the municipality of Peja  is anonymous and there is no information with regards to who the participants of this government are in the municipality’s webpage. So we don’t know who is representing the citizens of Peja. 

We discussed the situation of youth in the Municipality of Peja with the Non-Governmental Organization Syri i Vizioni in Peja, which was created by the young men and women of Peja and has youth as part of their field of action. According to Naser Lajçi, project manager in this Organization, it shows that “there are investments in infrastructure, but there is a lack of a detailed analysis for the use of these centers which must be harmonized with the requirements of the Labor Market”. He shows that as an organization they have independently invested in professional education in the Municipality of Peja, always connecting it to the labor market. It should be invested in digital campaigns and brochures should be offered to let the youth know about the opportunities they have.

 

 

About the author: Eris Hasanaj is a student at the University of Pristina in the Department of Political Science.

 

This grant is supported by Austrian Development Agency