YOUTH AND THE FIGHT FOR CHANGE

Kosovo youth isn’t seeing prosperity and development but corruption and nepotism. We should support change, we should have a lot of care about who to give our vote to represent us in the Assembly, to raise their voice for us. We’ve been subjected to it enough and Kosovo youth has the opportunity to express their revolt, to punish those who’re extinguishing our dreams.

Illustration: Argjira Kukaj

Most of the governing politics and public discourse is developed by talking about youth and the solving of youth’s issues. But, actually the solutions offered for young men/women, haven’t solved their problems. Governmental politics haven’t been able to empower youth and make it more active in the public and community sphere. There’s an initiative to change legislation on youth so that youth mechanisms are proactive and effective in youth representation. Young people blame governmental and local institutions for not supporting youth. Loss of trust and the increase of the blaming dose towards the institutions, makes it so that young men and women are discouraged to be active and engaged in public and community issues. The low participation rate of young people in decision-making activities, such as public consultations, budget hearings and other forums is a sign that the functioning and communicative chain between young people and public institutions is disconnected.

The elections just passed, promises, favors and communication toward youth reached its peak like never before; in every election gathering, every debate, and especially in the rare communications with youth had its mouth filled with youth, with lots of words for empowering and improving the conditions for us. By seeing their proximity during the elections, many young men and women decide to join a political subject, since as we’ve also learned from our system, that in the near future if power is gained they’ll be one of the first ones to use the trend of nepotism, to get employed and ensure an income, firstly “enough to eat and drink” and then, with work and commitment (always for the party) with hope to get promoted in other positions no matter the community but placing themselves first. Getting a membership in a political subject is undoubtedly the right of everyone, but, in an isolated, destroyed place where every citizen’s dreams can’t dare or even have hope to expand widely, with the main blame on the politics until today, is this the right decision, or would it be better finding alternative roads to achieve our requests?! In a place that is placed last in PISA, in a place where only 23% of young people are pleased with the education system, in a place where 90% of young people believe that grades can also be bought. Besides education, another degradation or lack of another space is also in youth’s employment, where we’re the place with the highest level of unemployment in the Western Balkan region, 58% of young people believe that it’s “very important” to have relatives in order to find a job, 35% think that you should possess a membership card for a party.

I don’t want to stop at statistics or data any further, but, Kosovo youth isn’t supported in any sphere whatsoever. Kosovo youth isn’t seeing prosperity and development but corruption and nepotism. We should support change, we should have a lot of care about who to give our vote to represent us in the Assembly, to raise their voice for us. We’ve been subjected to it enough and Kosovo youth has the opportunity to express their revolt, to punish those who’re extinguishing our dreams.

About the author: Aurel Haxhiu is a political sciences student at UBT.