Name: Social services for the youth at risk in the Western Balkans: a collection of policy briefs
Description: This document is prepared within the project “Civil Society Organizations in Western Balkans and their role in provision of social services and prevention of social exclusion – phase II” financed by Sida and implemented by BCSDN.
In terms of social and economic empowerment of the youth at risk, support services have been an impetus for their social inclusion, as one of the most important aspects of
the integration of this target group in the social and economic life of the country. The challenges created by natural and civil emergencies during the last three years in Albania, such as the 2019 earthquake and the global Covid-19 pandemic, increase the need for support services for the youth at risk.
Youth groups that are most vulnerable to the phenomenon of social exclusion, such as the youth belonging to Roma and Egyptian communities, the youth coming from informal settlements, at risk of exploitation, trafficking, and illegal migration, more target groups in conflict with the law, present increasing problems. Therefore, a need to develop multi-disciplinary services emerged over the years, addressing the aforementioned phenomena, and bringing a systemic approach to the provision of more sustainable community-based services. This approach will favour and influence the youth empowerment in addressing their needs, reducing phenomena related to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, and will promote the values of active citizenship as such.
During these years of transition, the Albanian government has made efforts to provide support and services to the youth in the country. The opportunities offered are mainly related to the programs of professional training and economic empowerment of youth. But the number of youth centres and resource centres remains very limited and focused in the bigger municipalities. Existing youth centres are mostly run by the CSOs and depend on their project funding.
The model of support services offered by the sector of non-profit organizations is one of those that have proven to be efficient in the context of the integration of youth at risk. Even though the primary duty of state institutions is to offer integration services to this target group, it turns out that there are very few services of this category offered at the national level.
Authors:
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Feđa Mehmedović, Amer Džekman
Healthy Options Skopje (North Macedonia – Vlatko Dekov)
Initiative for Social Change ARSIS (Albania – Anduela Valle
NGO Juventas (Montenegro – Marija Ružić Stajović)
NGO Labyrinth (Kosovo – Muharrem Ademi)
Prevent Association (Serbia – Ivana Jovanović)
Date: October 20222