On June 5th, took place in Tirana the Info-Day of the Gear UP! project – a strategic initiative co-financed by the European Union (DG INTPA) through the DEAR Programme – of which the Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion is a partner and is implementing its activities in 8 EU countries and 5 IPA countries in close collaboration with Marche Region (Lead Partner) and several other organizations. The event was dedicated to the presentation of the Public Call for IPA Countries, in particular for Albania and North Macedonia.
The final beneficiaries are mainly young people, Local Authorities and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) coming from different parts of Europe. The project capitalises on AIE’s long-standing commitment to empower Western Balkan youth in better connecting with the EU, understanding its processes and engaging with them.
The event was attended by AIE Vice President Aldrin Dalipi, who, after the institutional greetings, underlined that the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion is taking the lead in facilitating youth engagement in decision-making processes at EUSAIR level, bringing Adriatic Ionian Youth closer to the EU. Vice-President Dalipi recalled that AIE’s main achievement under the AI-NURECC PLUS initiative was the creation of the Adriatic Ionian Youth Network, the first transnational network of youth organisations in 10 EUSAIR countries.
Vice-President Dalipi concluded that the GearUP Info Day in Tirana, marks another step in this process which focuses on empowering youth and giving them a voice.
Albanian Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment, Ilva Gjuzi, stated that young people are the most important resource of a territory and therefore it is necessary to invest in them, reiterating the need for their greater involvement. Youth engagement and involvement encompass a wide range of activities, from contributing to community projects to actively participating in decision-making processes. It’s about creating opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in their own lives and the lives of their communities, fostering their growth, developing their skills, and shaping their future.
The Secretary General, Francesco Cocco, underlined how the Adriatic Ionian Euroregion placed special emphasis on youth by establishing and supporting the Adriatic-Ionian Youth Network (AIYN), a group of youth organizations from various EUSAIR countries. Several youth-led events under the AIYN were organized during the implementation of the AI-NURECC PLUS project. Youth organizations from ten EUSAIR countries participated in discussions on how to contribute to EUSAIR-related youth engagement initiatives, both at the EU institutional level and through actions undertaken by EUSAIR governments and technical structures.
Francesco Cocco reported on a long-standing and coherent youth action in collaboration with the EU, starting with the AI-NURECC project, continued with the Youth4Cohesion and AI-Nurecc Plus projects, and now with the Gear-Up project and the Smart Youth project.
The representative of the Lead Partner, Natalino Barbizzi (Marche Region) presented the main elements, objectives and activities of the GEAR-UP project, highlighting that GEAR UP! focuses on empowering Local Authorities, Civil Society Organisations and in particular Youth Organisations, to play a more active role in global citizenship education and sustainable development.
Finally, the Secretariat staff, Carmela Vaccaro, presented a Public Call aimed at supporting youth organisations in Albania and North Macedonia, which will offer concrete funding and capacity building opportunities for initiatives promoting awareness of global issues, civic engagement and cross-border cooperation.
The Secretariat staff strongly encouraged all Albanian youth organizations to consider this call for proposals and contribute to the creation of a more inclusive, conscious and sustainable future.
The Info Day was an important opportunity to strengthen the engagement, cooperation and global citizenship of young people in Albania.
Satisfied with the large participation of young people, many from the Universities of Tirana, we hope that the event will be the starting point for new collaborations, partnerships and a greater presence of young people in regional and European development.
