Public Debate “Stop Peer Violence”

As part of the project “Strengthening Youth Capacities for Advocacy and Lobbying with Local Decision-Makers,” the final Youth Debate on the topic “Stop Peer Violence” was held on November 20, 2024, at Europe House Bitola.
The debate was moderated by psychologist Marija Mladenovska-Dimitrovska, and young participants had the opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion on one of today’s most pressing issues: peer violence and cyberbullying. The consequences of violence on the mental health of young people were discussed, as well as how they can recognize violence and protect themselves.
The debate ended with positive messages of love, hope, support, empathy, and mutual understanding, aimed at building a better society for all.
This initiative is implemented in cooperation with Europe House Bitola and SFERA International, with financial support from the Municipality of Bitola.

Public Debate: “What Motivates Me?”

As part of the project “Strengthening Youth Capacity for Advocacy and Lobbying with Local Decision-Makers,” the second Youth Debate was held on November 11, 2024, at Europe House Bitola.
He spoke about the path to success, the numerous titles, and individual awards from his playing career, emphasizing that defeats should be understood merely as lessons for personal growth.
The young participants also had the chance to hear inspiring ideas on improving sports and culture in Bitola, as well as insights on how teamwork and collaboration contribute to positive outcomes.
This initiative is implemented in cooperation with Europe House Bitola and SFERA International, with financial support from the Municipality of Bitola.

Youth Initiatives for the Municipality of Bitola

At the focus group meeting within the “Youth Pulse Initiative for Novaci and Bitola” project, implemented by Pro Local, the main challenges faced by young people in Bitola were discussed. Despite mentioning various daily challenges, the youth highlighted two priorities, which could later be proposed as initiatives to the Local Government:
Outdoor sports events in Bitola
Monthly cultural events in Bitola
As part of the project, a social media poll is planned to select one of the two initiatives.
This activity is carried out within the “Practicing Democracy” project, implemented by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, with support from the British Embassy in Skopje.

Public Debate: “Social Media and the Mental Health of Young People”

Considering all the challenges young people face daily, mental health care should never be neglected!
In this regard, as part of the project “Empowering Young People for Advocacy and Lobbying with Local Decision-Makers,” a Public Debate on the topic “Social Media and the Mental Health of Young People” was held on October 28, 2024, at Europe House Bitola.
The debate moderator, Stanislav Petkovski, a specialist in clinical psychology, discussed with the youth the positive and negative aspects of social media and how the internet and social media influence the increase in mental health issues among young people.
This initiative was organized in collaboration with Europe House Bitola and SFERA International, with financial support from the Municipality of Bitola.

Music is one of the most powerful and universal ways of expressing ourselves

On October 25-26, 2024, the 12th training workshop was held in Ohrid as part of the project ‘Empowering the People of Pelagonia 2.
The two-day training began with a workshop on personal development titled „The Rhythm of Resilience – How Music Shapes Our Emotions“. Together with the expert Jasna Dimitrovska, a psychologist and vocal artist, the participants discussed how music helps connect words or ideas with emotions. The young participants also emphasized that music serves as a tool for improving their emotional lives and overall mental health. Finally, a practical session was held where participants had the opportunity to create their own playlists based on selected emotions.
The day ended with Dejan Risteski, an IT expert, who presented a digital tool for two-way communication that all young people from the Pelagonian region will be able to use to communicate with municipal employees.
The second day began with Viktoriya Dimeska, a participant from the first generation of the project ‘Empowering the People of Pelagonia 2,’ who shared her experience in the project aimed at encouraging civic activism and enhancing self-confidence among young people from the Pelagonia region.
The two-day training concluded with Vladimir Velichkovski, an expert in local and regional development, who spoke on the topic of ‘Competence and Capacity’ as part of the 12 Principles of Good Governance. Through a presentation and discussion with the young participants, he addressed the responsibilities of local self-government, aiming to provide more information about the capacity and competence of local authorities and services for citizens and youth.

Research on the degree of citizens’ satisfaction with the digitization of the services of the Municipality of Bitola

Within the project “Bitola 2.0 – Digital municipality closer to the citizens” as part of the Western Balkan Enablers for Reforming Public Administrations – WeBER 3.0 project, a survey was conducted on the degree of satisfaction of the citizens from the digitization of the services of the Municipality of Bitola. This research is part of a wider strategy to improve the services offered by the municipality, to achieve greater benefits for the community.
The purpose of the survey was to collect information about citizens’ experiences with digital services, to identify areas for improvement and to create foundations for further initiatives. The survey was designed to study various aspects of digitization, including accessibility, usefulness, efficiency and general satisfaction with services.
The received comments and suggestions from the citizens will be of essential importance for the advancement of digital services. They will help in creating a more efficient and inclusive municipality, which will satisfy the needs of all citizens.
During the following months, the Municipality of Bitola will continue to analyze the results and implement the necessary improvements in digital services, in order to create a more efficient and informative experience for all citizens.

Strengthening the capacities of young people for representation and lobbying at the local level

On October 2 and 3, the first activity took place in the form of a two-day training for the engagement of young people in the development of public policies and their involvement in the work of the LMS and the municipality, in which they learned how to participate in the process of developing public policies and how their engagement can contribute to positive changes in the community.
This process focuses on developing skills, knowledge and tools with which young people can effectively influence local authorities and represent their interests in the work of the Local Youth Council and the municipality, ensuring greater transparency and cooperation with the municipality.
This initiative encourages youth activism and encourages young people to shape their environment, contributing to building stronger and more inclusive communities.
The initiative is implemented in cooperation with the Municipality of Bitola, Europe House Bitola and Sfera International.

Youth Initiatives for the Municipality of Novaci

The “Youth Pulse Initiative for Novaci and Bitola” project, implemented by the organization Pro Lokal, organized a focus group in the Municipality of Novaci to identify the main challenges faced by young people and encourage new initiatives to address them. During the meeting, topics such as education, employment, social inclusion, and youth activism were discussed. Specific project ideas were also considered, which could later be proposed to the local government.
After a two-hour discussion, the youth proposed two priority initiatives: the Youth Center Novaci and the Folk Dance Group – Novaci.
As part of the project, a social media voting process is planned to select one of the initiatives.
This content was prepared within the framework of the “Practice Democracy” project, implemented by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy with support from the British Embassy in Skopje. The opinions and views expressed in this content do not necessarily reflect those of the British Government.

Project „Strengthening the capacities of young people for advocacy and lobbying with local decision-makers“

The project “Strengthening the Capacities of Young People for Advocacy and Lobbying with Local Decision-Makers” aims to increase youth involvement, enhance youth participation in the work of the Local Youth Council strengthen the Local Youth Council YC’s capacity to advocate for young people, and improve youth information access in the Municipality of Bitola.
The issue addressed by this project proposal is the low involvement of young people in decision-making processes in Bitola on matters that directly impact them. Due to a lack of knowledge, skills, and tools for active participation in public life in Bitola, young people remain passive and uninterested, which further contributes to their apathy and migration from the city. The project aims to empower young people by strengthening their capacity to advocate and lobby with local decision-makers on issues that directly affect them.
Project Funded by: Municipality of Bitola
Project Duration: June 8, 2023, to December 31, 2024

Project “Youth Pulse Initiative for Novaci and Bitola”

Project Goals
The “Youth Pulse Initiative for Novaci and Bitola” project aims to identify and address the needs and priorities of young people in the Municipality of Novaci and the Municipality of Bitola. It also seeks to empower and encourage young people from these two municipalities to actively engage in decision-making within their municipalities and local communities.
Specifically, surveys will be conducted in both municipalities, allowing young people to express their needs and the challenges they face. For certain identified issues, focus groups will be held in Novaci and Bitola, where the results from the surveys will inform a debate. This process will ultimately lead to the prioritization of identified youth issues and challenges in each municipality. The ultimate goal of this project is to create Youth Initiatives, one for each municipality, which young people, with support from Pro Local, will submit and present to the Local Government.

This product was prepared as part of the “Practice Democracy” project implemented by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, with the support of the British Embassy in Skopje. The opinions and views expressed in this content do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the British Government.
Project duration: from 20.08.2024 to 31.12.2024

With greater openness and transparency – towards proactive citizenship

On September 28 and 29, the 11th training was held in Krushevo as part of the “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2” project.
First, the personal development training was held on the topic “Openness and expression – between freedom and responsibility” with the expert Ognen Janevski, TV personality and author. The goal of the training was to help 50 young people from rural Pelagonija develop skills for openness, transparency and free expression of opinions. Through various interactive activities and theoretical content, participants learned how to identify and overcome personal limitations in communication.
The day ended with Rejail Sulejmanovski, a participant from the first generation of participants of the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija”, who shared his experience in the project.
A training on the 12 principles of Good Governance was also held, on the topic of “Openness and Transparency” with the expert Mimoza Jovanovska, university professor. The idea of this training was for the participants to become familiar with the concept of Openness and Transparency as a model of building public trust. Within the implementation of the training, the focus was on the ways in which citizens can exercise these rights, as the basic rights of every citizen in the country. Through several interactive exercises, the participants became better acquainted with the situation of this topic in the world and in our country.

How aware are young people of corruption in our country?

The public debate on the topic of “Corruption” held on 15.09.2024 at the Manaki Cinema in Bitola and moderated by journalist Vasko Magleshov, attracted young people from Pelagonia region, including participants in the project “Empowering the People of Pelagoniјa 2,” implemented by Pro Local and supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands.
“The fight against corruption should be daily, step by step, and with courage, without fear,” stated the three panelists at the debate: Biljana Ivanovska, Advisor to the Chief Auditor for IPA audits for programs funded by the EU; German Filkov, anti-corruption activist; and Denica Chadikovska, communications editor at IRL.
The young people had the opportunity to learn that corruption is not just an abstract concept. On the contrary, the polluted air we breathe, the dirty water we drink, and even the humiliating experiences we often face in institutions – all are results of corruption.
German Filkov emphasized that young people can do a lot in the fight against corruption. He encouraged them: “When you notice something that stands out as wrong, be curious and react immediately!”
In conclusion, the former president of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Biljana Ivanovska, sent a clear message: “Each of us can add a piece to the mosaic and contribute to the fight against corruption, which can be prevented with a systematic approach, but let’s start with personal example.”

Final event of the project „Different needs – Identical rights“

On May 28, 2024, the Final Event for the dissemination of the project results within the project “Different Needs – Identical Rights” was held in the premises of Mladi Hub Bitola.
The event was started by Elena Gjeroska, project coordinator, while Emilia Gjeroska, project manager, pointed out that 18 young people from 9 rural Pelagonian municipalities have been trained with this project for real youth involvement in the process of creating and implementing policies. That is, 18 young people are ready to get involved in the processes of administrative-legal cooperation with municipal councils and mayors.
The analysis of the specific needs/problems of young people in rural areas compared to young people living in urban settlements was also promoted at the event. Consultant Rubin Nikoloski presented all the findings, as well as recommendations for the real problems of young people from rural areas. The conducted analysis of the needs and problems of young people from rural areas included field research, analysis of documents and databases, interviews with young people, local authorities and citizen organizations.
Initiatives were also presented by young people from two municipalities from rural Pelagonia, who strengthened their capacities with the training held within the project, with the aim of greater involvement in decision-making in their local communities.
This activity is part of the project “Youth – Inclusive Local Communities “, which is implemented by the National Youth Council of Macedonia – NMSM, in partnership with the Foundation for the Development of the Local Community – Shtip, SFERA International Bitola and Platform for Youth Empowerment JEP – Gostivar, with financial support from the European Union. The main goal of the project is to improve local governance through increased inclusiveness and social influence of young people in local democratic life. The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union.

Certificates for the participation of young people in the creation of local policies

50 young people from rural Pelagonija received International Certificates for non-formal education for civic participation. The young people from the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2” had an exceptional opportunity to participate in a Training on citizens/youth engagement practices, 25-28.04.2024 in Ohrid, held by the expert Willeke van Leeuwen, from the highly regarded Academy of Local Government from Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Representatives from Pro Local, Bitola and representatives from eight other local civil society organizations from rural Pelagonija also participated in the training.
Interactive sessions, discussions and many exercises imparted practical knowledge to young people on how to become more involved and create local policies in their local community. The focus was also on methods for building the capacities of youth organizations in cooperation with the local self-government and how to together ensure a high degree of youth participation and a motivating space for the development of youth policies at the local level.
The four-day Training ended with the ceremonial awarding of Certificates for successfully completed Training to more than 60 participants and attendees.

Training on Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies

As part of the activities of the “Different Needs – Identical Rights” project, on April 13, 2024, in the Youth Hub in Bitola, the Youth Law Training, was held, aimed at 18 young individuals from the rural areas of Pelagonia. The aim of the training was:
– 18 young people from rural Pelagonia to familiarize themselves with the Law on Youth Participation and youth policies at the local level
– to be informed about youth involvement and promotion of youth activism through local CSOs
In the theoretical part, the participants got acquainted with the Youth Law, how it was drafted, adopted, what is important about it.
In the practical part, young people were given the chance to draft a “Youth Law” as they think it should be, with a practical exercise where they will stand as enforcers of the Law.
This activity is part of the project “Youth – Inclusive Local Communities “, which is implemented by the National Youth Council of Macedonia – NMSM, in partnership with the Foundation for the Development of the Local Community – Shtip, SFERA International Bitola and Platform for Youth Empowerment JEP – Gostivar, with financial support from the European Union. The main goal of the project is to improve local governance through increased inclusiveness and social influence of young people in local democratic life. The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union.

Training for youth activism and outreach

From the 11th to the 13th of April, a Training for Youth Activism and Outreach was held in Bitola, within the project “Empowering the people to Pelagonia 2”.
This training aimed to provide knowledge and skills for youth activism and outreach to participants from 9 different organizations. Through various non-formal methods, the participants acquired new knowledge and tools on how to establish youth activism programs using non-formal education methods and how to increase their volunteer cores. Within the training, practical examples were presented for establishing mechanisms that facilitate the process of making changes and that enable cooperation between young activists and civil society organizations.
In addition, the participants improved their approach to working with young people, how to attract young activists to their organizations. This training made it possible to strengthen the capacity of the involved civil society organizations to work with young people as part of their daily work. These new knowledge and skills enabled the participants to be more effective in their youth work and to increase their presence and influence in the community.

The first youth platform in Pelagonia

The first youth platform has been implemented in the Pelagonian region: a new era for youth empowerment
In a significant initiative aimed at addressing the challenges faced by young people in the region, one hundred dynamic young individuals from the Pelagonian region successfully launched the first Youth Platform. This pioneering project marks a great leap towards the advancement of cooperation between the civil and public sectors, with the ultimate goal of raising the voice of the youth in the community.
Nine key local organizations, led by Pro Local, and the nine municipalities of the Pelagonian region, signed a memorandum that signifies a collective commitment to use human and financial resources to positively transform the living conditions of young people in the region.
Emilia Gjeroska, president of Pro Local, announced the initiative, stating: “Today we are joined by 100 new young leaders who have gained vital knowledge and skills over the past three years, all in pursuit of improving their community. The establishment of this platform marks a bold step forward, embodying our shared commitment to drive positive change for young people in our region.”
Toni Konjanovski, the mayor of Bitola, representing the mayors from the Pelagonia region, assured that the municipal doors are always open for fresh ideas and proposals aimed at social improvement. He stated: “The youth platform will function on the principle of equality, ensuring equal rights.” This means that he will make decisions with equal voting rights among politicians and civil activists.”
Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Robert Dekker congratulated the youth for their proactive attitude towards social challenges, inspiring their peers from across the country. He praised the Platform as a critical mechanism for the continued success of cooperation between local authorities and the civil sector. This initiative stems from the project “Strengthening the people of Pelagonia”, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Advocacy training

As part of the activities of the “Different Needs – Identical Rights” project, on March 23, 2024, in Mladi Hub in Bitola, Advocacy Training was held, aimed at 18 young individuals from the rural areas of Pelagonia. The aim of the training was to strengthen their understanding of the rights of youth participation, the procedures available to young people to improve the conditions for growth and development, as well as to gain new knowledge about the legal frameworks that support these processes, including the law on youth participation and youth policies and the Law on Local Self-Government. The training sessions were designed to enable participants to acquire advocacy techniques and tools for effective representation in local environments by using participation mechanisms such as local youth councils.
This activity is part of the project “Youth – Inclusive Local Communities “, which is implemented by the National Youth Council of Macedonia – NMSM, in partnership with the Foundation for the Development of the Local Community – Shtip, SFERA International Bitola and Platform for Youth Empowerment JEP – Gostivar, with financial support from the European Union. The main goal of the project is to improve local governance through increased inclusiveness and social influence of young people in local democratic life. The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union.

Freedom of expression is a basic human right

From the 2nd to the 3rd of March, the 10th consecutive training was held in Bitola within the project “Empowering the people of Pelagoniјa 2”.
On the topic of “Human rights, cultural diversity and social cohesion”, we talked with the expert and activist in the civil sector – Fatma Bajram Azemovska. Through interesting quiz questions, we discussed human rights in Macedonia, cultural elements of all nations in our country, as well as what are the factors for the sustainability of social cohesion in a country.
We ended the day with Vladimir Pavlovski, a participant from the previous generation of the “Empowering the people of Pelagoniјa” project, who shared his experience in the project and told us through a presentation what civic activism means and how important it is to involve young people in social processes that will contribute to them feeling that they are part of the changes in a society.
The second day of this training started with a visit to the Archaeological Site of Heraclea Linkestis, while from the guide Rubin Nikoloski we learned interesting information about one of the most important ancient cities in Macedonia.
With Dimitar Mitrov – an expert in the field of sexual education, we talked about the topic “Freedom of sexual expression”, that is, about demystifying taboos and stereotypes around sexual expression. A discussion was developed around the freedom of sexual expression today and throughout history, presented by showing photos and short videos that talk about the trends and specific taboos and stereotypes towards what is socially acceptable expression of sexuality today and in the past.

Capacity Building Training

In the framework of the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2”, a Capacity Building Training was held from February 21 to 23 in Bitola. From the 9 organizations involved in the project, 2 members from each organization took participation at the training
The representatives of the organizations had the opportunity to understand in which direction of action their organizations are moving, to analyze the current situation in the organizations.
In addition to analyzing the current situations in the organizations, the SWOT analysis and the PESTLE analysis were elaborated in detail, in order to define strategic goals, priorities and indicators later. Finally, an Action Plan with an indicative financial plan was prepared.
The three-day training included both a theoretical part and practical work in groups.

Young talents through the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2”

The 9th training within the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2” was held in Ohrid (02-03.02.2024).
With a motivating start, the young people presented their ideas/projects in front of representatives from the municipalities. They had the opportunity to share their ideas, but also to hear all the procedures and actions that will be needed in the entire project implementation process. At the end of this working session, the 9 best ideas were selected.
We continued with the personal development workshop together with the expert Toni Popov, an artist, on the topic “How to use your talents”. We talked about what talent means and how to know that we have it, what things are needed to develop talent and how to deal with challenges and the fear of failure. We ended the workshop with an artistic act, so each of the participants captured their creativity with the help of paints and paper.
We finished the first day of this training with Dejan Ristevski, an IT expert, who discussed with a certain number of participants about the creation of an electronic tool with which all young people from Pelagonija would enter into communication with contact persons from the municipalities in the simplest and fastest way.
We started the second day with German Filkov, analyst and researcher in the field of good governance, on the topic “Transparency and accountability of local self-government”. The workshop began with an explanation of the meaning of the terms transparency and accountability, and then the young people discussed how transparent and accountable the municipalities and institutions in Pelagonija are.
Mihaela Stojanovska, a participant from the previous generation of the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija”, shared her experience in the project, but also her talent for photography. She pointed out that her talent as a photographer surfaced, taking pictures through the activities of the project. She encouraged the youth to express their talents and abilities regardless of the circumstances.
In the end, Teona Kolodezni, who is a participant in the project, presented all the proposed designs needed for the project’s visibility, while the participants chose one that will be the trademark of all participants in the project “Empowering the people of Pelagonija 2”.