In late 2013 the Youth Initiative for Human Rights came to an idea to gather young politicians from the region in order to offer them a platform for mutual learning, sharing experiences and most importantly- to meet each other.
Western Balkan countries have great political, economic, and cultural potential that can be empowered by regional cooperation. However, having in mind the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia and wars which followed, the cooperation is still not as strong as it could be.
Youth in political parties haven’t had the chance to cooperate regionally with other politically engaged youth, other than those from ‘sister’ parties. This cooperation is thus limited to ‘ideological networks’. Through these networks members get some contacts and training about political skills, but very little about human rights and the importance of regional cooperation.
Having this in mind, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights has decided to establish a regional network that would gather young politicians with different ideological backgrounds with the aim of networking, learning and sharing experiences.
Since July 2016 Political Youth Network has been supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, an independent, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world.