Gostivar, September 20, 2025 – Youth in Gostivar are ready to engage in decision-making and local policy-making processes, but they still face serious barriers. Lack of information, distrust in the effects of youth initiatives and insufficient institutional support are the most common reasons why many young people remain on the margins of social life.
This was shown by the research conducted by the Civic Integration Initiative (CII) – Gostivar, within the project “Youth for the Community: Inclusion through Ideas and Dialogue”. The results were obtained from an online survey of young people aged 15 to 29 and in-depth interviews with activists, local government representatives and members of the Local Youth Council.
Interest exists, but is sporadic
The survey reveals that 54.9% of young people are poorly informed about the opportunities for participation, and a quarter have no information at all. Only 2% said they had a full overview of the available programs and activities.
Project Manager at IGI, Aneta Filipovska, points out that when asked “How informed are you about the opportunities for youth participation in Gostivar?”, most of the respondents, 54.9%, said they were a little informed. According to her, this means that they have some, but insufficient, awareness of such opportunities. Furthermore, 25.5% answered that they were not informed at all, which shows that almost a quarter of young people do not have any information about youth participation. On the other hand, 17.6% said that they were well informed.
“Young people have the will and ideas, but often do not know where and how to get involved. Most of them are prevented by the lack of information and the low visibility of opportunities,” said Aneta Filipovska, Project Manager at IGI Gostivar. When it comes to practical engagement, 47.1% have participated only once or twice, and 35.3% have never been part of a youth initiative. Barely 3.9% of respondents are regularly involved.
What motivates young people and what interests them
The response received through the Survey to this question shows that young people are most interested in topics related to youth rights (49%), education and digital skills (41.2%), as well as ecology (29.4%). Less interest was noted in volunteering, culture and art.
According to Filipovska, the encouraging data is that as many as 70.6% would participate in free training for advocacy and activism, and the rest expressed openness to such an opportunity. “- This is a clear signal that young people want to learn and improve, but it remains for us as a community to enable them to do so through quality programs and support,” Filipovska said.
The Role of the Youth Council
Most respondents expect the Youth Council to propose solutions to youth problems (47.1%) and to be a link with the municipality (33.3%). However, some young people still do not know what the Council is, which confirms the need for its greater promotion. Some members of the Council admit in the interviews that the activities are not implemented with continuity, and the most common challenges are insufficient financial and institutional support.
Institutions see potential
Among the respondents were also representatives of the municipality. They conclude that youth participation is important, but they believe that it is necessary to improve motivation and information. They highlight the establishment of the Local Youth Council in 2023 and the support for two youth centers in the city as a positive step.
According to the project manager, Filipovska, the conclusion of the Research is that young people in Gostivar are ready to be drivers of change, but without clearer channels for information and stronger institutional support, their potential remains underutilized.
– Social media campaigns, advocacy training and transparent participation mechanisms are needed. Young people must be treated as partners, not just as beneficiaries of policies. Gostivar has a generation that is ready for this – it remains for the institutions and the community to listen.
Author: Zoran Madzoski
You can find the full text of the research here.
The article has been prepared with the support of the European Union, within the framework of the project “Alliances for Active Citizenry”. The content is the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be considered to reflect the views of the European Union.
