Regional Youth Exchange Bridging Minds, Building Peace
Themes: Trauma informed peacebuilding practices, Non Violent Communication and Dialogue Skills, and Identity
Draft Agenda & Learning Objectives
Dates: 20–24 May 2026 (travel days on 19 and 25 May)
Venue: Hotel Mavrovo Lakeview, Mavrovo, North Macedonia
Participants: 24 youth (ages 18–26) from BiH, Kosovo, N Macedonia and Serbia
Language: English
Implementing partner: Pro Peace, offices in BIH, Ser, Kos and NMK
Supporting implementing partner: Organized Youth Association, (OYA)
Overall Topics:
The overall learning goals focus on strengthening both personal and collective resilience among youth by equipping them with practical mental health tools such as self-regulation techniques, peer support strategies, healthy boundary setting, and burnout prevention. Participants will also develop skills in non-violent communication and constructive dialogue, enabling them to navigate conflict with empathy and understanding. Through critical reflection, they will explore how identity, memory, and historical narratives influence peacebuilding efforts in the Western Balkans. By engaging in experiential learning, the program aims to foster trust across lines of difference, encouraging meaningful connections and collaboration among participants.
Design Principles
• Psychological safety first (opt-in participation, content warnings, break options).
• Trauma-sensitive facilitation (slower pace, grounding, titration, choice).
• Inclusion & accessibility (gender-sensitive, dietary/mobility needs).
• Practice over lecture (70% experiential).
• Daily reflection & feedback loops (mid-course adaptation).
Trainers:
1) Experienced psychologists/psychotherapists for resiliency, understanding mental health and trauma informed peacebuilding approaches, identity work
Contact: [email protected]