UNICEF/2025/Domovik

UNICEF implemented the Youth Empowered through Inclusive Schools and Society, "YESS" project. This project was financially supported by the UN Peace Building Fund (PBF), in partnership with UNICEF and IOM. The project used a bottom-up and community-based approach, using schools and their surrounding communities as an entry point to actively engage young girls and boys, particularly those from marginalized communities that have been historically under-represented in decision and policy making. Through support to a range of non-formal education interventions and youth-led projects both within and beyond the school setting the project empowered young people with new skills to become agents of change who promote tolerance and diversity, foster mutual understanding and respect, and build social cohesion between and within various communities living in Kosovo.

The project worked with adolescents and youth aged 13 to 24, their teachers and educational authorities, parents, and broader communities in ten selected municipalities across Kosovo. By empowering adolescents and youth in both formal and informal settings and linking them with local governance mechanisms and media, the project sought to enhance social cohesion within and across diverse communities. In this regard, interventions were designed to actively engage young people, teachers and local authorities, to enhance their personal capacities to challenge stereotypes and prejudices, as well as to build critical skills in communication, cooperation and problem-solving. The project also aimed to strengthen the school environment through the introduction and reinforcement of inclusive education approaches that are adapted to the needs and realities of the local contexts.

Project Outcome: Girls and boys and young women and men are empowered to promote tolerance and diversity and build social connections between and within communities, increasing mutual understanding and making communities in Kosovo more resilient to conflict.