Empowering the Law on Volunteering

This has been made known by Minister Kujtim Gashi himself at a conference on the “Youth theme in building peace and security” in the National Library, under the International Youth Day, with whom he indicated that he already started procedures for changing the Youth Law.

He said changes are being made in the legal framework and the law on youth to enable it greater participation in state decision making.

“MKRS always focused on youth and all the problems that have occurred in recent years, and the problems young people face have decided to change the legal framework and programs for 2019 so that all our programs include strategy, but also the programs that are implemented by the youth department for support of different youth projects in all areas. We are interested that our programmes within the ministry adapt to new needs and demands at this stage”, he said.

Minister Gashi also expressed concern about the movement of young people into foreign wars, which he said must create preventative mechanisms in order to raise awareness of our youth.

Our young people have not faced armed conflicts in various parts of the world, but today we have a new reality. There are young people who are part of wars, wantless conflicts, wars that have no motive. Our young people may often have fallen prey to various calls for such wars, and we as the Ministry's Youth Department are concerned. Here again, we have to establish preventative mechanisms, and in this conflict we have already called for projects aimed at awareness of our youth, for preventing our youth from being subjected to different calls for them to be part of the” wars, said Minister Gashi.

The president of Albania's National Youth Congress, Laurel Mark, said young people in Albania and those in Kosovo have different problems, and that the fact that we are a nation has made us forget that we are different states. It has called for more co-operation between the two countries to strengthen the role of youth.

Unfortunately for facts and for external reasons and that are not dependent on either Albania or Kosovo, the big history and problems these two countries have faced in the previous 100 years have caused our ancestors, politicians who were before us to solve their problems without each other's support. However, at the moment that we are currently young not only in Albania and Kosovo, but throughout the Western Balkans, it is a very important factor, because it is seen by European institutions as not only the future, but among the elementary and guarantor factors in the Western Balkan region it is very important that these policies are being drafted and are expected to be common not only for Albania and Kosovo, but for all the countries of the Western Balkans<1>, she said.

Besmir Cocolari, director of the “institute CHAT”, asked Minister Gashi to strengthen the role of youth and enhance youth participation in decision-making. According to him, Kosovo badly needs the Volunteer Work Law, which would enable Kosovo youth to take experiences abroad and bring them to Kosovo.

“Today publicly I want this day of youth to ask the minister of the MKRS to strengthen the role of youth and expand youth participation in decision-making to seek, where it is that it is therefore initiated to create a law for volunteerism, where we are with this procedure, because on December 5, 2017, according to some research, this initiative has been undertaken by the prime minister, but we still do not know where this business is”, said Cocolar.

Minister Gashi announced that the Law on Volunteer Work is being addressed by the prime minister's office. He added that they have dilemmas whether this law will involve only young people or all ages.

Otherwise, International Youth Day is marked every year on August 12th and aims to promote activities for young people, while approved by a special resolution by the UN General Assembly in 1999.

The purpose of this day is to accept and acknowledge the efforts and dedication of young people worldwide to improve society. On the occasion of International Youth Day, various municipalities in Kosovo have planned activities.