Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO

03/03/2026

🧩 WB Youth Cultural Fund grantees took the spotlight and showed what happens when young creatives get real support.

📍 Organized by RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro, the event gathered institutions, partners, and inspiring young cultural practitioners shaping Montenegro’s creative scene.

But the real highlight?
Our grantees sharing their journeys, challenges, wins, and bold new ideas for the cultural scene. 🚀

This is what youth culture looks like when it’s supported.
This is what regional cooperation feels like.

Read more in the article below 👇

📍 Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund it’s a multi-year RYCO project, financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, designed for cultural practitioners and civic society organizations dealing with youth and culture

Podgorica, March 2 – RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro organized an event aimed at promoting the achievements of grantees supported through the Western Balkan Youth Cultural Fund (WBYCF), bringing together institutional representatives, partners, and young cultural practitioners from across M...

03/03/2026

What happens when young people sit at the same table with decision-makers?

A constructive dialogue. Concrete recommendations. Shared responsibility.

Throwback to the conference organized by RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro, in partnership with the Parliament of Montenegro and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, where young people presented actionable recommendations on migration, security, and economic growth.

From improving digital infrastructure in rural areas to recognizing foreign diplomas and strengthening support for youth entrepreneurship, their message was clear: Include us. Listen to us. Work with us.

Watch the full video📽️:

On 12 December, LBO Montenegro, in partnership with the Parliament of Montenegro and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, organized a conference presenting recomm...

03/03/2026

During February, an official visit took place as part of the Superschools exchange program at the British Gymnasium of Technology (BGT) in Pristina.

This exchange is part of the Superschools partnership between BGT and the Gymnasium of Mostar under the “Green Code: Youth for Climate and Tech Cooperation” initiative. The program fosters collaboration between students from both cities to address environmental challenges through technology.

A total of 26 students participated in the exchange, working together on projects that involved building eco-websites, exploring robotics, and developing innovative tech solutions aimed at combating climate change.

The official visit featured speeches from Mr. Hubert Perr, Head of EU Cooperation in Kosovo, and Dardana Fetahu, Acting Head of the Local Branch Office. Both speakers emphasized the critical role youth exchanges play in promoting regional cooperation, reconciliation, and mutual understanding among young people across the Western Balkans.

This programme is part of a multi-donor project, co-financed by the 🇪🇺 and the 🇩🇪 Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ together with RYCO. GIZ Kosovo

On February 12th, 2026, an official visit took place as part of the Superschools exchange program at the British Gymnasium of Technology (BGT) in Pristina. This exchange is part of the Superschools partnership between BGT and the Gymnasium of Mostar under the "Green Code: Youth for Climate and Tech

02/03/2026

It’s official! RYCO Regional Tour starts now. 💜

The dates are set, the cities are ready, and we’re hitting the road to celebrate around the region.

🧩 Stay tuned! We are just getting started!

27/02/2026

📍 RYCO continues to advance youth-led peace and security at the local level, this time in Niš, Sombor, and Bečej.

Three local communities. One training. Nearly fifty young people ready to learn, engage, and take action within the . Through the RYCOgnizing YPS granting scheme, the National Youth Council of Serbia organized this training, equipping young people with the knowledge and tools to contribute to safer and more inclusive communities.

🎯 Through interactive sessions on the , youth participation, and community safety, participants explored how to turn ideas into concrete local initiatives. At RYCO, we believe young people are not only beneficiaries of peace and security, they are key partners in building it.

This marks another important step in strengthening youth-led peacebuilding across the region through .

📍 This activity is supported through the RYCOgnizing YPS granting scheme, supported by German Cooperation and implemented by RYCO.

26/02/2026

The Regional Tour is about to begin and RYCO team is coming your way to connect. Tirana, Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje, Pristina and Sarajevo, stay tuned!

around the region 💜

23/02/2026

10 years of RYCO and this is what YOU(th) would miss if we never existed. 🥹

Here’s to a decade of memories and impact with YOUth 💜

21/02/2026

📢 Strengthening local cooperation through Youth360 in Cërrik.

🎯 As part of the Youth360, Youth Voice Network of Organisation together with public officials from the municipalities of Pogradec and Cërrik came together for an exchange meeting focused on advancing the Youth, Peace, and Security agenda at the local level.

📘 Alongside productive discussions, participants visited the Municipal Council and the Youth Multifunctional Center of Cërrik to explore local good practices firsthand, exchange experiences, and deepen institutional cooperation.

🫂 Step by step, the exchange emphasized that collaboration between municipalities and youth-focused institutions is key to building safer, more inclusive communities where young people play an active role in decision-making.

📍 The following activity received support through the RYCOgnizing YPS granting scheme, supported by German Cooperation and implemented by RYCO.

20/02/2026

Superschools vibe around the region 💜

Here are some of the Superschools exchanges we’re highlighting from this month 👇

👉Center for blind and visual impaired children and youth and Pharmacy and phisiotherapy school 
👉Gimnazija "Takovski ustanak" and Katolički školski centar "Sveti Franjo" 
👉SHML" 7 Shtatori " Prishtinë and Secondary Mixed School " Fraternity Unity " 
👉Public Institution Secondary technical school Tesanj and Technical school Cacak 
👉JU Prva gimnazija Sarajevo and XIII beogradska gimnazija 
👉Public Institution Secondary School of Economic "Kadri Kusari" and Public Institution "30th September" Gymnasium

This programme is part of a multi-donor project, co-financed by the 🇪🇺 and the 🇩🇪 Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ together with RYCO.

19/02/2026

🎙️ Led by our WB Cultural Fund grantee is a series recorded in Prishtina and Tirana that highlights the stories of young women under 30 working in the arts and creative industries. Through open and honest conversations, the podcast introduces listeners to emerging artists and cultural workers, sharing their experiences, challenges, and creative journeys.

✨ Designed as an accessible space for dialogue, Suzanne Podcast gives visibility to a new generation of women shaping the region’s cultural scene, making their work, ideas, and perspectives heard across the region.

📍 Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund it’s a multi-year RYCO project, financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, designed for cultural practitioners and civic society organizations dealing with youth and culture

18/02/2026

You’ve seen glimpses in our stories from the ongoing “MIRAI Program - Western Balkans meet Japan” in Tokyo these days...

But here they are: the 13 selected young people from our region, bringing diverse perspectives and fully immersing themselves in cultural exchange, dialogue, and learning. 🌎

(presented this time in a hand-painted Ghibli-style version🇯🇵)

18/02/2026

Superschools “Exchange for Change” series is here. This time, we bring you the story of Tirana – Kotor. 💜🚌📚

This February, students from “Asim Vokshi” school in Tirana stayed at Kotor Gymnasium, engaging in workshops, educational activities, and meaningful conversations.

Through the “Tradition Uncovered” workshop, they explored how folk art and cultural motifs from Montenegro and Albania can help deconstruct gender stereotypes, showing in this way how tradition can unite rather than divide.

From peer-to-peer sessions at the Perast Museum to open discussions about their Superschools journey, one message stood out: dialogue builds trust, and youth move the region forward.

This programme is part of a multi-donor project, co-financed by the 🇪🇺 and the 🇩🇪 Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ together with RYCO.