The Secretariat for Local Self-Government and Cooperation with Civil Society is a partner in the regional project “SHARED HORIZONS”, whose goal is to promote peace and reconciliation in the Western Balkans through the preservation and promotion of the region’s shared cultural heritage.

The project focuses on six historic bridges located in six Western Balkan countries—North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina—as powerful symbols of connection, dialogue, and a shared past.

Through a series of educational and creative activities, the project will engage young people from different communities who, through historical research, photography, and storytelling, will deepen their understanding of the shared past and contribute to building a future based on solidarity, mutual respect, and overcoming narratives of division.

The program envisages the organization of workshops and field activities during which young participants will create visual and narrative content that connects the past and the present. As project outcomes, public exhibitions, digital archives, and augmented reality (AR) experiences will be developed, while all collected materials will be permanently preserved and used for promotional and educational purposes.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the building of lasting peace and reconciliation in the Western Balkans by preserving and promoting shared cultural heritage, strengthening mutual understanding among young people, and reinforcing ties within local communities.

The project’s target groups are young people aged 16 to 29 interested in cultural heritage and history, professionals in the fields of photography, storytelling, and cultural heritage, as well as local communities, including craftspeople, traders, artists, and other relevant stakeholders.

The project is sponsored by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through the Agence de Développement International, and is implemented by Expertise France, with the support of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) and Local Democracy Agencies from six Western Balkan countries.

Project implementation begins in April 2026.

Youth Office – Secretariat for Local Self-Government and Cooperation with Civil Society