Youth Week in Podgorica officially came to an end last night at KIC “Budo Tomović” with the event “Successful Stories of Young Entrepreneurs”, dedicated to the ideas, initiatives and potential of young people, as well as to developing entrepreneurial skills and encouraging them to start their own businesses.

Organised by the Office for Youth of the Capital City to mark International Youth Day, the programme brought young people together throughout the week through a variety of activities focused on culture, art, recreation, the green agenda, socialising and exchanging ideas.

The central event took place on 12 August, International Youth Day, in Njegoš Park, where young people had the opportunity to meet, connect and take part in a programme designed to encourage their creativity and more active participation in the social life of Podgorica.

Speaking about the goals of the programme, the Office for Youth highlighted that Youth Week was an opportunity not only to bring different activities closer to young people, but also to open up public spaces for their ideas, initiatives and needs.

“Through Youth Week, we wanted to show how a city can be more open and accessible to young people. From connecting with youth organisations and discussing the green agenda, to culture, recreation, art and connecting with young entrepreneurs. It is especially important for us to open public spaces for different activities and give young people more opportunities in their own city to meet, create, learn and actively participate. In this way, we are connecting the priority areas of the Office for Youth with the European Youth Capital 2028 programme, while also building a European spirit in Podgorica and a city that increasingly shapes its activities around the needs and ideas of young people. This is exactly the approach we want to continue – building Podgorica together with young people,” said Danilo Vučinić.

The Office for Youth also emphasised that, alongside creating quality programmes and activities, it is important to provide young people with support for developing their initiatives and to involve them more meaningfully in decision-making processes.

“The main message of Youth Week is that we want to empower young people’s initiatives and make sure they have strong and clear support from institutions. Our goal is to connect young people with relevant stakeholders, civil society organisations and international partners, support them in developing their ideas and enable them to be active participants, rather than simply observers, in decision-making processes. It is especially important that quality programmes, activities and opportunities are equally accessible to young people from urban neighbourhoods and rural areas. In line with the message of International Youth Day, we also want to draw attention to the position of young people in other local communities. Our shared goal should be to strengthen capacities and develop sustainable youth policies at the local level, so that young people across Montenegro have equal opportunities to grow, progress and actively participate in their communities,” said Ksenija Mrvaljević.

Youth Week is part of a broader process aimed at improving opportunities and activities for young people in Podgorica. The programmes delivered this week represent an introduction to a period that will bring new activities and initiatives focused on their needs and potential.

This process is particularly significant given that Podgorica is the European Youth Capital for 2028, which provides an opportunity to further improve youth policy, develop new programmes and create spaces where young people can play an active role in shaping the future of their city.

In the coming period, the Office for Youth will continue developing programmes that connect young people with institutions, civil society organisations, international partners and the business community, with a particular focus on strengthening their knowledge, skills and initiatives.