From November 2025 to January 2026, the project «Youth Engagement in Cross-Border Initiatives» was implemented in Uzhhorod, aimed at activating youth in Ukraine's border regions and practically involving them in cross-border cooperation processes. The initiative aimed to develop leadership competencies, critical thinking, and raise awareness about opportunities for youth participation in community development and European integration processes. Special emphasis was placed on creating conditions under which youth become an active driving force for change in their communities and influence the development of border territories. The target audience of the project was active youth interested in cross-border cooperation, European integration, and local self-government development. In November 2025, the preparatory stage took place: dissemination of information about participation opportunities, involvement of experts, coordination with partners, and the formation of the program for the key event - the cross-border youth forum. The culmination of the project was a two-day cross-border youth forum (December 3–4, 2025), which brought together over 60 participants. The program included thematic modules, lecture-discussions, practical workshops, and presentation sessions. Participants worked on issues of legal frameworks and policies of the European Union in the field of cross-border cooperation, mechanisms for youth participation in decision-making, as well as opportunities offered by EU programs, including Interreg, Erasmus+, and IVY. Leading experts in the field of international and European law, public administration, and youth policy joined the events, which ensured an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented approach. Special attention was paid to issues of information security, countering disinformation, youth safety in cross-border interaction, and the legal aspects of establishing and operating youth public organizations. The concluding event was a presentation session on December 26, 2025, on the topic «The Border Region Through the Lens of Youth's Perspective on Cross-Border Cooperation». Young participants presented their own analytical reports dedicated to international legal guarantees of youth rights, educational mobility, principles of good governance in the EU, overcoming legal barriers to cross-border cooperation, and the role of EU law in community development. The event became a platform for professional discussion, experience exchange, and forming a common vision for future initiatives. The project is implemented jointly with the Research Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research of European Territorial Cooperation of UzhNU and the Faculty of Law of UzhNU, with the support of the ERSTE Foundation and the Carpathian Foundation of Hungary and Ukraine Carpathian Foundation / Carpathian Foundation
Новини
January 26, 2026