Four days, countless conversations, new ideas, and shared responsibility – that briefly marks the Y-AGORA International Training held from June 1st to 4th in Belgrade. This event brought together youth workers, educators, and young people from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia with a shared goal: strengthening youth participation and democratic engagement in local communities. A journey into the heart of democratic participation Over the course of four days, participants explored key pillars of active citizenship, including democratic participation, communication, media and digital literacy, collective action, and mentoring for civic engagement. The main goal of the training was to acquire the skills and confidence needed to support future local Y-Agora initiatives across the region. Day-by-day overview: From the basics of democracy to practical action

• Day 1 – Foundations of dialogue and togetherness: The beginning of the journey was dedicated to exploring democracy, participation, inclusion, and the power of dialogue. Through interactive activities and storytelling, participants exchanged experiences from their local contexts and laid the foundations for future cooperation.
• Day 2 – Active citizenship and simulations: The focus was on the realities of civic engagement. Through a “Local Youth Agora” simulation, interactive exercises, and stakeholder mapping, participants experienced how dialogue and cooperation help turn ideas into action, emphasizing that participation means creating spaces where young people lead and influence decisions.
• Day 3 – The power of media and collective action: Under the motto that the third day was all about action, participants analyzed how the media shapes public opinion and how misinformation affects democratic processes. Through practical exercises and Forum Theatre, they explored social challenges and ways in which empathy and collective action lead to positive change.
• Thursday and finale – Mentoring and next steps: The final day brought reflection on the role of mentoring in supporting civic initiatives. Through work on active listening, resilience, and trust-building, participants defined the next steps for establishing and supporting local Y-Agora platforms in their environments.

What’s next? The Y-AGORA journey is only at the beginning. Now is the time to take ideas out of the training room and transfer them directly into local communities, in order to create spaces where the voices of youth are heard and dialogue is turned into concrete action.