NO MORE DIVIDED SOCIETIES

NO MORE DIVIDED SOCIETIES

Strengthening Youth-Led Inter-Ethnic Solidarities

 

A border is not just a red line on a map. A border emerges wherever we sustain divisions among individuals and groups. Between “us” and “them.” Wherever we promote seeing the “other(s),” “those from the other side,” as a problem, a threat, or an enemy.

Borders are not always clearly drawn. We cannot always easily perceive them, nor can we fully discern their origin, shape, or complexity. Sometimes they are invisible, yet deeply present.

What we can do is choose to unveil them, question them, and actively work to overcome them.

That is why organizations from Serbia, Croatia, and Cyprus are coming together to exchange experiences of (not) overcoming divisions in different societies and to jointly create space for questioning and transcending them.

No More Divided Societies (NM:S): Strengthening Youth-Led Inter-Ethnic Solidarities is an Erasmus+ project that brings together actors from Croatia, Serbia, and Cyprus who are engaged in overcoming ethnic divisions and fostering inter-ethnic cooperation within their societies.

Led by Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Croatia, the project includes two additional NGO partners—Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia and Urban Gorillas from Cyprus—as well as one academic partner, the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Rijeka. The project runs from 1 September 2025 to 31 December 2027.

Focusing on youth-led grassroots initiatives, the project aims to promote peer learning, knowledge exchange, and cross-border collaboration in the field of inter-ethnic cooperation, particularly in countries burdened by a legacy of often politically driven inter-ethnic tensions. Following the mapping of key actors addressing ethnic divisions in each country, cross-border study visits will be organized in all participating countries.

The process of information gathering and experience sharing will be complemented by the systematization of knowledge, including the development of a Handbook for practitioners and a Policy Brief with recommendations for national and EU stakeholders.

The project will also feature two major events: an international conference focusing on barriers, opportunities, and policies for fostering inter-ethnic cooperation, and a Training of Trainers for youth practitioners. In addition, advocacy activities at both national and EU levels are planned, supported by a comprehensive social media campaign.

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMEUP). Neither the European Union nor AMEUP can be held responsible for them.