Fourth OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women concludes in Austria

The fourth OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women, which brought together 24 participants from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština, concluded on 21 October 2018 in Stadtschlaining, Austria.

Over ten days, the participants had the opportunity to build up their personal contacts, exchange views on the issue of women empowerment in decision-making, learn about the challenges that members of each community face, and address issues of common concern.

The programme included intensive team-building exercises, lectures on the topics “Dialogue, Mediation and Reconciliation” and “Women in Politics” delivered by international experts, and an exchange of views on dialogue with six prominent women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština - members of the Follow Us Initiative.

To become acquainted with the OSCE’s work, the participants heard Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender and first US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, share her views and respond to their questions. In addition, the participants attended a session of the OSCE Permanent Council and met with representatives of the Italian OSCE Chairmanship.

“The OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women reaffirmed to us that politics is going to serve women only when women are involved in it,” said Kaltrina Ahmeti, a participant from Prishtinë/Priština.

Isidora Šmigić from Belgrade said: “The OSCE Dialogue Academy taught us that women need to stand together and be united in fighting for our rights, crossing the ethnic, religious and political divides. That is the only way we can achieve change in our societies.”

As a follow-up, participants of the fourth Dialogue Academy will have the opportunity to meet in November in Belgrade for an alumni exchange visit. There they will further develop their project ideas for 2019 that are designed to enhance their collaboration and promote cultural exchanges.

The Academy is organized annually under the auspices of the Follow Us Initiative, supported by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, as part of their work to enhance women's participation in dialogue, conflict resolution and decision-making processes.

The Initiative, which gathers prominent women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština, was launched in 2012, and has been facilitated since then by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia.