Portraits of Youth Activists in the Western Balkans

The story behind SIX STEPS UP

With her keen eye and empathetic look, photographer and film producer Janine Baumeister traveled the Western Balkans Six along with her team to meet twelve exceptional youth activists.

In powerful and personal interviews the young protagonists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia share their inspiring journeys to finding the courage to take action on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

SIX STEPS UP provides their tangible approaches on how to protect democracy, fight against climate change, promote social equality and foster unity in the beautiful diversity of the Western Balkans and across Europe.

The launch of this traveling exhibition in October 2024 will take place as part of the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process. It aims to travel throughout Europe to inspire young people to raise their voices and to claim their seats at the decision-making tables – because “if we don’t do it, nobody will do it for us!”

SIX STEPS UP is part of a project from Bürger Europas e.V.,

supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The views expressed in these interviews represent those of the individuals

and do not reflect the official position of the organizations supporting the project.

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"I know it's a cliché, but

if we don't do it, no one

will do it for us. This country and this society have been damaged enough,

it’s on us, the younger generation, to do

something about it."

ANA ELENA

It's not always strangers who frighten us the most – sometimes it's the people closest to us. Ana Elena knows some residents in her hometown of Pale that haven't been to Sarajevo in years. Although it's only a 15-minute drive, to them it's worlds apart. […]

22 YEARS

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

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FATLINDA

When Fatlinda was growing up in the calm chaos that Kosovo was at that time, the other kids from the neighborhood used to play at her house in Gjilan. They came to her, not because Fatlinda played by the rules. […]

26 YEARS

KOSOVO

"You cannot

create real

progress if you

build walls –

instead of bridges."

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"It is hard to

forgive, but you

can forgive

the past for

a better future."

BERIN

18 YEARS

NORTH MACEDONIA

Berin remembers the precise moment when he first realized he had a strong political voice. Attending a highly anticipated event with several distinguished politicians, it became clear that most people raising their voice did not want to start a profound political debate. [...]

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"My hope for the Western Balkans is that we have a future based on the values of

coexistence, tolerance, respect for diversity and reconciliation."

EMA

20 YEARS

ALBANIA

Ema could be an archetypal 20-year-old woman pursuing her ambitious career and dreams alongside her studies at the Medical University in Tirana. Instead, she does all of that and has also been working as a youth activist for nearly a decade. [...]

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"The biggest achievement to me is the number of people I have reached with my work."

VLADIMIR

23 YEARS

MONTENEGRO

Hailing from the quaint coastal municipality of Petrovac, Vladimir could not have asked for a more idyllic setting for his upbringing. Surrounded by the serene embrace of the sea, he enjoyed the benefits of a childhood secured in a comfortable and tranquil hometown. […]

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"I'm not able

to tell when I started identifying as an activist, as I have always had that sense of justice in me."

ANJA

29 YEARS

SERBIA

When asked about the need for younger generations to get involved in contemporary social issues, Anja responds with a smile and gestures behind her back. She notes that the entire district of Novi Beograd, where the interview took place, including its buildings and [...]

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DIOGJEN

The real achievement was not winning the re-election, Diogjen says. It was the feeling he had accomplished something worthwhile during his first term. At the age of 21, as the youngest city councilor of Kurbin, he was able to prove his ability to solve problems [...]

26 YEARS

ALBANIA

"Maybe it is because

I'm a nostalgic person or

maybe it is because I'm

kind of rebellious, but when

I see that something isn't right,

I can't leave it like that and I have an urge to change it. I

want to make other people think about it too."

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"It all comes

down to one word:

Responsibility.

We have to take responsibility for our

own future and for the future generations

to come."

JELENA

25 YEARS

MONTENEGRO

Despite living in the bustling heart of Montenegro, balancing a full schedule filled with her own TV show, her studies at the faculty of communication and media and her role as a fierce activist, Jelena primarily is this: A true family person. [...]

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"Our cultural

diversity to me

is both: An inseparable part

of my heritage –

and of my future."

ENVERA

21 YEARS

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Memory is a tricky thing. Some of us can barely recollect our first day of school, yet then we can pinpoint one random incident from our childhood that shaped the trajectory of our life forever. [...]

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"Don't ever stop.

Don't be afraid of the

power structures that

exist, as the people who potentially are misusing

their power right now,

won't be in their position

for long. It will be

your role to take

charge of it."

HEKURAN

25 YEARS

KOSOVO

When asked about his childhood in Pristina, Hekuran, who is now 25 years old remembers vividly growing up with a lot of stories. Mostly about the conflict and things that happened in the region that he just couldn't make sense of. At Kindergarten age he began asking [...]

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"Be loud, be true to yourself and to your personal values. Wherever your heart lies, there should be the maximum effort involved."

33 YEARS

NORTH MACEDONIA

MARIANA

When reflecting on her initial encounter with the European Union, Mariana recalls two memories. The first one is the planning of a family trip to Greece with her twin sister and parents – along with the costly and time-intensive visa process that was in place at the time. […]

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"How we

analyze the past, determines our future."

STEFAN

28 YEARS

SERBIA

Stefan was born in Pristina, Kosovo, as the youngest of four brothers. While his siblings were in elementary school, he would occasionally sneak into their room to browse through their books. One item held his fascination: a geographical and historical atlas. […]