Regional Summer School 2022

The opening started with welcoming remarks by Daniel Braun, Official Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Office North Macedonia and by Katerina Jakimovska Senior Event Organizer of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies from Brussels. Later followed a screening of the documentary film "A Divided Society: Parallel Reporting on an Armed Conflict" and discussion with Harald Schenker, Forum ZFD. The first evening gave the participants the opportunity to get to know each other between themselves and with the hosting organizations over a joint dinner. In addition, the film of the Forum ZFD provided sufficient stimulus for a productive discussion.

Already at the beginning of the second day of the Regional Summer School 2022, the creativity-oriented approach of this year's program became visible. The day began with a three-hour theater training session, during which the participants gained trust in each other, and then, through the performance of scenes from everyday life, examined the solution perspectives of both sides and discussed possible conflicts. The workshop was led by Dragan Markoski and Jordan Nikolovski from the Youth Association creACTive. In the afternoon, Assoc. DR. Jordanka Galeva from the Law Faculty of the University "Goce Delchev" in Shtip, gave a lecture about identity, nationality and the individual characteristics attributed to a certain nationality. The day have offered the participants of the Regional Summer School 2022 the opportunity to build up mutual trust in an unfamiliar context within the framework of theater training. This mutual trust formed the basis for all subsequent discussions around identities and conflicts.

Thursday, the third day of the Regional Summer School 2022 started with a workshop together with Zvonko Dimoski, Project Manager and Youth Coach. The participants were shown how art can be used as a means of expression and communication in multicultural societies. This was followed by a study visit to the Cathedral Church "St. Kliment Ohridski" and a conversation with priest Boban Mitevski, a visit to the Mustafa Pasha Mosque and a conversation with Agron Vojnika, and finally we visited the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Center and a conversation with Goran Sadikario. The guided study visits not only offered the participants of the summer school an insight into the culture, history and heritage of the three Abrahamic religions, but also served as a stimulus for lively exchange during the dinner.

Friday, the last day of the Regional Summer School 2022 included a lecture by with Prof. Dr. Nenad Marković, Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus” Skopje. The participants discussed with him about identity, nation, and nationalism. The end of the Regional Summer School 2022 was marked by the handing over certificates for successful participation to the students. The seventh Regional Summer School was a complete success. The participants were able to gain new knowledge, meet and discuss with their peers from 10 different countries of the region.