On 4 May 2025, young people from Serbia and Ukraine shared their views on the opportunities and challenges of living near a border, as well as the most pressing local issues and their ideas for future cooperation projects. Their reflections revealed both frustration with daily realities and a hopeful vision for change through education, empathy, and practical community action.
Participants noted both advantages and disadvantages of living close to a border. Among the advantages, they mentioned that for some people—particularly in Ukraine—living near the border can create easier access to mobility, opportunities to travel abroad, and even a pathway toward obtaining an EU passport. However, they also discussed serious disadvantages, such as illegal border activities, depopulation of border towns, and the sense that residents often want to leave rather than develop their own communities. Many border areas were described as “ghost towns,”with few residents and limited opportunities, making life there monotonous and disconnected from the rest of the country.
When discussing key issues in their countries, young people from Serbia and Ukraine raised a wide range of concerns:
In Serbia, participants emphasized that:
- Education is too theoretical, with a need for more practical learning and workshops;
- There are too many casinos and gambling opportunities, leading to addiction and negative social influences;
- Air quality is poor, and there are not enough recycling bins, with factories too close to cities;
- Crime and drug availability are major issues;
- Mental health awareness is low, with few available services and a strong stigma surrounding the topic.
They said there should be more medical and psychological assistants, better non-formal education opportunities, and a stronger support system for people in difficult situations.
In Ukraine, participants focused on:
- Passive smoking and the lack of designated smoking areas;
- Uncertainty among youth about their future due to limited resources and opportunities;
- The fact that most public attention is directed toward refugees, leaving few mental health resources for others;
- Disunity and negativity in society, with people “uniting only for hate”;
- Refugees facing confusion because of unclear instructions and poor digitalization;
- Language challenges, noting that Ukrainian is still not prioritized everywhere.
When asked to imagine their dream cooperation projects, participants offered concrete and creative solutions:
From Serbia:
- Making education more practical, through interactive teaching and workshops;
- Creating more schools and educational institutions, and training teachers in modern, participatory methods;
- Organizing recycling and cleanup campaigns involving the wider community;
- Hosting mental health workshops to raise awareness and train medical and psychological assistants;
- Promoting non-formal education across the country.
From Ukraine:
- Creating designated smoking areas to reduce passive smoking;
- Holding stress-relief events before exams and developing an app with tips for anxiety or panic attacks;
- Organizing career guidance meetings with professionals from various fields and offering courses for future professions accessible to all youth;
- Encouraging empathy and positivity through workshops and comedy-based education;
- Developing a digital map for refugees with clear instructions on how to settle in countries like Poland or Germany;
- Launching a joint education project with Finland, inviting Finnish teachers to train Ukrainian educators in methods focused on learning rather than grading;
- Promoting the Ukrainian language and organizing activities that foster mutual understanding among communities.
The consultation ended with a unifying message shared by both groups: that cooperation begins with empathy and understanding, and that building stronger communities requires kindness, education, and practical action rather than isolation or division.