Three decades after the violent conflicts that claimed thousands of lives and profoundly shaped those who survived, a central question remains across the Western Balkans: how can the voices, experiences, and needs of those most affected be placed at the center of policy and societal action?
Memorialization in post-conflict societies is often neglected. At the same time, memory is one of the most efficient tools to define the present and legitimize the current sociopolitical environment.
During the inaugural Western Balkans Peace Forum, which took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, on March 3rd and 4th, international organizations, a united front of peace activists and young people highlighted the values of regional cooperation and youth engagement in building a better and safer society.
Identity-based violence and its causes continue to be a widespread issue throughout the Western Balkans, even thirty years after the end of the wars in the 1990s.
On March 3 and 4, 2026, representatives of 25 civil society and international organizations converged on Europe House in Podgorica, Montenegro, for the inaugural Western Balkans Peace Forum (WBPF), organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) with its partners.
While regional politicians are increasingly embracing nationalist rhetoric and deepening divisions, young people from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia are takin a different approach - one based on daily collaboration, solidarity, and learning.