Introduction
The Interregional Meeting of Contact Points (CPs) and Info Centres (ICs) was held from 7–11 April 2025 in Tirana and Durrës, Albania. Co-organised by SALTO SEE and Beyond Barriers Albania (BBA), the event brought together 30 representatives of Contact Points, Info Centres and National Erasmus+ Offices based in the Erasmus+ partner countries in the Western Balkans, South Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe and Caucasus regions and regional SALTO Resource Centres.
The event aimed to foster strategic interregional cooperation, deepen peer learning and showcase youth work practices in Albania through institutional visits, thematic workshops, and exchanges.
Expectations and learning goals
Participants had strong motivation to exchange practical approaches and strengthen cooperation across regions. Insights collected through Mentimeter and interactive sessions revealed common learning goals:
- To better understand the roles and functions of CPs and ICs across different regions;
- To identify good practices adaptable to local contexts;
- To learn how AI and digital tools can support youth information and outreach work;
- To build stronger links between civil society and institutions, including municipalities;
- To develop ideas for collaborative projects and sustainable networking;
- To explore inclusive, creative, and value-based youth work models;
- To discover youth strategies and local engagement practices in Albania.
These expectations formed the foundation for dynamic peer engagement and co-learning throughout the programme.
Programme highlight
Study visits were the most celebrated element of the programme. Key highlights included:
- The National Youth Agency: Insight into Albania’s youth strategy implementation, funding mechanisms, and national-local cooperation.
- TUMO Creative Technologies Centre: A powerful example of youth-centered digital education, co-creation, and future skills development.
- Beyond Barriers Resource Centre: Featuring inclusive initiatives like the ArtLab ceramics workshop, Green House for environmental education, and Mobile Youth Centre for outreach to rural communities.
- Youth Centre in Durrës: A municipal initiative with strong community partnerships, sparking conversations on how to adapt youth services to local needs and the benefit of partnerships between municipalities and experienced youth NGOs in the development youth centres, their offers and approaches to involving young people.
Harvesting learning
Why the Interregional Network must continue
Participants expressed a shared understanding that the interregional network of CPs and ICs is not a one-off opportunity but a strategic asset. Many emphasised the importance of maintaining the momentum built in Vienna, Austria in 2024 and then followed in Tirana, Albania by including regular interaction, mutual visibility, and structured collaboration into the future of this network, which was seen as a rare and valuable channel for recognition, solidarity, and knowledge exchange.
As several participants noted:
- There is more connection needed through the regions, to learn from each other’s common practices that could solve common issues in different contexts.
- South-South exchange is essential. We need to hear from our realities too.
- We need to build on what was started in Vienna – this felt like a continuation, not just an event.
The meeting confirmed that interregional connection should not be reactive, it must be planned, supported, and treated as an investment in the ecosystem of youth information, inclusion, and democratic participation.
Participant reflections
Participants highlighted a range of insights during the final harvesting session, among which the themes emerging were:
- Importance of anchoring youth work in local realities and values, not just programmes;
- CPs and ICs emphasised the importance of building municipal-level partnerships and translating national strategies into local action.
- South-Med participants highlighted the need for more practical and mutual exchanges beyond EU-centric models;
- Thematic focus on AI, inclusive practices, and intersectoral cooperation as priority areas for future joint learning.
Recommendations for the interregional network
Based on feedback, session outcomes, and facilitator observation, the following recommendations are offered:
- Continued regular exchange cycles: Establish annual or semi-annual thematic exchanges (online or physical when possible) to explore evolving topics such as digital inclusion, working with municipalities, and programme visibility for the CPs and ICs.
- Develop shared resources and toolkits: Create an interregional digital repository of best practices, methods, templates, and tools contributed by CPs/ICs to foster continuous learning.
Final thoughts
The Interregional Meeting in Albania demonstrated the power of connection and networking, shared practice, and critical reflection. Participants returned to their regions not only with new ideas and tools, but with a stronger sense of collective identity and mission. The continuation of this network requires deliberate investment, inclusive mechanisms, and co-created spaces to ensure that the voices and values of youth work professionals across all regions continue to shape the future of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps implementation.
CPs and ICs play a crucial role in championing the programmes in the neighbouring partner regions. Their role and nurturing of the network’s continuation and strengthening is vital for improving collaboration among the regions and learning from each other and for further strengthening the support for organisations and youth workers in these regions in using the Erasmus+ and ESC programmes.
Prepared by: Irena Topalli / the event’s facilitator
