Young people in Albania will play an immensely important role in bringing the country closer to the EU. However, their willingness to become agents of change and their enthusiasm for the EU is often not matched by proper resources that would enable them to participate meaningfully in programmes, projects and decision-making. What is needed is all-inclusive stakeholder coordination focusing on young people, writes our surprise guest Dafina Peci, Executive Director of the National Youth Congress of Albania. 

Dafina Peci became the executive director of the National Youth Congress of Albania in 2016, after serving as its president for two consecutive years. Since 2017, Dafina has also taught at the University of Tirana’s Department of Political Sciences. She was a member of the working group to set up the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), and subsequently represented Albania on the RYCO's Directory Board, as well as being a youth representative on its Governing Board. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and International Relations and a Master of Sciences in Regional Politics and Safety. She has also completed a post-graduate specialisation in Security after Conflict, Building Peace and Intermediation Institutions.