Triggering Resilience in Up-and-coming Security Threats

Despite its economic advancements and some critical steps made towards the stabilization through EU integration process with countries holding candidate status for full membership, the region of WB remains prone to instabilities and security threats from both ends internal (specific to the complex regional relations and historical justice/injustice views leading to radical and violent behaviors) and external (specific to the regional fragility and remaining socio-economic difficulties in gaining pace with European societies and its position vis-à-vis current instabilities in world politics). 64 percent of citizens living in the region are satisfied with the security situation in the Western Balkans, according to a survey by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), which was presented on May 24. Organized crime, terrorism, the migrant crisis and fake news represent security challenges for the largest number of citizens. The survey called #SecuriMeter 2021 was conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo in the period from January 28 to February 19 this year. More than 6,000 people participated in the survey. The survey showed that citizens see economic crisis, poverty and social exclusion (63 percent), crime, organized crime and vandalism (58 percent), pandemic (53 percent), natural disasters, climatic changes and pollution (29 percent), while for 26 percent of respondents it is the migrant crisis. When asked what are the most urgent challenges that the region should solve when it comes to security, 92 percent pointed to organized and financial crime, 88 percent to the fight against terrorism, 86 percent believe it is the migrant crisis, and 84 percent point to cyber security. In particular, majority of respondent 69% mention Pandemic and heath security nexus as one of the issues for urgent societal responses. Acknowledging that politics is a two level game, and that education is the core element of progress in integral development of the region (realizing individual and collective transformation) leading to closer regional collaboration based on resilience to a number of core security threats and relations with the EU, the TRUST project seeks to open up the space for participation of faculties newcomers and persons with fewer opportunities to raise voice and becoming more resistant to up and coming threats in different contents.