Youth, courageous builders of peace. From the Balkans, an appeal to shared values of life for peace

Highly sensitive to the serious conflict in Eastern Europe and aware of the fragility of peace, even in the Balkan countries, the bishops of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference organised, once again this year, an interreligious meeting, a Forum for Peace, in the Balkans, on 14 June 2025 in Koper. The theme of the forum was ‘Shared values of life for peace’. In 2023, the Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, participated in the Forum as the Holy Father's special delegate.

The values of life, such as love, justice, solidarity and dignity, need peace in order to develop.

This edition of the Forum was attended by the Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Dr Gleison De Paula Souza, who spoke on the theme “The role of Balkan youth as agents of peace”. Starting from the idea that ‘the Balkans, due to their geographical centrality on the European continent and their extraordinary ethnic, linguistic and religious complexity, are not only a crossroads of cultures but also a laboratory: a living laboratory where the enhancement of diversity represents a great challenge and a great wealth,’ the Secretary invited participants to reflect on the urgent need for ‘the values of life, such as love, justice, solidarity and dignity, to develop in peace’. As the Holy Father Leo XIV reminds us, ‘an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering’ is necessary ‘in order to promote the human person in his or her full and harmonious development, valuing progress and highlighting the tendencies that hinder it at the cultural and social levels.’

Peace to walk towards the common good

‘In this scenario,’ continued De Paula Souza, "young people are called to a daring task: to build social friendship, overcome historical and cultural divisions and become artisans of peace. This means walking towards something great: the common good. Young people, in fact, are not spectators of history but protagonists. They are not called to suffer the world they have inherited, but to transform it. And the first step in becoming actors of peace is to choose dialogue."

Young people as courageous protagonists in promoting peace with passion and responsibility

The appeal to young people in the Balkans to be artisans of peace, with courage and protagonism, is valid for everyone, and the Secretary recalled the experience of World Youth Day, which the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has the honour of organising: "These international events of the Catholic Church are a living and tangible testimony to the ability of young people to create spaces for prayer, dialogue and sharing that lead to the overcoming of all cultural, linguistic and social barriers. The theme of the next gathering in Seoul in 2027 will recall the theme of courage. I conclude, therefore, with an invitation to be, like young people, artisans of peace, with courage, without fear of entering into relationship with others, of creating human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and the appreciation of diversity. If we do this together with the young people of the Balkans and of the world, then we will truly be able to live the common values of life and promote peace with passion and responsibility."

Forum for Peace in the Balkans: a workshop for promoting diversity

This year's Forum was open to leaders of the various religions present in the Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and, of course, Slovenia. The presidents of the Catholic Episcopal Conferences, patriarchs or metropolitans of the Orthodox Churches (Constantinople, Belgrade, Bucharest, Athens, etc.) and Muslim muftis, as well as representatives of other religious communities present in these countries, gathered together. Representatives from neighbouring countries, Austria, Italy and Hungary, and young people from all the invited countries were also present. The Forum took place on Saturday 14 June and was divided into two sessions: a round table discussion between eminent religious leaders, followed by short presentations by individual speakers. At the same time, a workshop was held especially for young people, who were able to freely share their thoughts.

A common prayer for peace concluded the event.