WHAT IS RISE?
Background
Western Balkans region is facing high rates of youth unemployment, brain drain, lack of regional cooperation and numerous environmental and social challenges that echo throughout the region. RISE (Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs), in the continuation of the “WB6 Lab project” started in October 2019, aims to enable young people in the region to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and create new synergies to promote reconciliation in the region.
The project is co-funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office for the Balkans (RYCO) and the Office Franco-Allemand pour la Jeunesse (OFAJ). RISE activities are implemented by RYCO, OFAJ, SEEYN (South East Europe Youth Network), PULSE Groupe SOS, ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, IEC Technopolis, Nesto Vise, Smart Kolektiv and Yunus Social Business Balkans.
RISE Mission & Vision
RISE (Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs) with its ten partners, supports any venture by young people in the Western Balkans that aims to have a positive social or environmental impact on their ecosystems. After the success of its first cycle, RISE has launched its second phase with a focus on enabling young people in the region to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and create new synergies to promote reconciliation in the region. The project will contribute to the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem and improve access to social entrepreneurship for young people in the Western Balkans region
The general objective of RISE is to foster reconciliation in the Western Balkans through the promotion and strengthening of social entrepreneurship in the region.
RISE opens new spaces of reconciliation for the youth of the Western Balkans, through a regional program to support social entrepreneurship (The RISE Journey). Young social entrepreneurs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia will be supported throughout an Ideation and Incubation Chapter from which innovative solutions nourishing a dynamic ecosystem will emerge.
RISE strengthens the capacity of the regional ecosystem, continuing to support the six local structures in the development of their support systems.
Through regional activities, RISE contributes to promoting social entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans as a tool for economic inclusion, peace building and strengthening social ties in the Western Balkans.