The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and the WeBalkans project presented the “MADE OF US – EU Journey ─ Western Balkans” campaign at the Europe House, which aims to promote a positive image of the European Union to the people of the Western Balkans and vice versa.
The format of the campaign includes 12 young vloggers from the EU and the Western Balkans as the protagonists of the campaign who will travel across the region in pairs consisting of one vlogger from the EU and one vlogger from the Western Balkans. Each couple will travel through one of the six countries of the Western Balkans and share their experiences by creating their own online content.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, said that the European Union is committed to the youth of the region and supports them through a large number of different initiatives, including the WeBalkans project and the “MADE OF US” campaign.
“Our carefully selected vloggers have a privileged role in promoting this support through their own content and thus directly shape the future perception of the region. We are excited to start this adventure here, at the Europe House in Podgorica, and curious to see which road trip and which couple of vloggers will come up with the most interesting content. Allow me to be a little biased, but I am sure that the audience throughout Europe and the region will be amazed by Montenegro and the hidden gems of this country that vloggers will discover”, said Popa.
C
The campaign will run for a total of six weeks between April 18 and May 30, with each week focusing on one of the partners from the Western Balkan Six. Vloggers will visit a total of 18 EU-funded projects in the region, travel 6,000 km by car, and meet many interesting and inspiring locals along the way. They will also present natural landscapes, remarkable sights, and the unique cultural heritage that the Western Balkans has to offer.
The couple that will travel through Montenegro are Emir Ciriković and Alice Franchi from Italy. The Ambassador of Italy to Montenegro, Andreina Marsella, said that her country provides constant support to the efforts.
“I believe that initiatives like “MADE OF US” play a significant role because they address the young people of the region who are the future of their communities. We must prove to them that the enlargement process benefits everyone. Through them, we can show the public what impact the enlargement brings to the Western Balkans. With them, we can build the European future of the region”, said Marsella.
Rosalinda Whybrow from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations said that the launching of this campaign shows how much the European Union invests in the Western Balkans and especially in the youth of the region.
Twelve vloggers will document their experiences during the trip using their own equipment and social media channels, transforming their journey into high-quality social media and web content, photos and videos, which will be distributed on WeBalkans channels.
More information at: