Balkan Youth in the Age of Polycrisis

Guest Editor: Dr Anja Gvozdanović, Institute for Social Research in Zagreb.

Field of interest: youth's political culture, social capital, civic participation/engagement of youth, trust, peacebuilding.

Email:anja@idi.hr 

From the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and escalating global tensions, today’s young people are growing up amid multiple overlapping crises. On the Balkans, these global shocks intersect with local challenges, intensifying uncertainty and deeply affecting youth mental well-being.

In this issue, we explore how global crises shape the everyday lives of young people across the region; the coping strategies adopted by teenagers and students; and the ways in which culture, family, and local communities can strengthen or weaken psychological resilience. We also examine what support schools, institutions, and national policies should offer — and how young people can build new forms of solidarity, both locally and internationally.

Balkan youth have much to say about growing up in a world full of tension, but also full of possibility. This issue gives them the space — and the voice — they deserve.

Deadline for article submissions: 30 June 2026.