Novi Sad has acquired the title of European Youth Capital for 2019 as a result of many years of systemic work in the field of youth policy, but also as a result of the partnership between the City, youth organisations, youth organisations and young people themselves. From the point of view of the City of Novi Sad, this title was not only a prestigious European recognition, but a confirmation that the city has recognized young people as one of its most important development resources and as active carriers of social change.

The process began in 2015, when the City of Novi Sad applied for the first time and entered the top five cities. That first step was important because it showed that Novi Sad has the capacity, vision and ambition to raise youth policy to a higher level.

At the beginning of 2016, an evaluation of the process followed, after which youth and youth organizations gathered around the OPENS initiative and made a decision to once again support the candidacy of the City. This time, the model was clearly set: the city is the holder of the candidacy, but the title equally belongs to young people. It is this approach, based on shared responsibility and participation, that has been one of the key foundations of success.

The OPENS 2019 initiative has collected more than 100 letters of support from Novi Sad youth organizations, youth organizations and their associations. This process later resulted in the Novi Sad Youth Forum and the Youth Alliance of the Association ‘Novi Sad European Youth Capital – OPENS’, which was in charge of preparing, writing and implementing the programmes and activities from the application. The title was awarded to Novi Sad on 16 November 2016 in Varna by the European Youth Forum, which officially made the city the European Youth Capital for 2019.
The special value of this process lay in the fact that it was not based on a single institution or one project, but on a wide network of actors. The key role was played by the City of Novi Sad, the youth sector, the Novi Sad Youth Forum, OPENS. Together with the OPENS team, these actors have helped to build an environment where young people can learn, work, create, participate and develop their ideas. In addition to them, in 2017, OPENS selected 42 more organisations through a competition, which implemented 46 programme activities from the application on the basis of which Novi Sad took the title.

From the point of view of the city, the significance of the title was manifold. First of all, she confirmed that Novi Sad has a good legal and strategic framework for the development of youth policy, based on the Law on Youth, national and provincial strategic documents and the local action plan. At the same time, the OPENERS process has shown that it is necessary to go a step further – towards a sustainable model that includes continuous program financing, strengthening the capacity of organizations and the development of institutions intended for young people.

The title of European Youth Capital has brought Novi Sad not only visibility on the European map of cities that systematically invest in young people, but also concrete results. Within the OPENS programme, 1,140 activities were implemented, which were designed and implemented independently and in partnership with organisations from Novi Sad, Serbia, the region and Europe. This scope of the program has shown that young people in Novi Sad are not passive observers, but a strong driver of community development.

One of the most important legacies of this process is the OPENS Youth Centre, the construction of which was envisaged by the City of Novi Sad as part of the application. The Center is the result of the joint, decades-long work of young people, their associations and the City to improve the position of young people. As the first space in Serbia after two decades intended exclusively for young people, the OPENS Youth Center has become a symbol of institutional support for young people and an important mechanism for the further development of youth policy.

For the City of Novi Sad, the European Youth Capital 2019 was not just a one-year title, but a milestone. She has shown that the best results are achieved when the city administration, youth organizations and young people act as partners, with a common vision. That is why this title has a lasting significance: it has strengthened the position of Novi Sad as a city of youth, a city open to ideas, innovations, dialogue and active participation of young people in shaping a better and more sustainable future.