1. A Regional Social Development Approach
Social Cohesion in SEE
A Regional Social Development Approach

2. Social Cohesion Issues
Youth exclusion and vulnerability
Increased poverty, inadequate education, high unemployment, conflict and violence, brain drain, human trafficking and risky behaviors;
Fractured ethnic communities
At least 20 identifiable ethnic groups; legacy of ethnic cleansing and exclusion on ethnic grounds still remain;
Long-term vulnerability of conflict-affected groups
Refugees, internally displaced persons but also populations who remained in conflict-affected areas.

3. Social Cohesion in SEE
Developing Social Cohesion identified as a priority in 2000 Regional Strategy Paper
Social Development Initiative for South Eastern Europe (SDI-SEE) established to pilot the development of approaches in social cohesion across countries and explore the possibility of upscaling
The Regional Framework Paper for SEE (April 2003) reiterated need for systematic effort to identify and build on cross-boundary issues and identified the Social Initiative for South East Europe as the main World Bank activity promoting social cohesion.

4. Social Cohesion in SEE Three dimensional approach
Cross-generational dimension
Inter-ethnic dimension
Local development dimension

5. 1. Cross-generational Dimension
Focus on age groups that were falling out of sectoral policies in Education, Health, Social Protection and Labor Markets, through community development and empowerment approaches:
Youth (15 to 24 years) from different ethnic communities;
Children (0 to 6 years), through Early Child Care and Development support to mothers and household in marginalized and or violence affected areas.

6. Deliverables: Youth (15 to 24 years) Children (0 to 6 years)
Macedonia Youth Development Project (LIL) – 2001, Moldova Youth LIL (under preparation), Youth development activities in BH (under preparation);
Regional Conference on Youth Inclusion and Empowerment in SEE (2002);
ESW on Youth Inclusion and Empowerment (2003/04);
Note on Trafficking of Human Beings (2003/04);
Children (0 to 6 years)
Early Child Care and Development Post Conflict grants in Macedonia (1999), Northern Albania and Kosovo (2002);

7. 2. Inter-ethnic Dimension
Promoting interventions and analytic work aimed at building inter-ethnic cohesion among different ethnic communities and/or refugee return within and across borders
Analytic work
ESW Conflict and Change in Kosovo: Impact on Institutions and Society (2001); and Bosnia Local Level Institutions and Social Capital Study (2002).
Pilot grants
Croatia Post Conflict Grant in Sibenik-Knin and Zadar Counties;
Post Conflict Grant for Municipal Development in Southern Serbia (2001);
Post Conflict Grant in BH –Tuzla (2003).

8. 3. Local Development Dimension
Promoting participatory regional/local development approaches aimed at re-establishing natural economic and social linkages between territories (including cross-border areas) which were broken with the fall of Yugoslavia
Croatia Social and Economic Recovery Project (Loan) aimed at supporting the local development of war-affected areas, especially those bordering Serbia and BH.

9. Next Steps
Systematic knowledge sharing among different Country Units about successful social cohesion approaches in line with the Regional Framework for SEE.
Scaling up of successful pilot projects or post conflict grants;
Mainstreaming inter-ethnic, cross-generational and local development approaches for sustainable social cohesion.