From Consultation to Action: Embedding Violence Prevention, Empowerment, and Social Resilience in Albania’s Development Agenda

Reflections from the Consultative Meeting on the UN Cooperation Framework 2027–2031

I had the honour of participating in the Consultative Meeting on the development of the United Nations Cooperation Framework (UNCF) 2027–2031 and the Country Programme Documents (CPDs) of UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA. This process is foundational for shaping how the UN system will collectively support Albania’s national development priorities, the EU accession agenda, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A Civil Society Perspective from the Frontlines

At this consultation, I spoke on behalf of ESD Albania, in partnership with UN Women, as one of the few civil society organisations present that operates with a nonprofit mission and a sustainability-driven, business-oriented model. This model allows us to remain independent, scalable, and resilient, while staying fully rooted in social impact.

To date, we have directly trained over 8,500 people across Albania and Europe — including:

• teachers and school communities

• journalists and media professionals

• banking and tourism sector staff

• human resources professionals

• youth, women, and community leaders

Participants consistently identify Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) as essential for schools, communities, and institutions — not as a physical training programme, but as a violence prevention, de-escalation, and resilience-building methodology.

This work responds to a reality we cannot ignore: Albania continues to face high levels of violence, deeply rooted in cultural norms, socialisation patterns, and increasingly in digital spaces. Violence today is not only physical — it is verbal, psychological, structural, and systemic.

Moving Beyond Traditional Approaches

Our approach does not rely on:

• awareness campaigns alone

• symbolic messaging

• posters or one-off trainings

• traditional martial arts models

Instead, Empowerment Self-Defense teaches:

• hands-on prevention strategies

• early intervention skills

• verbal de-escalation techniques

• situational awareness

• boundary setting

• collective responsibility and support

It builds a mindset of agency, empathy, and shared safety, which is essential for transforming communities, schools, and workplaces.

Cross-Sector Collaboration as a Development Model

We are proud to collaborate with institutions and companies in Albania, from Shkodra to Saranda, demonstrating that violence prevention and empowerment are not only social priorities — they are also organizational, economic, and workforce priorities.

This type of partnership reflects a new development model where:

• civil society

• private sector

• public institutions

• international organisations

co-create solutions rather than operate in silos.

Strategic Priorities for the Future Framework

In alignment with the UNCF priorities presented during the consultation, our work focuses on:

Children and Youth

Building early resilience, safety skills, emotional intelligence, and violence prevention capacities within education systems.

Demographic Resilience

Strengthening social cohesion, intergenerational solidarity, and community-based support systems.

Toxic Work Cultures and Verbal Violence

One of the most urgent and under-addressed challenges in Albania today is verbal violence, toxic communication, and hostile work environments. These dynamics undermine teamwork, mental health, productivity, and institutional trust.

They reflect:

• weak collaborative cultures

• lack of supportive leadership

• normalization of aggression

• absence of emotional safety

Gender Inequality, Discrimination, and Ageism

Discrimination remains deeply embedded across multiple dimensions:

• gender

• age

• social status

• economic vulnerability

In particular, there is a systemic invisibility of women in midlife, including:

• limited access to healthcare

• lack of tailored services

• exclusion from leadership pathways

• minimal policy focus

Ageism and sexism intersect, leaving many women structurally unsupported during critical life stages.

Development Requires Safety

No development framework can succeed without addressing safety as a foundational condition.

Safety is not only physical. It is psychological. It is emotional. It is relational. It is institutional.

Without safety:

• education systems fail

• workplaces become harmful

• communities fragment

• trust erodes

• resilience weakens

From Policy to Practice

The UN Cooperation Framework 2027–2031 represents an opportunity to move from policy language to lived impact — from strategy to transformation.

This requires:

• investing in prevention, not only response

• funding long-term community infrastructure

• embedding trauma-informed approaches

• integrating violence prevention into education, labour, health, and governance systems

• supporting scalable, sustainable civil society models

Closing Reflection

Violence prevention is not a side issue.
Empowerment is not a luxury.
Safety is not secondary to development.

They are structural prerequisites for sustainable growth, democratic stability, and social cohesion.

The future of Albania’s development depends not only on infrastructure, policies, and institutions — but on the quality of relationships, the safety of everyday interactions, and the resilience of communities.

This is where Empowerment Self-Defense, community-based prevention, and trauma-informed empowerment must become part of national and international development frameworks — not as pilot projects, but as core systems.

Because sustainable development begins where people feel safe, valued, and empowered.