Deadline: 6-Apr-23
Are you a young activist? Do you want to take action for democracy, human rights, and youth participation? Apply to become the training course Young activists for democracy and join the project Democracy Here | Democracy Now.
The Training Course
- The training course for young activists for democracy is organised develop the competences of young activists in advocating for revitalising democracy and to create a group that further supports advocacy actions at European and national level.
- The training course will involve:
- E-learning between 20 April and 30 June 2023
- Residential training course between 28 May and 4 June 2023 (arrival and departure days included)
- Involvement in the project activities and actions until the end of 2023.
- Objectives of the course
- To learn about democracy and human rights and the Council of Europe standards and relevant work.
- To explore the causes and effects of democratic decline in Europe today and the role that young people can play in revitalising democracy.
- To develop their competences in activism and mobilisation of young people and youth civil society with a view to uphold democratic values, including advocacy for the objectives identified by the partners involved in the project, strategies, tactics and tools for action offline and online.
- To familiarise the activists with the Call for Action and the project Youth revitalising democracy.
- To develop plans for the involvement of the activists in the project activities, notably the Common Action Days and actions at national level.
- The training course will involve:
Specific Objectives
- To provide support to young people, youth civil society and national and local authorities to uphold and expand the standards and practices of democratic youth participation, particularly at local and national levels;
- To develop and support activities of democratic citizenship and human rights education that respond to the current challenges faced by democratic systems (e.g. the need to develop digital citizenship competences) and integrate new developments;
- To raise awareness of the barriers to youth participation, particularly discrimination and racism faced by minority youth, and advocate for equality and inclusion of all young people
- The project is run in partnership with national authorities responsible for youth and youth civil society active at European, national and local levels. The implementation of the project is overseen by a Follow-up Group composed of representatives of the Advisory Council on Youth, the European Steering Committee for Youth, and the European Youth Forum.
- The project covers several areas of advocacy to strengthen youth participation in processes for revitalising democracy:
- Political participation of young people:
- lowering the voting age at 16;
- increasing the number of young candidates in election for public office.
- Strengthening youth participation beyond elections:
- implementing the recommendation CM(2022)6 on protecting youth civil society and young people, and supporting their participation in democratic processes;
- establishing youth-led youth councils in every municipality in the Council of Europe.
- Political participation of young people:
- Activities foreseen in 2023 at European level are designed to support the project objectives and the advocacy areas in three main directions:
- advocacy for the implementation of the Call for Action, including seminars and research on the role of local youth councils and youth political participation, common action months and days, cooperation with the key institution of the Council of Europe such as the Congress of Local and Regional Activities or the Parliamentary Assembly;
- training and capacity-building, including training for activists and development of educational materials;
- support for processes and activities at national and regional level.
Eligibility Criteria
- The training course is designed for participants who are:
- aged between 18 and 30 years, exceptions can be made if justified;
- already have experience with democracy, human rights or youth activism, showing capacity to mobilise and multiply information and opinion among other young people. Involvement in the Democracy Here | Democracy Now youth campaign will constitute an advantage;
- committed to the values of the Council of Europe, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to youth participation and are interested in taking further action;
- motivated and able to take active part in all phases of the project;
- are supported by a youth organisation and/or a national campaign contact point and/or an informal youth group;
- able to work autonomously in the English language;
- are resident in one of the state parties to the European Cultural Convention; exceptions can be made if justified.
- The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all candidates who fulfil the specific profile of the activities, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
For more information, visit Training Course Young Activists for Democracy.