Call for Applications: World Forum for Democracy 2020 - Youth Delegation

Deadline: 28-Jul-20

Council of Europe has announced a call for applications for the World Forum for Democracy 2020 – Youth Delegation.

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The World Forum for Democracy is a unique platform for political decision-makers and activists to debate solutions to key challenges for democracies worldwide. By identifying and analysing experimental initiatives and practices, the Forum highlights and encourages democracy innovations at the grassroots and their transfer on a systemic level in order to strengthen the foundations of democratic societies. The Forum thus contributes to the evolution of democracy towards more participatory and inclusive structures and institutions.

The core content of the Forum will consist of discussions about successful initiatives and actions, which have real-life initiatives as a starting point. General guiding principles will then be drawn to encourage and support future policy responses and field action. In this context, the Youth Department will invite 50-60 young people to participate and engage with decision-makers and opinion-formers in a reflection on the question of Democracy and Information.

The theme of the 2020 edition of the World Forum for Democracy is “Can Democracy Save the Environment?” The societies have been tested by an extreme and unexpected global challenge in 2020, but while an essential battle is fought against the Covid-19 pandemic, humanity’s greatest existential threat looms ever larger. Environmental damage and climate change have not gone away. The poisoning of the land and pollution in the air and water is still killing plants, animals and humans alike. Rising temperatures and sea levels are on course to render lands uninhabitable and force people to leave their homes and seek new lives. The time to act is now!

Yet recent polling indicates the highest ever recorded levels of dissatisfaction and mistrust with democracy as a system of government. Its response to a whole series of recent challenges – economic, pandemic, and indeed environmental – have disappointed millions of people. Many are questioning the capacity, competence and even legitimacy of democratic governance to address their greatest needs.

Some of the key challenges that will be faced at this edition of the World Forum for Democracy are:

National governments, international organisations or the citizen: who is setting the pace?
What governing style is best placed to tackle the environmental challenge?
Public or private: what role for which sector?

All selected participants should arrive on Friday 13th November and depart on Thursday 19th November. The youth preparation meeting will take place for all participants on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November in the European Youth Centre before the World Forum begins on the 16th of November 2020.

Criteria

In order to be selected and participate in the World Forum 2020 democracy and information, youth applicants should:

Be aged 18-30 (exceptions can be made in special cases);
Be able to communicate and work in English;
Be actively involved in civil society democracy initiatives;
Be motivated to contribute to developing new ideas on youth and democracy;
Be ready to share own challenges faced in relation to media, fake news, information and its effects on democracy;
Be ready to adopt a solution-oriented approach by bringing in new ideas and visions on the question of environment and democracy;
Be available to participate fully in the World Forum for Democracy and the preparation process beforehand (i.e. arrive in Strasbourg on the 13th November and depart on the 19th November). The youth representatives will be chosen on the basis of these criteria and a video to be submitted. The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all candidates who fulfil the abovementioned profile, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.