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DG Democracy
Directorate of Democratic Citizenship and Participation
Youth Department
Think Youth No:65 April/May 2018
No Hate Speech Movement Campaign Closing Conference
More than 150 people representing the various stakeholders of the No Hate Speech Movement campaign took part in the Evaluation conference – Is This It? - held at the European Youth Centre, 10-12 April. In his speech to the conference, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, stressed that this youth campaign was “the first broad international initiative to tackle hate speech and to address it as a major human rights issue” and it especially succeeded in raising awareness of the extent and risk of hate speech to young people and to all of society. The conference conclusions stress the need to continue work for strengthening Human Rights by using both online and offline platforms, through education, awareness raising and adequate legislative measures. Most national campaigns of the No Hate Speech Movement continue. The Youth Department together with the Anti-Discrimination Department will follow-up on the campaign achievements; all campaign materials will remain accessible at www.coe.int/youthcampaign. The Facebook page and the Twitter account #nohatespeech will also remain active. Thank you for your support towards the success of the campaign over the past five years.
38th meeting of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ)
The co-managed decision-making committee of the youth sector met in Budapest on 27 and 28 March 2018. After an exchange of views with the Head of the Youth Department, the CMJ examined initial progress in the implementation of the Youth Department’s 2018-2019 priorities and continued its reflection on a future sustainable strategy for the Council of Europe youth sector. The other main decisions made include:
  • election of the Bureaux of the youth statutory bodies, as well as of the new members of the Programming Committee on Youth, which establishes and monitors the programme of the European Youth Foundation (EYF) and the European Youth Centres (Strasbourg and Budapest);
  • implementation of the Committee of Ministers’ recommendation on youth work (CM/Rec(2017)4), in order to help member states provide quality youth work;
  • further discussion on a possible Committee of Ministers’ recommendation to member states on supporting young refugees and migrants in their transition to adulthood;
  • thematic discussion on “shrinking space for civil society and youth organisations: contemporary challenges and discussions”.
Consultative meeting on a new strategy for the CoE youth sector
On 15-16 May 2018, the main stakeholders in the CoE youth sector gathered at the EYCS to brainstorm the content of a new Council of Europe youth sector strategy for 2020 to 2030. Around fifty participants took stock of the current strategy (Agenda 2020), drew lessons from its achievements and shortcomings, and helped to define the added value to the youth sector when addressing key challenges facing young people. The consultative meeting also identified preliminary ideas for a possible strategic framework for the Organisation's youth sector until 2030 (what to maintain, what to develop, how and where to innovate). In October 2018, the conclusions of the consultative meeting will be examined by the youth sector’s co-managed decision-making body, which will decide on the next steps in the strategy development process.
EYF visit to Turkey
After Italy, the EYF headed to Büyükada, Turkey, on 26 and 27 of April 2018 to attend an international activity organised by the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) as part of its EYF-supported annual work plan “Urban steps for resilient future – building youth activism in Eastern Europe”. The activity gathered 33 participants from 18 countries, with the aim of empowering young people around Europe to get active in their city and to seek and provide support to make their cities more resilient.
Living Library at the Europe Day Festival in Budapest
The EYCB organised a living library event as part of the Europe Day Festival in Budapest on 13 May. It was a day full of activities celebrating Hungary’s 14 years of membership in the European Union. The stand of the EYCB attracted hundreds of visitors, out of which more than 120 became registered readers of the Living Library. They engaged in interesting and insightful conversations with the Living Books, with titles representing various social groups often subjected to stereotyping and prejudice, such as Jews, Roma, refugees and migrants, homeless, former alcoholic, and many others.

National Training Course on Human Rights Education – COMPASS for the effective human rights education!
The national training courses in human rights education aiming at mainstreaming human rights education in youth work at the national or regional level was held on 19 -22 April 2018 April in Montenegro. It was  organised by the CoE Youth Department in co-operation with the Centre for Civic Education in Podgorica. The training course strengthened participants'  competencies in working with COMPASS, which aims to make human rights education accessible and participatory.
Young people's citizenship and Europe: which ways forward?
To promote young people's European identity, the partnership between the European Commission and the CoE in the youth field organised a seminar on 3 and 4 May 2018, at the EYCS. It explored concepts, approaches and programmes related to citizenship education with young people, and, therein, the role of youth work and European Citizenship. The seminar brought together 30 representatives from institutions, foundations, networks and organisations supporting citizenship education with young people.
Inauguration of the new ramp of the EYCS
Mariana Morari, Trainee with BORUVKA, an NGO based in Prague and working with young people with disabilities was the first person to use the accessible ramp in the EYCS on 15 May when she attended the consultative meeting on a new Council of Europe youth strategy.
The launch of the calendar of educational and training activities
A calendar of educational and training activities was included on the CoE Youth Department's website. The new tool enables users to find activities easily by filtering according to date, event type, partner, priority and venue.
Upcoming activities

  • European Youth Event (EYE), Strasbourg, 28 May- 2 June 2018
  • Together Have Your Say! - "50/50" Training Course in the Russian Federation,
    EYCB, 28 May - 01 June 2018
  • Enlarged expert group on researching education and career paths for youth workers: system for formal and non-formal education and validation,
    Brussels, 31 May - 01 June 2018          
  •  9th European Platform of Youth Centres, EYCB, 4 - 6 June 2018
  • 39th meeting of the Programming Committee on Youth, EYCS, 7 -8 June 2018
  • Statutory bodies (CMJ/CDEJ/CCJ/CPJ) meeting, EYCS, 7 - 8 June 2018
  • Advisory mission on a new youth law/national youth strategy,
    Skopje, 11 - 12 June 2018
  • Enter! Long-term training course for youth workers - 2nd Residential Seminar,     EYCS, 12 - 19 June 2018
  • Study visit on the implementation of the national youth strategy (peer-advice),
    Prague, 12 - 15 June 2018
  • Password for Human Rights: knowledge and tools online and offline to promote, defend and stand up for - National Training Course on Human Rights Education,
    Rome, 19 - 23 June 2018
  • Quality Label Exploratory Visit, Virrat, Finland, 19 - 20 June 2018
  • Youth Peace Camp, EYCB, 26 June - 3 July 2018
  • Symposium 'Connecting the Dots' - on young people and technological developments, Tallinn, 26 - 28 June 2018
Useful links
The CoE Directorate General Democracy
The CoE Youth Portal
European Youth Centre Budapest
European Youth Centre Strasbourg
European Youth Foundation
Intergovernmental Cooperation
The EU-CoE Youth Parthership
Facebook pages
Advisory Council on Youth
Council of Europe - Youth
European Youth Centre Budapest
EU-CoE youth partnership
European Youth Foundation
No Hate Speech Movement


For comments and suggestions, please contact [email protected]
Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00
www.coe.int/youth
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