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DG Democracy
Directorate of Democratic Participation
Youth Department
THINK YOUTH | No 69 January-February 2019
Looking forward to 2030 – a strategy for the youth sector
EYC Budapest, 22-23 January 2019

The CMJ drafting group set up to develop a strategy for the Council of Europe youth sector for 2020-30 met a second time. Having formulated a theory of change and chosen a visual model to illustrate it at its first meeting, the drafting group discussed and defined thematic priorities, as well as what it considered to be the desired or expected outcomes of the strategy and their impact. The drafting group agreed to meet a third time to continue its work [...]
The CMJ chair talks with the Deputies about youth and democracy
On 31 January 2019, Anja Olin Pape, Chair of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ), exchanged views with the Committee of Ministers’ Rapporteur Group on Education, Culture, Sport, Youth and Environment. 

Praising the relationship between young people and the Council of Europe, Anja spoke of the co-management system and cited the No Hate Speech Movement as an excellent example of how the Council of Europe makes changes in young people’s lives.
Sampo Terho, Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sports of Finland. Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Council of Europe Director General of Democracy
Education and training pathways for youth workers
Helsinki, 20-22 February 2019

As part of the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, a seminar was organised on Education and training pathways for youth workers, aimed at implementing the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation on youth work (2017). “When high-quality youth work supports young people, civil society grows stronger and active citizenship is promoted'' (Mr Terho) "Europe needs its young people more than ever, so as to make sure our democratic values live on” (Ms Samardžić-Marković)
Ukraine and the Council of Europe
At the annual Management Committee meeting on cooperation between the Council of Europe and Ukraine in the field of youth policy, Oleksandr Yarema, Deputy Minister, noted that joint projects make a great contribution to the development of youth policy and youth work in Ukraine. The programme of joint activities and support measures for 2019 was reviewed and approved. In addition to the 50-50 “Have your Say!” training course, the plan includes activities on youth policy, training and participation of Ukrainian young people in the Enter! Youth Week.
Enter Youth! Week – first steps

The first preparatory meeting of the Enter! Youth Week was held on 5 and 6 February at the EYC in Strasbourg with representatives of the CCJ, CMJ, the City of Strasbourg and the Ministry of Education and Youth of France. The dates of the week were set – 7 to 12 July – as well as the main theme – Our Lives. Our Rights.

This should resonate with the motto of the Council of Europe’s 70th anniversary – Our rights, our freedoms, our Europe – which the Enter! Youth Week is also part of. The preparation of the week will be accompanied by a review process of the Enter! recommendation on access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights.
The PC on Youth at the EYC Budapest on 13-14 December 2018 with part of the EYF Secretariat team
Programming Committee on Youth
The Programming Committee on Youth met at the EYC in Budapest on 13-14 December 2018 and took a final decision on grant applications received at the 1 October 2018 deadline for activities taking place in 2019:
19 work plans and 11 one off international activity applications were approved with grants totalling €918 000. The committee also adopted the revised eligibility criteria for International youth NGOs and networks applying for an EYF two-year Structural Grant for 2020-2021.
Commissioner for Human Rights visits the EYC Budapest
Budapest, 6 February 2019

During her country visit to Hungary, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, visited the European Youth Centre Budapest (EYCB). During the brief visit the Commissioner was informed of the mandates and programme priorities of the Youth Sector by EYCB Executive Director Gordana Berjan.

Commissioner Mijatović and her team also met the EYCB’s staff.
Antje Rothemund, Carina Autengruber, Gabriella Battaini, Anna Widegren, Alfonso Aliberti
High level meetings for the new EYF Chair
Strasbourg, 12-13 February 2019

During a two-day visit in Strasbourg, Carina Autengruber, President of the European Youth Forum, met with top Council of Europe officials to discuss how the YFJ and the Council of Europe can pursue their tradition of long-standing and reciprocal co-operation to ensure youth work and youth policies continue to empower young people and engage them in the development of democratic, inclusive and peaceful societies in Europe.
Compass national training courses on human rights education
The 2019 call for COMPASS National and Regional Training Courses in Human Rights
Education generated 45 projects proposals submitted by youth NGOs from 24 Council of Europe member states. Eleven representatives of the selected projects attended a training seminar in prepation to the courses. The 2019 programme includes Azerbaijan, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova and Serbia, where activities will be implemented between March and October 2019. Proposals from Norway, Slovenia and Portugal are on a reserve list pending further availability of funds.
Improved criteria for the Trainers Pool
EYC Budapest, 21-23 January 2019

The 9th consultative meeting of members of the trainers pool took place to reviewing developments in the youth sector of the Council of Europe and to improve the quality of activities of the Youth for Democracy programme.

The provision of specific trainers-led workshop strengthened the peer-learning nature of the pool and renewed approaches and methodologies in the field of human rights education, blended learning, intersectionality and educational work with mixed ability groups.
Joint meeting of the CDEJ and Advisory Council bureaux
EYC Budapest, 24-25 January 2019

The bureaux of the CDEJ and of the Advisory Council met both in separate meetings and in their traditional joint meeting. Together, they discussed in particular two of the major items currently in the CMJ’s work programme: progress in defining a strategy for the youth sector for the period 2020-30 and the next steps in the work to tackle barriers to civil society and their impact on young people and their organisations, launched with a consultative meeting in November 2018.
The European Youth Foundation: How does it work?
Brussels, end February 2019

As in previous years, an information session for NGOs will explain the EYF working methods and the processing of grant applications and reports. In order to strengthen its partnership with youth NGOs and to reach more NGOs in the field, the EYF will organise 2 information/training events in Slovenia and Albania in March. The programme will cover all aspects of the EYF’s work and include simulation exercises as well as project management and gender perspective sessions.
EYF annual report of activities 2018
The EYF has published its 2018 annual report, which gives an overview of the work of the European Youth Foundation in 2018, and presents the activities of non-governmental youth organisations supported by the Foundation as well as activities organised by the EYF itself.

You can also have a look at our updated EYF Resources page which contains different materials developed by the Council of Europe and by NGOs in EYF-supported projects.
Between insecurity and hope
Reflections on youth work with young refugees

The youth partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe published Youth Knowledge # 24 that presents theories and practices on how young refugees reconcile personal hope with the tensions within their host societies. The book also explores the role of youth work with young refugees to support their empowerment, inclusion and participation. It aims to be a reference for stakeholders working on inclusion, access to rights and the participation of young refugees.
Upcoming activities
  • Study session with IFM-SEI: ''Peers 2.0: peer education for democratic citizenship'', EYCB, 23 February-2 March 2019
  • Study session with RYE: ''Democritical'', EYCB, 25 February-2 March 2019
  • Study session with FEMYSO: ''You(th) reclaiming the narrative. Improving society by strengthening minority young people's access to media'', EYCB, 4-8 March 2019
  • Study session with IFLRY: ''When You(th) Need to Speak up: Enabling Expression and Speech in a Diverse World'', EYCB, 4-8 March 2019
  • Study session with IFHOHYP: ''Keeping the World Accessible & Inclusive through a Policy-making Perspective'', EYCS, 11-16 March 2019 
  • Study session with ECYC: '' Youth Work Policy in Europe: It's Up To Us!", EYCS, 11-16 March 2019
  • EYF information/training event, Ljubjana, Slovenia, 11-13 March 2019
  • Statutory bodies meetings, CMJ, CDEJ and CCJ, EYC Budapest, 18-20 March 2019
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
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www.coe.int/youth
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