logo Council of Europe
DG Democracy
Directorate of Democratic Participation
Youth Department
THINK YOUTH No 80 - May 2020
The Greek Chairmanship is investing in the future by protecting the rights of young people
Youth issues, and in particular the rights of young people is one of the priorities of the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from May to November 2020. This following the adoption of the “Youth sector strategy 2030-Engaging young people with the Council of Europe’s values”, a basis for the programme “Youth for Democracy”.

A wide range of issues relating to young people form an array of critical fields of interest for today’s Europe: education, brain-drain, sports, climate change and protection of cultural heritage, exploitation of children, unaccompanied minors. These issues constitute key policy priorities for Greece, which considers that particular emphasis should be attributed to specific thematic priorities, inextricably linked to the rights, the hopes and the concerns of young people.

In this context a conference will be organised in Athens in November on “New challenges and opportunities for innovative youth services: The role of the European Youth Card in promoting the rights of young people in the post-covid-era.”
Participants in the Enter! Youth Week, Strasbourg, July 2019
The Committee of Ministers takes note of the results of the Enter! recommendation review process
On 27 May 2020, the Ministers’ Deputies took note of the conclusions and recommendations of the review process of the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)3 of the Committee of Ministers on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights, as endorsed by the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ). This was the first ever review process to be carried out for a Committee of Ministers’ recommendation in the youth field with the involvement of the young people concerned.
Good practices of Youth centres holding the Council of Europe quality label
The Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres provides an opportunity for youth centres with a structured relationship to a public authority to benefit from the Organisation’s approach to youth work and youth policy. Currently 14 youth centres hold the label; all of them are strongly affected by the pandemic and respond to the situation in different ways: 
  • wannseeFORUM Youth Centre (Germany):  developed the project ART WORKS! in cooperation with youth groups from the Centre of Contemporary History Melk Memorial, FH St. Pölten (Austria), the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb (Croatia) and Museion Bolzano (Italy). The project is located at the intersection of artistic, cultural and historical-political youth education.
  • FITT Timisoara Youth House (Romania):  has been very active in introducing a variety of measures to counter negative impacts of the crisis. The centre is placing huge emphasis on providing effective support to the community in cooperation with local authorities, providing young people with the opportunity to take part in humanitarian actions. 
  • Eco Centre Radulovacki (Serbia): as a response to the pandemic, the centre shifted its youth programme to online (youth) work. A digital youth club was created gathering young people from different local communities to organise online social events and compile information on educational online activities. Further to the initiative a national programme of youth clubs was launched with the National Association of Youth Workers and partners organisations in Serbia.
New Cultural Routes Youth Card Launched
Our partner EYCA (European Youth Card Association) joined the project Routes4U and launched a new European Youth Card Special Edition on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

This special edition is free and it is valid for one year. The card offers young people hundreds of discounts for activities on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in seven countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
Providing young people with information in times of a pandemic
The 3 networks' response to covid-19 outbreak

The Council of Europe Youth department partners EYRICA and EYCA joined with Eurodesk in a newsletter to share some of the greatest initiatives implemented by the 3 networks and their member organisations to continue supporting Europe's youth during this pandemic which has impacted youth mobility and youth information.
Sharing examples of good practice of youth policy and youth work responses

The special COVID-19 site on the Youth portal is developing steadily. Check out the news on this site regularly such as the Good practices by the members of the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA).

Page dedicated to our partners good practices
News from the European Youth Foundation
The EYF is in full swing, preparing the first meeting of the Programming Committee on Youth 2020-2021, which will take place in late June.

Applications for International Activities and Annual Work Plans received on 1 April are being assessed and getting ready for decision. 

After launching a special call for projects dealing with the impact of COVID-19, a record-breaking number of requests for registrations were received from Youth NGOS from all over Europe, and pilot activity applications reached an all time high on the 10 May, the first cut-off date after the call.

The EYF is also in touch with NGOs implementing supported activities in 2020, and working with each of them to find solutions and the best alternatives for the challenges and limitations brought by the pandemic.
EYF Upcoming deadline
22 June: New cut-off date for Pilot activities, with a special focus on needs arising from the COVID-19 crisis.
Partnership news
Perspectives on Youth series: Webinar and Article by Dan McQuillan and Ron Salaj on Artificial intelligence, algorithmic stereotyping and young people. Learn more >>

Our work on youth political participation continues: the Compendium of practices and analysis of the types of young people's political participation across Europe was published! Read the Compendium >>

European Youth Event (EYE) online: EU-CoE youth partnership participated in the EYE Online on 28 May with the topic “Young people's social inclusion during COVID-19 - which digital tools and platforms can we use?". Read more on the event >>
Upcoming activities
  • 10-12 June 2020, online, EURODIG
  • 14-21 June 2020, Strasbourg, Study session ‘’Social Rights are Human Rights III‘’ in cooperation with the Youth Express Network, Youth Social Rights Network and the National Council of Youth Organisations in Georgia
  • 16-17 June 2020, online, Review and evaluation of impact of youth work for social inclusion of young refugees
  • 17 June 2020, online, thematic debate: “Climate crisis and global governance” (particiption of the Joint Council on Youth)
  • 22-27 June 2020, online webinars Colours of human diversity-intersectionally inclusive youth activities planned in cooperation with AEGEE-Europe and ENILYouth
  • 23-24 June 2020, online, Programming Committee 43rd meeting
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
Coyote magazine
Send us your comments and suggestions
Council of Europe, Avenue de l'Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00
www.coe.int
logo Council of Europe