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DG Democracy
Directorate of Democratic Participation
Youth Department
THINK YOUTH No 81 - June 2020
The youth sector statutory bodies’ Bureaux meet online to ensure the continuity of their work
The Bureaux of the youth sector’s co-managed statutory bodies met online on 4 and 5 June. As well as preparing the next meeting of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ), they exchanged views with the Director General of Democracy on a future possible youth campaign, and with the Director of Democratic Participation they reviewed the current situation. The Bureaux discussed the findings of the CMJ’s working group on responses to Covid-19 with the Head of the Youth Department. These findings will be supplemented with the results of a survey launched by the working group on the effects of Covid-19 on youth work and youth activities.
Last year meeting of the European Platform of Youth Centres
Annual meeting online: European Platform of Youth Centres
The annual meeting of the European Platform of Youth Centres is one of the key features of the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres programme. Representatives of youth centres recognised with the label and those aspiring to its acquisition gather every year with the aim to ensure networking and enhance collaboration. This summer the meeting was organised online on 10-11 June with the attendance of managers and colleagues of youth centres in the Quality Label network and Council of Europe representatives. The purpose of this online discussion was to create space for participants to connect, exchange experiences and update on latest initiatives and developments introduced by youth centres as a response to this extraordinary situation.

The centres have been developing new working methods as a consequence of the situation; their good practices can be found on our covid page
The Joint Council on Youth discusses the effect of the climate crisis on young people’s access to rights
On 17 June 2020, on a proposal from the Advisory Council on Youth, the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) came together online to debate the issue of the climate crisis and global governance, an issue that has been mobilising millions of young people around the globe. The CMJ will discuss possible follow-up to this debate in its 43rd meeting to be held in October 2020.
No Hate Speech - Workshop Week
The workshop week took place from 22-26 June and aimed to provide practical tools to address hate speech. Some 50 multipliers active with young people on combating hate speech signed up for the 5 different workshops offered during the week, including experts working on standards on fighting discrimination and hate speech, and activists using human rights education and counter-narratives for awareness-raising against hate speech
The Programming Committee on Youth
The Programming Committee on Youth met online on 23-24 June 2020 and discussed the 2020-2021 youth programme
in the European Youth Centres and the grant applications and projects funded by the European Youth Foundation.

The meeting will be followed by a written procedure, the decisions will be published on the Youth Portal shortly.
Roma youth: equal participation matters - First meeting of the Task Force
As a follow-up to the results of the Roma Youth Action Plan, the Joint Council on Youth set up a Task Force to prepare proposals for the continuation of the work
on Roma youth participation in the 2020-2021 biennium and within the 2030 Youth Strategy. Their first meeting was held online on 18 and 19 June with the participation Roma youth representatives and youth policy experts.
Quality labels for youth centres: new series of publications
The brochure ‘The Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres – Role, Value and Impact of Youth Centres’ describes the function of youth centres and their potential contribution to youth work and youth policy. ‘The Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres – Good Practices in Youth Centres’ aims to complement existing publications and provide examples of successful practices implemented in quality-labelled youth centres which illustrate how a centre can fulfil the quality criteria effectively. ‘The Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres – Quality Management’ proposes a common approach for the labelled centres to address quality, quality management and reporting.

These brochures have been developed in close collaboration with the National Youth Service in Luxembourg and the youth centres which are part of the Quality Label for youth centres network.
Publication of the updated version of Connexions and Bookmarks
Bookmarks – and its French version Connexions - were specifically created to support the No Hate Speech Movement.

The updated 2020 version includes various activities and information on the Council of Europe guide "Human Rights for internet users".
Revised Compass now also available in German language
The Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte (German Institute for Human Rights) updated and published its German version of Compass-manual for human rights education with young people.

This new version is presented on the Institute website, where it can also be downloaded.
News from the European Youth Foundation
Further to the decisions taken by the Programming Committee on Youth on 23-24 June, currently under assessment by
the EYF team are 45 applications for pilot activities, 28 of which responding to local needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and 9 application under the exceptional call for international activities 2020 and 2021.

To get the latest news, visit the EYF website and Facebook page, where you will also find more information about new cut-off dates for the COVID-19 special call.
Partnership news
Youth Knowledge Forum: on 23 June we launched a series of online conversations around the importance of research and knowledge about young people in the youth sector entitled #Youth Knowledge
Break. Spread the word and join us for these exploratory conversations with policymakers, youth work practitioners, researchers and young people active in youth organisations!

European Platform on Learning Mobility: the Steering Group met online on 9 June and discussed the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on learning mobility, the current needs of the youth sector, and the learning and opportunities which resulted from the situation. Read more on the European Platform on Learning Mobility.

Perspectives on Youth series: Article by Robbie Stakelum and Miriam Matthiessen on Youth Homelessness in Generation COVID-19 discussing the impact on vulnerable and already marginalised young people experiencing homelessness.
Upcoming activities
  • 26 June-10 July:  Colours of Human Diversity – learning about identity, inclusion and intersectionality, e-workshop with ENIL and AEGEE
  • 29-30 June, online: Hear me out! - Promoting Diversity through youth political participation, e-workshop in cooperation with LYMEC
  • 30 June-7 July: Youth Peace Week online
  • 5 July – Concluding the No Hate Speech online Training Course
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
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