DG Democracy
Directorate of Democratic Participation
Youth Department

THINK YOUTH No 87 - December 2020

Franziska Giffey, German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

Germany champions young people and youth work!

7–10 DECEMBER 2020, 3rd EUROPEAN YOUTH WORK CONVENTION

The German Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has put young people and youth work firmly amongst its priorities.

The 3rd European Youth Work Convention, the flagship event took place online and was attended by a thousand youth workers, young people and institutional representatives playing a key role in establishing the European Youth Work Agenda as a strategic framework for further developing and strengthening youth work practice and policies in Europe.

In her welcome speech on Monday 7 December, Franziska Giffey, German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth reiterated Germany’s support for youth work in Europe. “Within the framework of Germany's dual presidency of the EU and the Council of Europe, it was clear to us that we would accept the task and develop a European youth work agenda”, she stated.

“Youth work […] is essential for social cohesion, it strengthens young people’s autonomy and their personal development, their participation and their democratic citizenship” said Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General of Democracy. The Council of Europe’s recommendation on youth work was the first ever European policy document solely dedicated to strengthening youth work.

Happy 25th anniversary to the European Youth Centre Budapest!

25 years ago – on 15 December 1995 – the European Youth Centre Budapest was officially inaugurated.

Since, it has been one of the main instruments to implement the Council of Europe’s youth programme through its multilateral programme promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law with, for and by young people.

Initially opened for a 3 years pilot phase, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe “decided that the Budapest European Youth Centre would become a permanent body as an instrument for the implementation of the Organisation’s youth policy” in 1998. Since, the EYCB has received over 50 000 participants in hundreds of multilateral activities.

Au revoir et merci to Tina Mulcahy!

Tina Mulcahy, Executive Director of the European Youth Centre Strasbourg since 2004, will retire at the end of December after 39 years of service at the Council of Europe. Tina is much respected for being an excellent professional and loved for being a caring, creative, positive person with a big heart and a great sense of humour.

Under Tina’s 16-year leadership, the EYC has seen many developments, a full-scale renovation and huge improvements in the accessibility of the building. Tina has been a pillar of the Council of Europe youth sector and will be sorely missed. THINK YOUTH! and all colleagues wish Tina a happy, healthy and active retirement and hope she will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed coming to the European Youth Centre Strasbourg every morning.

Thank you, Tina!

Active involvement of the Quality Label network of Youth Centres in the 3rd European Youth Work Convention

“The Bonn Process is our common effort and it is no less than the young people of Europe demand and deserve.”

21 representatives from 11 youth centres holding the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres participated in the 3rd European Youth Work Convention (EYWC) with the main aim to strengthen youth work by highlighting the importance of European Youth Centres as standard-setting instruments and emphasizing the crucial role of the network in promoting quality youth work development on a local, national and European level.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Convention was exceptionally held online, providing space for nearly 1000 professionals and multipliers from youth work practice, youth policy and youth research to get involved in this prominent event and to kick off the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda (EYWA).The Convention has, through intense discussion and debates among participants, created ideas and proposals for activities and measures relevant for and covering all aspects of the diverse youth work reality.

The adoption of the Final Declaration is a milestone to reach a common ground and to improve youth work across Europe in the coming years. The youth centres in the Quality Label network remain committed to support the implementation of the Agenda through what is to be known as the Bonn Process – this is no less than the young people of Europe demand and deserve.

European Youth Information Quality Label

The European Youth Information Quality Label, inspired by the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres, is the result of two busy years of work in the framework of the Partnership Agreement between the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) and the Council of Europe. It was presented online on 1 December 2020.

The ever-growing array of information that young people have access to today might become misleading and harmful for those who are not skilled enough to sift through the deluge of information, or do not have access to reliable info-sources. Disinformation, populism, fake news or hate speech are barriers to identifying reliable, complete and unbiased information. Young people can be easily misled and negatively influenced in their life choices, opinion formulation, and the ability to exercise their active citizenship and rights.

In this context, the EYIQL has been designed to help young people easily recognise trustworthy sources and to critically scrutinize the information that reaches them in mass. The EYIQL is linked to a set of quality assessment criteria, mechanisms and tools, particularly on the principles of the European Youth Information Charter.

Draft CM recommendation on protecting youth civil society and young people

Shrinking space for civil society: its impact on young people and their organisations

On 24 and 25 November 2020 the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) drafting group

met online to finalise the preliminary draft of this CM recommendation.

Having been contacted by numerous youth NGOs concerned about the shrinking space for civil society, the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) urged the CMJ to explore this phenomenon, already highlighted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Human Rights Commissioner and the Committee of Ministers in the decisions of its 129th session in Helsinki in 2019, as it affects youth civil society.

The draft text will be presented to the CMJ in March 2021.

Declaration on Youth Participation in AI Governance

REPORT OF NOVEMBER SEMINAR

On 23-27 November 2020, young people took part in a online seminar ''Artificial Intelligence: How can youth take part?''

The Declaration on Youth Participation in AI Governance is the outcome of the work done by the participants in the seminar, and is positioned within the wider framework of the Council of Europe’s youth policy and initiatives that link Artificial Intelligence (AI) and democratic citizenship. The declaration explores issues, challenges and roles that stakeholders can play to secure and enable the participation of young people in AI governance processes at all levels.

The Declaration in English can be consulted here >> and in French here >>

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”

Quote by Ludwig Wittgenstein

In the context of its Human Rights Education programme, the European Youth Centre Strasbourg (EYCS) of the Council of Europe, provided two trainings related to diversity and living together on 8 and 9 December.

The training was provided for educators, youth workers, teachers, social workers, members of youth associations, directors or managers of socio-cultural structures and others working on youth related themes.

The training took place in French for partners working in Strasbourg and its surrounding regions. The theme developed this year was “violence in the language”. Because of the current sanitary context the training was held online with 44 participants.

Enter! Youth week ''Our Rights, Our Lives!''

REPORT NOW AVAILABLE

Everyone is entitled to enjoy human rights, which are translated into safeguards and guarantees within legal provisions and policies, to be complied with by state authorities. Social rights are part and parcel of human rights.

In July 2019 the Enter! Youth Week brought together over 300 participants in Strasbourg who shared experiences from their lives and the impact social rights had on them. They also shared their aspirations and demands for the future of social rights and the role of the Council of Europe in the current context compounded by the environmental and climate crisis.

This report looks back at the week’s highlights and the conclusions its young participants reached in a Message to the Council of Europe which reflects a “common vision for a life in dignity in an inclusive Europe and on a sustainable planet.”

50-50 Training in the Russian Federation

How to respond effectively and in time to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and the youth policy sector

26 participants from different regions of the Russian Federation took part in a training seminar “50-50” for specialists of local and regional authorities and representatives from non-governmental organisations working with young people from the Russian Federation, held in residential format in Ryazan region, Russian Federation.

The participants discussed current realities, shared experience and positive practices for ensuring young people’s access to rights and for strengthening youth policy and youth work during the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The core part of the programme was dedicated to drafting a set of proposals to youth workers and youth policy makers at regional level, on how to support young people and the youth policy field today. In order to establish relevant proposals, the participants explored Recommendation CM/Rec (2016)7 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on young people's access to rights in addition to the outcomes of the 3rd European Youth Work Convention..

Management Committee on Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy

Framework Programme for Co-operation in the field of youth policy concluded for the period 2021-2024

This year, much is being done for the first time in an online format and the annual meeting of the Management Committee on Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy is no exception. The meeting brought together representatives of the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, the Joint Council on Youth, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the National Youth Council of Russia and the Permanent Representation of the Russian Federation.

The partners expressed their mutual gratitude for their combined efforts in implementing the 2020 Action Plan in such a challenging environment. They discussed the Action Plan for 2021 and exchanged views on possible activities and actions related to the 25th anniversary of Russian Federation membership of the Council of Europe; they welcomed the planned signature of a Framework Programme for Cooperation in the field of youth policy which will run until 2023

Compass training courses in Armenia

Human rights matter, a road to equality! 27 November-1 December 2020

This year two National Training Courses in Human Rights Education took place in Armenia, in order to reach as many young people as possible.

The second course was organised by Armenian Progressive Youth (APY) in Yerevan and created a platform for 15 young people and young human rights activists-to-be from Yerevan, Kotayk, Ararat and Armavir regions to build their capacity and develop their skills in the field of human rights education and active citizenship through non-formal educational tools, methods and techniques described in COMPASS.

With the support of two trainers from APY and a trainer from the Trainers Pool of the Council of Europe participants learnt about the historical evolution of human rights and discussed key human values and needs behind. They received comprehensive information on the mechanisms of legal protection of human rights, learnt the key national and international instruments, the ways they function and support human rights protection.

Youth department resources: Just published

- The Background document presenting the Youth sector strategy 2030: ''Engaging young people with the Council of Europe’s values'' that also includes CM Resolution(2020)2 is now available in four languages: English >> French >> German >> Russian >>

- Russian version: Youth work in the spotlight-Guide to Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member States on youth work. Consult here >>

Human Rights Education and Youth Participation for Euro-Arab Dialogue

Online learning activity: 2 November-15 December 2020

The activity “Learning Together Online: Human Rights Education and youth participation for Euro-Arab dialogue” was successfully concluded.

The activity promotes dialogue and mutual learning for youth leaders from the Council of Europe and League of Arab States on applying human rights education to address and improve youth participation and empowerment. The participants had a chance to exchange their experiences in promoting human rights in both regions, and hear some inspiring practices in using HRE to secure access to quality employment and support young workers’ rights. Finally the seminar participants worked on initiatives which support the further development of HRE practices and spaces, developing counter and alternative narratives to hate and prejudices, engaging in advocacy work and finally securing quality education and training.

News from the European Youth Foundation

The EYF organised its first online information session for youth organizations preparing to apply for pilot activity applications.

Some 200 young people, representing a wide range of organisations across 35 countries participated in the interactive session. They learned about the main principles of pilot activity projects and the EYF requirements. They were guided through the application process, received information about EYF-funded projects in the context of COVID-19 and top-tips for writing successful applications.

The EYF Secretariat appreciated the constructive questions and positive feedback that followed the event and will send a survey to local youth NGOs to get some input about the pilot activity application process.

Lots to share with the EU-CoE Partnership

On the menu: four new publications, one podcast series, one webinar and one debate!

LISTEN to the first 2 episodes of the new podcast series ‘UNDER 30’ which brings research results, explores trends in young people's lives and themes relevant for youth policy and practice!

WATCH the webinar held on 13 November by Edu4Europe forum on Different definitions and understandings of European Education for Democratic Citizenship

DISCOVER 4 new Partnership publications:

LISTEN to the two-day debate between the participants of “Youth in Europe: Offenburg Talks 2020" about the future of civil society and of youth work in the times of post-democracy and neoliberalism as contemporary key political issues. Day one here >> and Day two here >>

Season's Greetings

The staff of the Youth Department wish you a happy holiday season and are looking forward to our continued co-operation in 2021.

Best wishes to our faithful readers, and rendez-vous in January 2021!


Upcoming activities

20-24 December 2020,Training-seminar on meaningful youth participation for members of youth governments and youth parliaments from the Russian Federation, Kazan, Russian Federation 18-19 January 2021, online, Statutory bodies (CMJ/CDEJ/CCJ/CPJ), CDEJ Bureau, CCJ Bureau and Joint 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




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