Over 300 practitioners of citizenship and human rights education representing civil society, youth organisations, networks and public institutions took part in the Forum on the present and future of citizenship and human rights education in Europe with young people, organised in Turin, Italy from 11 to 13 April as part of the programme of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

The forum reviewed the state of implementation of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/HRE) and reaffirmed its importance for advocating for better provision and quality of EDC/HRE in both formal and non-formal education settings. The review noted progress made on implementation but also various shortcomings and challenges. A Final Declaration of the forum is available, summing up the mains issues discussed.

The forum was co-organised by the Council of Europe (Education and Youth sectors) and the Department for Youth Policy and the Universal Civic Service of the Italian government, in cooperation with Amnesty International, the City of Turin, the National Youth Council of Italy and the European Youth Forum. In addition to the programme in Turin, a parallel forum was held online for participants who could not travel to Turin.

The European University on youth policies took place in Malta, St Venera, on 27-29 April 2022. The University is part of the Council of Europe’s package of youth policy development measures and aims to familiarise participants with the values, objectives, programmes and structures of the Council of Europe and its Youth Department. This year’s edition was hosted by the national youth agency of Malta, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, led by Miriam Teuma, chairperson of the European Steering Committee for Youth and the Joint Council on Youth.

The 34 participants from 19 countries, amongst which were representatives of the European Steering Committee for Youth and new members of the Advisory Council on Youth, were welcomed by Hon Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Research and Innovation, and had also an exchange with Mr Evarist Bartolo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Education, focusing on the current challenges in the European political landscape, in particular for young people.

The programme provided a comprehensive overview of the strategic priorities of the Youth Sector, its standards and instruments, their relevance to participants’ day-to-day work, as well as assistance measures to member States. Recent developments in the framework of the campaign “Democracy Here Democracy Now” were also discussed.

The seminar Roma Youth Together 2022 brought together some 30 youth leaders and youth workers in Roma communities from across Europe in the European Youth Centre Strasbourg from 6 to 8 April 2022. It was organised by the Youth Department in cooperation  with Roma and Travellers Team of the Council of Europe, Phiren Amenca International, the ERGO Network and the European Roma Institute of Arts and Culture. The seminar re-connected the participants and partners with European youth policy processes and exchanges on strategies and priorities for youth empowerment and participation. The participants also provided input to the content of the future Recommendation on Roma Youth Participation currently being drafted.

The participants celebrated the International Roma Day in a flower-casting ceremony over the river Ill in the company of Bjorn Berge, Deputy Secretary of the Council of Europe who stressed the contribution of Roma communities to cultural life in Europe. Georgina Laboda, representative of Phiren Amenca in the Advisory Council on Youth recalled the centuries of slavery of Roma in Europe and expressed her confidence in a better future for Roma women and young people. Other speakers reminded the attendants of the plight of many Roma impacted be the war in Ukraine and often facing discrimination when seeking safety.

The Training Course on AI Literacy (European Youth Centre Budapest, 28 March-1 April 2022) brought together young multipliers to explore AI Literacy, and to discuss what youth organisations need in order to contribute to increased AI Literacy of young Europeans. The course built on conclusions reached by two previous seminars organised by the Youth Department on Artificial Intelligence in 2019 and 2020, and focused on exploring AI from a human rights angle, by looking specifically at AI ethics and by understanding the Council of Europe approach to, and involvement with the topic.

The participants in the course also had a chance to engage with the new youth campaign Democracy Here | Democracy Now. The connections between democracy and technological developments were explored both in the ways technology can impact democratic practices, and how the usage of technology can be made more inclusive and transparent.

In March and April 2022, the European Youth Foundation has continued to seek close contact with youth organisations, both those it already funds and those that are interested in receiving funding in the future.

The EYF staff carried out visits to two projects it supports, to reinforce the relationship with the organising youth organisations, to monitor the execution of these projects and to engage in dialogue with young people. These visits concerned the international activities of the DYPALL Network – Developing Youth Participation at Local Level, “Youth takes the floor - a training course on how to increase youth participation in decision making”, and FYEG – Federation of Young European Greens, “The politics of mental health”.

Further, the EYF also met the four international youth organisations whose projects were recently approved in the framework of the campaign “Democracy here. Democracy now”, to establish closer co-operation and also define together ways to promote the campaign.

Finally, the EYF reached out to more than 100 youth organisations through  information sessions, on 19 and 21 April, during which the main grant programmes of the EYF were introduced, the criteria for EYF registration were discussed and the EYF special call under the Campaign “Democracy here. Democracy now” was presented.

Timisoara Youth House (FITT) in Romania is part of the network of quality labelled youth centres, it has been holding the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres since 2016.

Ukrainians fleeing war transit through Timisoara; FITT set up a transit refugee centre and organised support to help them, bringing together international and local volunteers, young people active in youth organisations, and the community who offered donations. FITT also developed a Guide on managing transit refugees’ centres, as a support document for anyone intending to initiate a similar action, in collaboration with the National Youth Foundation and Europe Direct Timisoara.

The National Youth Foundation received support from ActionAid to implement a project of friendly spaces for young people fleeing the war. FITT will act as a resource centre for youth centres activities with Ukrainians. Starting in May, a wide range of services will be provided by FITT, not only in Timisoara but in the whole country, thanks to a mobile youth centre.