Context

In recent years, we have witnessed an increasingly shrinking space for political participation across the democratic world. From subtle obstacles to direct interdiction of activities, public authorities in numerous states have restricted freedom of expression, association, assembly, and other basic democratic rights and liberties.

At the same time, young people are increasingly alienated socio-economically due to the succession of two global economic crises (the 2008 financial crisis and the looming impact of COVID-19).They are also losing trust in political institutions and the functioning of democracy more dramatically and at a quicker pace than older generations. The Council of Europe is looking for submissions examining an issue, question or trend related to youth political participation in the context of specific challenge(s) to, or transformation(s) of democracy.

About the Abstract

An abstract should clearly indicate:

1. What is the specific way in which democracy is being challenged or transformed that the chapter addresses?
2. How are young people (or other actors relevant for youth political participation, e.g. youth workers, public institutions, policymakers etc.) engaging with this challenge or transformation? Engagement can take the form of, for example, reacting to, coping with, contributing towards, supporting in favour of, resisting or fighting against, the identified challenge or transformation.
3. In what ways is this engagement new, novel, or interesting?

Process & Timeline

Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2020 at 23h59 CET.

Please send your submissions by email to Tomaž Deželan (tomaz.dezelan@fdv.uni-lj.si) and Anna
Lodeserto (anna.lodeserto@gmail.com), by the 30th of November 2020, a Only
original works—not previously published or under consideration elsewhere.

Your submission should include:

• Proposed title summarising the main idea(s) of your chapter;
• Abstract outlining the proposed contribution (300 words max.);
• Full names and biographies of author/s (150 words per author max.);
• Institutional affiliations of author/s, if any.

All submissions will be subject to peer review.

The Editorial Board will take a final decision about the selection of contributions by mid-
December 2020. Selected authors receive a feedback by 7 February 2021.

If you have any queries regarding the process and timeline, please contact the Editorial Board by emailing Tomaž Deželan (tomaz.dezelan@fdv.uni-lj.si) and Anna Lodeserto (anna.lodeserto@gmail.com).

Questions and clarifications requested close to the deadline may not be answered due to lack of time. Please, consider these time constraints when submitting your queries.

For any queries regarding the Youth Knowledge Book addressed to the youth partnership, please
contact Lana Pasic (lana.pasic@partnership-eu.coe.int).

Read here the official document for the Call for Submissions.

Read also: Learn how to empower vulnerable youth

L'articolo Youth Knowledge Book on Political Participation – Call for Abstracts! proviene da Youth Networks.

The World Forum for Democracy is a unique platform for political decision-makers and activists to debate solutions to key challenges for democracies worldwide. By identifying and analysing experimental initiatives and practices, the Forum highlights and encourages democracy innovations at the grassroots and their transfer on a systemic level in order to strengthen the foundations of democratic societies. The Forum thus contributes to the evolution of democracy towards more participatory and inclusive structures and institutions. 

The 2020 World Forum for Democracy will debate the issues and generate new ideas for tackling the environmental crisis we face today. 

The theme of the 2020 edition of the World Forum for Democracy is “Can Democracy Save the Environment?”. Our societies have been tested by an extreme and unexpected global challenge in 2020, but while an essential battle is fought against the Covid-19 pandemic, humanity’s greatest existential threat looms ever larger. Environmental damage and climate change have not gone away. The poisoning of our land and pollution in our air and water is still killing plants, animals and humans alike. Rising temperatures and sea levels are on course to render lands uninhabitable and force people to leave their homes and seek new lives. The time to act is now! 

The core content of the Forum will consist of discussions about successful initiatives and actions, which have real-life initiatives as a starting point. General guiding principles will then be drawn to encourage and support future policy responses and field action. In this context, the Youth Department will invite 50-60 young people to participate and engage with decision-makers and opinion-formers in a reflection on the question of Democracy and Information.

Application

All candidates must apply in 2 parts:

1. An online application form 
2. A short 1 minute video should be posted on YouTube, with the link attached to the online application form.

 The applications be submitted on-line before 28 July 2020 CET 13:00 (1 p.m.)

For the application form and more information check HERE.

Related articles:
Climate change is a fact. What can I do about it?

L'articolo CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS – World Forum for Democracy 2020 – Youth Delegation proviene da Youth Networks.

Which are the differences between formal and non-formal education?

There are two ways to establish the difference. The first relates to the concept of hierarchy: in formal education, this is clearly recongnisable – and accepted. The teacher, to whom one refers as “sir” or “miss”, provides you a lesson, a lecture, a seminar, on topics officially set by curricula. Digressions are allowed, but not recognised as part of the cultural baggage that learners are expected to acquire. In non-formal education, on the contrary, there is no hierarchy: teacher and learners sit at the same level, in a non-frontal position, and the contributions from the learners matter as much as the ones from the teacher.

Pro: formal education is granted and recognised as fundamental virtually all over the world, without any discrimination based on race, gender or ethnic group reasons, and gives to everyone the opportunity to get a basic knoweldge to be exploited during lifetime.

The curricola are the second characteristic. Formal education foresees defined programmes with a set of subjects, that may or may not be of interest of the learner, although their value is officially recognised. In the end, there is always a test. In non-formal education, instead, the choice of what to learn is up to the learner. It’s the case of sport lessons, hobbies courses, language classes and so on. The final outcome doesn’t matter: the important thing is that the learner has developed something more, that s/he feels enriched.

Pro: it enables everyone to focus on his/her favourite activities, to develop personal skills according to what comes natural. He feels empowered, making NFE easier for him/her to succeed.

How is non-formal education important for Europe and EU programmes?

It’s not a case that youth workers are particularly familiar with the concept of non-formal education. It perfectly adapts to the flow of youth exchanges, intercultural dialogues and the exchange of good practices. People taking part in Erasmus+ Programmes in fact usually match the identikit of the non-formal learner. They make the first step, proving themeselves with new challenges – also and above all when it comes at learning.

Non-formal education turns out to be really helpful even when facing difficult situations, such as the integration of adult migrant to a new host country. It’s what the Council of Europe underlined as regard to language courses for adult migrants. “At a time when many Council of Europe member states are receiving large numbers of adult refugees, the distinctions between formal, non-formal and informal learning help us to formulate radical and cost-effective responses to questions that have previously been answered in traditional ways”, we read on its website.

After all, the Council of Europe officially recognised non-formal education in 2000, with a reccommendation of the parliamentary Assembly. As it’s stated in the document:

• The Assembly recognises that investment in education and welfare is an effective measure for the promotion of active citizenship and the prevention of social exclusion.
• The Assembly acknowledges that formal educational systems alone cannot respond to rapid andconstant technological, social and economic change in society, and that they should be reinforced by non-formal educational practices.
• Non-formal education is an integral part of a lifelong learning concept that allows young people and adults to acquire and maintain the skills, abilities and outlook needed to adapt to a continuously changingenvironment.

L'articolo Non-formal education: an opportunity for the future proviene da Youth Networks.

The projects will be evaluated by the Programming Committee on Youth, the co-managed body taking decisions on the programme of the youth sector (including the grants awarded by the European Youth Foundation).

Access to rights

The first goal is supporting young people and youth organisations in accessing their rights and advocating education for human rights and democracy.

The steps through which accomplish this priority are:

• A roadmap on the dissemination of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)7 on young people’s access to rights;
• Support measures to member states, local authorities and youth organisations to follow-up the conclusions of the review of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)3 (access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights);
• The continuation of the Human Rights Education Youth Programme;
• Indentification and remedies for the shrinking civic space on young people and youth organisations. Young people’s access to rights requires the removal of legal, political and social barriers.

Youth participation and youth work

The second of the youth priorities is the empowerment of young people and youth organisations. They shall be given the chance to develop youth policies and youth work, as well as to get involved and make an impact in the community they live in. Hence, any barrier or obstacle should be removed. This can be achieved through:

As for the young people:

• Supporting young people to access their rights to assemble and freely form, join and be active in associations; enhancing young people’s meaningful participation in political processes;
• Supporting youth participation in internet governance processes;
• Promoting the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life and supporting member states and youth organisations to implement its principles;
• Further disseminating the “Have your say” manual to public authorities and the non-governmental sector.

As for the youth work:

• Pursuing the dissemination and implementation of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work, developing and promoting a European youth work agenda;
• Supporting the quality development, sustainability and recognition of youth work and non-formal education and learning, notably through the use of Council of Europe instruments in the member states (e.g. through the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres and the Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio).

Inclusive and peaceful societies

The third priority aims at supporting young people and youth organisations in their work on peace building and social cohesion, to prevent and combat discrimination and exclusion. This will develop in two directions: first, by promoting social inclusion, fostering active participation, gender equality and combating all forms of discrimination on the grounds of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The specific targets are:

• Roma youth and other minority groups;
• Young refugees and their transitionfrom childhood to adulthood;
• Young people with disabilities;
• LGBTQI young people;
• Young women and girls.

Secondly, by enabling young people to promote peaceful societies by providing them with opportunities to play an active role in:

• Intercultural dialogue/learning;
• Peacebuilding and conflict transformation;
• Challenging the rise of nationalism and populism;
• Co-operation with neighbouring and other world regions.

Read more about the Council of Europe priorities on their dedicated page.

For an overview of the funding possibilities and calls by the CoE, click on the following link (or have a look at ournews section).

L'articolo Youth priorities: the document of the Council of Europe 2020-21 proviene da Youth Networks.

Should Russia evetually leave the CoE, in fact, this last one could be discontinued after 2020. The alternative would be a partial agreement on voluntary basis according to the will of the member states (with extra funding needed). The formal committee will meet on 23 May, after some informal consultations. In the meantime, the affected stakeholders did not stay quiet.

The reactions

The European Youth Forum, together with representatives from the major Political Party Youth Organisations active in Europe and beyond, released a public statement denouncing the cut:

The news is spreading across Europe and the Youth organisations are already clustering to prevent the cuts that are going to affect the Youth sector. The Youth department of the Council of Europe, that works closely to the European Commission in many co-operation projects, is as much pivotal as the European Union for the education of the new generations of Europeans. The fact that political matters, as the ones behind the decision from Russia and Turkey are, can affect the core of European values, is what is being contested.

The Youth department of the CoE

The international organisation of the Council of Europe was founded in 1949 by 47 countries. It aims at fostering human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Since 1972, the works within the Youth Department are managend in co-operation with the Advisory Council. This is made up of 30 representatives from youth NGOs and networks who provide opinions and input on all youth sector activities, together with setting the priorities and suggestions.

It also ensures that young people are involved in other activities of the Council of Europe. Here, representatives of the governements of the member states work closely with young people, who are then in the position of being able to influence important decisions on the functioning of the Youth Department. That is why it is so important to push for a better understanding of the issue: the more we know, the more we can make an impact.

L'articolo The youth department of Council of Europe is in danger due to financial cuts proviene da Youth Networks.

The aim of the project

The call aims at promoting global citizenship and strengthening the active citizenship’s skills of youth diaspora. Not only they should be recognized, but they must also have the possibility to contribute to the peace-building process in Europe and to create a more inclusive society.

Its specific objectives are:

• to provide knowledge and competences on Global Education;
• to map successful initiatives and policiesthat address diaspora youth’ needs and challenges;
• to strengthen the capacity of the participants to better understand structures, mechanisms and strategies of advocacy and decision/policy making at local, national and international level;
• to promote the use of the main international tools;
• to identify potential follow-up actions and proposals to influence policy and/or raise awareness on the topic of the training course.

A definition

Nowadays, within the context of new migration flows and routes, the issue of people fleeing from their home countries is particularly sensitive. Nevertheless, there are four main factors that make a movement of people recognized as a disaspora:

• dispersal to two or more location;
• relationship to an actual or imagined homeland;
• self-awareness of the group’s identity;
• multi-generational dimension.

The context

The training course will take palce within the framework of the 7th Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship (MedUni), and will be facilitated and coordinated by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in partnership with l’Observatoire National de la Jeunesse (ONJ) and other European and Southern Mediterranean stakeholders.

For further information on the training course, the application process and the actors involved, please refer to the following link. The deadline for this call is on 12 May 2019.

L'articolo Call for young leaders working with youth diaspora communities in Europe proviene da Youth Networks.

What for?

The Youth Advisory Councili is the non-governmental partner in the co-managed decision-making system used in the Council of Europe youth sector. Together with the The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ), the governmental part, they form the Joint Council of Youth (CMJ), which sets the priorities, objectives and budget of the youth sector. There are 30 members in total in the Youth Advisory Council, that should reflect as much as possible the reality of young people and youth work in Europe. They are representatives of international non-governmental youth organisations, of national youth councils, and of non-governmental youth organisations or networks from the 50 States Parties to the ECC.

Which are the tasks?

Providing expertise to the CoE’s bodies that deals with youth issues, raising awareness on the work of the Council, giving information to organisations, networks, peers, social media, etc. about the Council of Europe’s work and standards, gathering opinions, information and proposals from their organisations/networks and their target groups and inform the youth sector.

The candidates should be:

• aged between 18 and 30;
• nominated by their organisation/network which must be situated in one of the 50 States Parties to the European Cultural Convention;
• committed to participating actively in the work of the Advisory Council on Youth;
• motivated, available and committed to attending the statutory meetings and to representing the Advisory Council in activities relevant to its work, as well as to contributing in writing to consultations and opinions;
• able to work in English;
• preferably have experience in at least one of the priority areas of the youth sector.

For further information, please refer to the following link with the official call and the guidelines to submit the online application.

The deadline is 28 April 2019 (23.59 hrs).

L'articolo Open call for CoE Advisory Council on Youth seats proviene da Youth Networks.

Around 120 young people coming from all over Europe will meet to discuss about political participation among youngsters. They will discuss the current trends in which youngsters are being involved in political life and analyze the tools to overcome the limit of democratic participation, in order to make it wider, more accessible and to make the people more aware of what happens around them.

The goal

The symposium aims at defining what politics mean to youngsters. The starting point is the nature of interaction between them and the political sphere: why some take an active part, and why some don’t? Why non-traditional ways of participation (not always positive, indeed) are being sometimes preferred? What can stakeholders and youth organisations do to make the young people feeling closer and more committed?

The event

The sessions will be designed in a participatory way. In the application form, participants will have the chance to indicate what issues or questions are most pressing for them in their work as it relates to the main theme of political participation. The answers will define the topics of the discussions. They may range from the level of engagement in political participation nowadays (characterised by economic tensions, crisis of democratic institutions, digitalisation, social media, fake news and other manipulations of the public opinion etc.) to the reasons that drive youngsters to commit to politics, from the european values to the role of civil society and citizen movements, and much more.

Further information, also about the requirements for the participants are provided at the following link. The deadline is 22 April 2019, 23.59 CET. People wishing to apply must fill the following application form. The result of the selection will be published on 15 May 2019.

L'articolo Call for participants: political commitment among young Europeans proviene da Youth Networks.

The call is open for non-governmental youth organisations, networks and other non-governmental structures involved in areas of youth work relevant to the Council of Europe’s youth policy. 

The activities will be held in co-operation with the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest. They will be embedded in the study session for the first semester, starting on 1st October. 

Study sessions are international youth events lasting between 4 and 8 days which bring together members of youth organisations or networks and experts for discussions on a specific subject relevant to the priorities 2020-2021 of the Council of Europe Youth sector.

The deadline for applications (1^st semester 2020) is 1st April 2019.

L'articolo Call for co-operation study sessions between Council of Europe and youth organisations proviene da Youth Networks.