Training Course "Youth advocacy for democracy and human rights" in France (Funded)

An excellent opportunity for 30 youth activists from across Europe to join the third edition of the training course - Youth advocacy for democracy and human rights, which takes place in the European Youth Centre Strasbourg, France, between 27 September and 4 October 2026. The training course takes place in parallel with the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. All costs related to participation, travel, board, and lodging will be covered by the Council of Europe.

About the training course

The training course aims to develop the competences of youth civil society and young activists to advocate for human rights and democracy, ensuring a youth perspective in all the Council of Europe work, as well as advocating for the implementation and expansion of Council of Europe standards at the national and local levels.

Objectives of the course:

- To familiarise participants with the Council of Europe, its institutions and standards for democracy, human rights and youth participation

- To develop participants’ competences in human rights-based advocacy and strengthen their capacity to develop and implement advocacy strategies and practices

- To create a space for sharing and learning from each other, as well as from examples of good practice in human rights and democracy advocacy, structures for youth participation in decision-making, working with decision-makers, etc.

- To associate participants with the Youth Department’s work, notably the project Youth revitalising democracy

- To develop common advocacy initiatives/actions, also supporting the advocacy objectives of the project Youth revitalising democracy: enhancing youth participation in the elections and removing barriers to youth standing in elections, as well as securing structures for youth participation in decision-making. 

Eligibility | Who can apply?

The training course is designed for participants who are: 

- aged between 18 and 30 years; exceptions can be made if justified;

- representatives of national youth councils, international youth organisations, and other youth civil society, including local and regional youth councils and youth branches of political parties, motivated to further advocate towards and cooperate with the Council of Europe; 

- holding a leadership position in their organisations to follow up on the training course with advocacy campaigns/initiatives; 

- committed to the values of the Council of Europe, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to youth participation and are interested in taking further action; 

- motivated and able to take in the entire training course and be involved in the project follow-up; 

- able to work autonomously in English;

- resident in one of the state parties to the European Cultural Convention; exceptions can be made if justified. 

Expenses and Benefits

- Travel expenses and visa fees for the training seminar in Strasbourg will be reimbursed according to the rules of the Council of Europe. Only the participants who attend the entire training seminar can be reimbursed. 

- Board and lodging for the residential training seminar will be provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg. Participants will be accommodated in twin rooms.

- The European Youth Centres are accessible to people with disabilities and can take measures to accommodate any access needs of participants in this respect. Please provide the necessary information in your application form.

Timeline

Application deadline: 14 August 2026 before 14:00 Strasbourg time 

Selection result: A waiting list may be established. Candidates will be informed whether their application has been accepted or rejected, and if they have been put on the waiting list, by 1 September 2026. 

Arrival time: Sunday, 27 September 2026.

Departure time: Sunday, 4 October 2026. 

How to apply?

Step 1: All candidates must duly complete this online form HERE. 

Step 2: In addition to completing their application form online, they should send a support letter from their sending organisation via email with the title "TC ADVOCACY “YOUR NAME” SUPPORT LETTER " to youthdemocracy@coe.int. 

Selection result

The Council of Europe will select up to 30 participants on the basis of the profile outlined above. It will try as far as possible to respect the organisations’ priorities, but also to ensure a balance between genders, geographical regions, different types of experiences, cultural backgrounds and organisations, institutions and projects.

More Details

For more details about the project, logistics, and selection, and all information that you may need, kindly check the info-pack HERE

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