DDCP-YD/ ETD (2018) 5 Strasbourg, May 2018 National training-course on democratic citizenship and youth participation for specialists from authorities at national, regional and local level working with young people and for representatives of youth nongovernmental organisations from Azerbaijan European Youth Centre, Strasbourg, France 23-29 June 2018 General information on the training-seminar and call for participants
BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Council of Europe Action Plan for Azerbaijan for 2014-2016 is a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the Azerbaijani authorities to support Azerbaijan in fulfilling its statutory and specific obligations as a Council of Europe member state and to help it address some fundamental human rights and rule of law issues. It includes a part on human rights education and democratic youth participation with a focus on training and provision of educational resources in the Azerbaijani language for human-rights education and democratic youth participation within and through youth work and youth organisations. The project Capacity-building of youth leaders and activists from Azerbaijan on human rights education and democratic citizenship within its Action Plan`s youth dimension aims to support the implementation of Council of Europe instruments for human rights and citizenship education and youth participation with young people and youth policy actors in Azerbaijan, namely the Charters on European democratic citizenship and human rights education, and on local youth participation. This project comprises the following actions and activities for achieving the overall objective: COMPASS : Long-term training course on human rights education and democratic citizenship for youth multipliers and trainers from Azerbaijan; National training-course on democratic citizenship and youth participation for specialists from authorities at national, regional and local level working with young people and for representatives of youth non-governmental organisations from Azerbaijan ( 50-50 training); National forum/conference in human rights education in youth work in occasion of launching of the Azerbaijani versions of Compass and the Charter for all! ; Translation into Azerbaijani the Council of Europe Youth Department publications related to human rights education and youth participation such as the manuals Compass and Have your say!. THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION The sustainability of the Council of Europe s core values relies also on the creativity, competencies, social commitment, and contribution of young people as well as on their confidence in the future. Youth policies and youth work practice must support young people to realise their full potential as autonomous members of society, enabling them to develop life plans and exercise their democratic citizenship. Participation is an essential element of citizenship in a democratic society and a democratic Europe. Youth participation is not an end in itself, but a means of achieving positive changes in young people s lives and of building a better society. In recent years, there have been a growing number of initiatives promoting and strengthening youth involvement at very different levels international, regional, national and local. Different tools have also been created for those working in this area. One such tool is the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, adopted in May 2003 by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. 2
The Council of Europe recommends that its member States facilitate and encourage youth participation in politics and civil societies at both local community and national levels and to make youth participation a priority in public policies. The questions: What do I do with the charter? ; How do I use it in practice? or Why should I be interested in this document?, have often been asked by those working in youth participation at local level. To help find the right answers for different European contexts was the main aim to create a manual Have your say!. The manual is not a ready-to-use guide on how to implement the charter at a local level the situation varies enormously throughout Europe. It is rather a collection of reflections and questions that can help those working at local level to find their own ways of achieving meaningful participation by young people. THE TRAINING COURSE The training-couse will bring together civil servants and representatives of nongovernmental organisations to discuss youth participation and youth policy developments, involvement of young people in decision making processes at regional and local level, a role of youth work and non-formal education in the youth policy implementation. The training course will be based on Have your Say!, a Manual on the revised European charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life, that will be translated into Azerbaijani. The aim of the TC is to improve participants competences in promoting youth participation, in developing capacity of young people to influence decisions and in strengthening cooperation between different stakeholders of the youth field at local, regional and national level for further development of youth policy and youth work in Azerbaijan according to principles of pluralist democracy and human rights and taking into account the values and approaches of the Council of Europe and the priorities in the youth field of Azerbaijan. Objectives: to reflect on the current situation in youth policy in Azerbaijan, and what is required of youth policy; to familiarize participants with the recent developments in legal provision of the youth field in Azerbaijan and their connection with the European dimension; to reflect upon and promote the Council of Europe s youth work values, principles and concepts, with a focus on dialogue and partnership between government/state/local authorities and NGOs, youth participation, non-formal education, social inclusion, intercultural dialogue; to raise participants awareness about the role and importance of youth work and its links with youth policy; to raise awareness about using the Revised Charter on Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life and to provide learning opportunities on how to use a manual Have your Say! in cooperation between young people and public authorities; to develop the key competences of participants as multipliers and support them in implementation of follow-up activities on regional and local levels; 3
to create a space for open dialogue and promote mutual understanding and respect between actors within NGO and governmental sectors and encourage co-operation within the co-operation in the field of youth policy between the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe s Youth Department. ORGANISERS OF THE ACTIVITY The activity is co-organised by the Council of Europe Youth Department and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan. PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS The training course will bring together up to 30 participants who are active in the youth field of Azerbaijan within: national youth non-governmental organisations, associations or platforms, regional and local youth non-governmental organisations, regional and municipal public authorities responsible for youth policy, including elected representatives of local/municipal/district and regional councils, youth centres and houses, youth parliaments, councils and governments. Interested candidate should: have experience and interest to further work on the issue of youth participation, democratic citizenship, youth work and non-formal education; be motivated and be in an active position to use the gained competences on their work/activities; be interested to follow up and networking with other participants; be supported by an organisation / institution and have a recommendation letter from the sending organisation / institution / informal group; be available and able to participate in the whole duration of the training course; be able to work independently in Azerbaijani and preferably in English as well; be a resident of the Republic of Azerbaijan; be aged between 18 and 35 years (exceptions are possible). SELECTION PROCEDURE A maximum of 30 participants will be selected by the co-organisers for the training course. 4
Gender and geographical diversity will be taken into account when making the selection of the group, along with bringing in a variety of practices and experiences of working on the topic with young people. All interested candidates are invited to complete the on-line application form available at http://youthapplications.coe.int 3 June 2018 and upload with it a support letter from their organisation / institution. All applicants will be notified on the results of the selection process by 4 June 2017. PRACTICAL INFORMATION The training course will be held from 23 to 29 June at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg (France). Meals and accommodation will be provided at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg and paid for the Council of Europe. Participants are required to organise their travel in such way to arrive at the activity`s venue on 22 June before 17:00 and depart on 30 June 2018. Travel The flight tickets Baku-Strasbourg-Baku for participants will be provided by the Azerbaijani co-organisers. Working languages The training seminar will be held in Azerbaijani and English with simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. FURTHER INQUIRIES For further information, please contact: - Marina Filaretova, programme officer at the Council of Europe Youth Department, marina.filaretova@coe.int; - Azer Abasaliyev, contact person at the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, azerabasaliyev@gmail.com 5