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Call for Mentors: Support Young Activists in their Advocacy Actions!

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The AER, in cooperation with JEF Europe, are looking for 8 mentors to guide and support 8 groups of young activists from across Europe in the implementation of local and regional advocacy actions! Apply by March 24th!

As part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU, the AER, in cooperation with JEF Europe, has engaged in empowering youth in the European and regional political dialogues and, in turn, building a Europe that is closer to its young citizens.

To this aim, the AER has recently held a three-days online training on advocacy. 24 young activists have enhanced their knowledge of the European  Youth Goals and the European Youth Strategy 2019-2027, how to actively participate in democratic and political life and develop and implement advocacy actions at the regional and local level. As the main result of the training session, young activists – in groups – have developed 8 advocacy plans addressing key obstacles to youth participation at the regional and local level. 

What’s next? Become a Mentor for Young Activists!

After the development of the advocacy plans, young activists will have the chance to finalise and implement their planned advocacy actions and make their voice heard by regional and local authorities across Europe!

The AER and JEF Europe are now looking for 8 mentors to support and guide the young activists in the implementation of the advocacy actions from April to mid June 2021. Mentors are expected to:

  • Support young activists in the finalisation of their advocacy plans;
  • Provide mentoring to the young activists in the implementation of the advocacy actions at the local level;
  • Inform and coordinate with the AER about the status of implementation of the advocacy actions;
  • Outline a final report on the advocacy actions undertaken and outcomes achieved.

Please refer to the dedicated Call for Mentors for a detailed overview of the services and profiles required.

CALL FOR MENTORS

If interested, send your CV and Motivation Letter (max one page) to [email protected] AND [email protected] by 24th March 2021, including in the subject of the email ‘Call for Mentors – Implementing Local and Regional Advocacy Actions’. 

Please, list and provide references for previous mentoring works you have performed. 

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

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Advocacy Training for Young European Activists – Europe is what you make of it!

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The Assembly of European Regions, in partnership with JEF, is organising a training seminar on advocacy that will offer 30 young Europeans the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the European Institutions and the Youth Strategy, as wells as develop advocacy plans to promote their rights and priorities among local and regional authorities.

The training seminar is being organised as part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” project. The Y-FED project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU with the aim of empowering youth in the European and regional political dialogues and, in turn, building an Europe that it is closer to its young citizens.

The training seminar will be held from the 4th to the 6th of March 2021 in an online learning format and will be conducted in English.

It will adopt methodologies from non-formal education to provide young citizens with the necessary competences and resources to boost their active citizenship. It includes sessions on the European Youth Strategy and its Youth Goals leading to the development of regional and local advocacy plans focused on one out of the eleven European Youth Goals.

Throughout the training seminar, young citizens will develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts. At the same time they will design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. As a result of the training, participants will:

  • Strengthen advocacy skills; 
  • Strengthen advocacy tools;
  • Become acquainted with the European Youth Goals;
  • Develop knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity;
  • Develop the skills to interact with decision-makers;
  • Develop an advocacy plan.

The training seminar will be composed three modules that will be completed throughout 10 hours.

Welcome and Introduction   (Thursday 4th March  17:30 – 18:1o CET)

The training will be opened by AER Secretary General, Christian Spahr, who will welcome the participants and share the objectives of the Y-FED project and the training seminar.

A round of ice-breaking presentation will take place before the kick of the sessions so to know more about the participants, their motivation to attend the training and expectations.

1. Thursday 4th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET  European Module: The European Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals

The training seminar will start with the introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals, which outline the main challenges that young people face in their daily lives and present the vision for a Europe that enables young people to realise their full potential.

2. Module on Youth and Regions: How can young people be engaged in the political development of their region? (Friday 5th March, 18:10 – 20:10 CET)

This session will focus on enhancing participants’ knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity and deepening the understanding of active youth participation in the democratic and political life at regional and local level.

This session will be accompanied by some practice examples on how young people can be engaged in the political life of their regions. The module will analyse and present several examples from across Europe about how local and regional authorities have been involving their young citizens in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth policies, and other policies that are most relevant to them. These good practices will serve as the ground for the development of participants’ advocacy plans.

3. Module on advocacy: Introduction to advocacy and development of an advocacy plan (Saturday 6th March, 10:00 – 13:00;  14:00 – 17:00 CET)

The objective of this module is to build participants’ competences and provide them with the tools required to advocate for youth participation at local, regional, and European levels. Trainees will work in groups of four and each group will jointly develop an advocacy strategy to advocate for one of the previously presented European Youth Goals and address the action to a regional authority from the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The developed advocacy strategy will serve the participants as a basis for the implementation of local and regional actions, activity which will follow the training.

Closing remarks and follow-up activities (Saturday 6th March, 17:00 – 17:20)

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAMME OF THE ADVOCACY TRAINING HERE! 

Following the conclusion of the training seminar, participants will have the chance to engage with local and regional authorities across Europe by participating at the AER Spring Bureau Meeting and implementing local advocacy actions. Additionally, participants will be invited to submit the developed local advocacy plan and apply for micro-grants to actually implement the advocacy plans among their local and regional authorities with expert mentoring and under the coordination of the AER.

 

EXTENDED – Call for Participants: Advocacy Training for Young European Activists

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APPLICATION STILL OPEN: The call for participants for the Advocacy Training for Young European Activists organised by the Assembly of European Regions and the Young European Federalists (JEF) has been extended! Submit your application by Friday 26th February 2021 via the online form!

APPLICATION EXTENDED TO YOUTH FROM ALL OVER THE EU: The application has been opened to young citizens that are member of JEF Sections and/or the AER Youth Regional Network and/or representative a Youth Regional Council within the European Union! Priority (not exclusion) is given to applicants belonging to one of the above organisations/networks that are located in one of the country covered by the Y-FED project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The Assembly of European Regions, in partnership with JEF, is organising a training seminar on advocacy that will offer 30 young Europeans the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the European Institutions and the Youth Strategy, as wells as develop advocacy plans to promote their rights and priorities among local and regional authorities.

The training seminar is being organised as part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” project. The Y-FED project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU with the aim of empowering youth in the European and regional political dialogues and, in turn, building an Europe that it is closer to its young citizens.

About the Training Seminar

The training seminar will be held from the 4th to the 6th of March 2021 (dates to be confirmed) in an online learning format and will be conducted in English.

It will adopt methodologies from non-formal education to provide young citizens with the necessary competences and resources to boost their active citizenship. It includes sessions on the European Youth Strategy and its Youth Goals leading to the development of regional and local advocacy plans focused on one out of the eleven European Youth Goals, ideally goal 9, Space and Participation for All.

Throughout the training seminar, young citizens will develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts. At the same time they will design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. As a result of the training, participants will:

  • Strengthen advocacy skills; 
  • Strengthen advocacy tools;
  • Become acquainted with the European Youth Goals;
  • Develop knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity;
  • Develop the skills to interact with decision-makers;
  • Develop an advocacy plan.

The training seminar will be composed three modules that will be completed throughout 10 hours:

1. European Module: The European Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals (Thursday 4th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

The training seminar will start with the introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals, which outline the main challenges that young people face in their daily lives and present the vision for a Europe that enables young people to realise their full potential. 

2. Module on Youth and Regions: How can young people be engaged in the political development of their region? (Friday 5th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

This session will focus on enhancing participants’ knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity and deepening the understanding of active youth participation in the democratic and political life at regional and local level. 

This session will be accompanied by some practice examples on how young people can be engaged in the political life of their regions. The module will analyse and present several examples from across Europe about how local and regional authorities have been involving their young citizens in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth policies, and other policies that are most relevant to them. These good practices will serve as the ground for the development of participants’ advocacy plans.

3. Module on advocacy: Introduction to advocacy and development of an advocacy plan (Saturday 6th March, 10:00 – 16:00 CET)

The objective of this module is to build participants’ competences and provide them with the tools required to advocate for youth participation at local, regional, and European levels. Trainees will work in groups of four and each group will jointly develop an advocacy strategy to advocate for one of the previously presented European Youth Goals and address the action to a regional authority from the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The developed advocacy strategy will serve the participants as a basis for the implementation of local and regional actions, activity which will follow the training.

Following the conclusion of the training seminar, participants will have the chance to engage with local and regional authorities across Europe by participating at the AER Spring Bureau Meeting and implementing local advocacy actions. Additionally, participants will be invited to submit the developed local advocacy plan and apply for micro-grants to actually implement the advocacy plans among their local and regional authorities with expert mentoring and under the coordination of the AER.

Profile of the Participants

The participants of the training course will be a group of 30 young citizens keen to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts and design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. 

In the selection of the participants, priority will be given to members of one of the Young European Federalists’ (JEF) national Sections, and members of the Assembly of European Regions-Youth Regional Network (YRN). The rest of the participants will be young representatives from Regional Youth Councils.

The application is open to young citizens affiliated to and/or representatives of one of the organisations/networks listed above from allover Europe. Priority (not exclusion) is given to young citizens within the country covered by the project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

Gender balance will be ensured in the selection process of the participants, as well as the geographical balance. 

Specific requirements for the participants:

  • Be aged between 18 and 30 years old;
  • Be a member of JEF sections and/or member of the AER-YRN and/or representative of a youth regional council in Europe (priority is given to young citizens belonging to one of the above organisations/networks located in one of the countries covered by the Y-FED project);
  • Be able to work and communicate fluently in English;
  • Have some knowledge about the EU institutions;
  • Be passionate about politics;
  • Be willing to engage in the political dialogue at the regional and European level and advocate for youth priorities.

How to participate?

Participation in this training seminar is free of charge and all those who meet the specific requirements of the call shall send their applications online via the link below before the 26th of February!

Apply Here!

If you have any question concerning the training seminar and the application procedure, please contact [email protected] and [email protected] !

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Call for Trainers: Advocacy Training for Young European Activists

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As part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what of make of it” project, The Assembly of European Regions (AER) and Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) are seeking to empower youth across Europe as major advocates of the European Youth Goals at the local and European level. To achieve this aim, we are currently looking for three trainers to facilitate and contribute to the organisation of an online training seminar on advocacy for young activists. The seminar will be held in the first week of March 2021.

“Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” is a project co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU with the aim of strengthening the relationship between the EU and its young citizens. The project aims to enhance active citizenship among young Europeans. This will be achieved through developing a proposal for an improved institutional framework in the Union in line with the European Youth Goals, as well as by building advocacy skills to engage and shape the political dialogue taking place at local and European level.

The AER will work towards these objectives by applying its broad expertise in the fields of advocacy and youth, as well as through its strong relationships with local and regional authorities across Europe. From the 4th to the 6th of March (dates to be confirmed), the AER will organise an online training seminar on advocacy at the regional and European level for 30 young activists, leading to the development of local and regional advocacy plans focused on one out of the eleven European Youth Goals. These trainees will then have the chance to put their advocacy skills to work through political dialogue with local and regional authorities; participating in the AER’s Bureau Meeting in March 2021 and implementing advocacy actions in their local communities.

The AER is looking for three experienced trainers to conduct and contribute to the organisation of the online training seminar. The trainers will:

  • work together with the AER in the preparation of the training seminar;
  • run and facilitate the training seminar;
  • prepare a report (dossier) setting out the main lessons shared during the sessions.

Please refer to the dedicated call for a detailed overview of the services and profiles requested.

Call for Trainers: Y-FED Advocacy Training

Trainers are expected to be available as of 15 February 2021 until 29 March 2021. Please note that these are projected dates for scheduling purposes subject to further clarification.

If interested, please send your CV and Motivation Letter to [email protected] and [email protected] by 5 February 2021, with ‘Call for trainers – Training on advocacy’ included in the subject of the email. Selected candidates will be invited for a short interview the following week, where they will be asked to briefly present their approach and ideas for the training seminar. 

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Apply now for the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe’s 20th University on Youth and Development!

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AER – Youth Regional Network (YRN) is very proud to announce its partnership with the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe 20th University on Youth and Development which will take place in Mollina, Málaga (Spain) in September 2019. This will be also the occasion to celebrate the YRN Autumn Committee Plenaries themed around the UYD’S 2019 annual focus “Youth & Justice” in line with the UN SDG 16 – “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”.

25 YRN members and youth representatives from all AER member regions can apply to be part of this reference platform for youth participation in Europe!

What is the NSC of the CoE University on Youth and Development?

The University on Youth and Development (UYD) is a partnership between the Spanish Government (INJUVE), the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and other international youth-led organisations and youth-serving organisations aiming to:

  • Foster democratic participation and global citizenship among young people.
  • Uphold the universal principles, values and standards of the Council of Europe.
  • Implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Network –facilitated and coordinated by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe– provides a unique space for youth empowerment, offers non-formal education capacity building activities and endorses policies, mechanisms and tools for youth development, in order to increase the recognition of youth as agents for positive change.

Focus 2019: Youth & Justice

In many countries, unequal access to justice and discrimination in the judicial sector create barriers to civic and political participation, especially for traditionally marginalised populations such as young people, women and migrants. Therefore, this year’s focus on “Youth and Justice” provides a unique opportunity to reflect on young people’s access to justice as an integral element for more fair and sustainable development. In fact, to provide youth with legal empowerment is fundamental, not only to meet their basic needs but also an essential step for inclusive growth, enabling young people to tackle social inequalities and hold authorities accountable. 

Within this context, the SDG 16 is particularly relevant: accountable and transparent institutions, fair and accessible juridical systems and a society free from violence and discrimination are among the main elements that could guarantee a greater contribution from youth in translating policies into action towards the achievement of the UN SDGs. 

To that end, it is important that governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities work together with youth organisations and with other sectors of civil society, ensuring more efficient mechanisms of youth participation and more inclusive decision-making processes, following a bottom-up approach.

Come to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UYD!

Over 200 young activists, youth workers, experts from the field and decision-makers responsible for youth-related policies from all over Europe will meet in Mollina (Málaga) to exchange views and organise activities under the umbrella theme of “the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: peace, justice and strong institutions”. The 20th edition of the UYD will take place at the Centro Eurolatinoamericano de Juventud (CEULAJ), a venue awarded with the Council of Europe’s Quality Label for Youth Centres.

From 15 – 19 September, the AER and YRN will participate and contribute to the programme with their own activities (training, workshop, seminars, etc.) within a common pedagogical framework: the Joint Programme. The joint programme of the University explores and develops the annual focus (Youth and Justice), giving the opportunity to all the partner organisations and their participants to reflect and interact around this topic, in view of a joint advocacy effort.

How to apply?

Applications are welcomed from members of the YRN and youth delegates from all AER member regions until the 12th of August. In order to prepare your application, you can check HERE the concept note of the 20th UYD and the call for activities for further information regarding the programme and practicalities.

A screening process will take place and selected candidates will be contacted no later than the end of August to confirm their participation in the UYD. The selected youth delegates will benefit from free meals and accommodation in single, double and triple rooms from 15-19 September. Additionally, the transfers from Málaga Airport and Antequera Railway Station to the venue will be facilitated by the organisation.

Apply Now!

Have a look at UYD 2018!

Photo credits: @Council of Europe

Video credits: @UYD – NSC-Council of Europe

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AER discusses Digitalisation and Health with European Commissioners

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On 20 March, AER had not one but two meetings at the Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels.

Meeting Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel

On Wednesday morning, President Magnus Berntsson met with Commissioner Gabriel to discuss the Digital Europe programme for 2021-2022. Accompanied by Martin Svensson and Anders Karlberg from AER member region Västra Götaland the conversation flowed naturally to the topic of Digital Innovation Hubs – a subject where Västra Götaland has a wealth of expertise.

Digitalisation is a topic of priority for AER members and their political work in 2018/19. By engaging with the Commission and discussing together the issues that matter to regions, we are optimistic to find space for cooperation between European and local levels of policy-making and communication about our work.

At the upcoming Bureau meeting in Larnaca, AER will organise a debate on digitalisation and regional development. An invitation has been extended to the Cabinet of the Commissioner to join our debate and share with AER members the work it is doing to maximise the benefits of the digital transformation, in particular the support provided to regional authorities as they undergo this transition.

Meeting Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis

On Wednesday afternoon, the AER President, accompanied by two member regions, Timiş, Romania and Örebro, Sweden, met with Commissioner Andriukaitis to discuss the future of health policies and its implementation at regional level.

As President of AER Committee on Social Policy and Public Health, Mihai Ritivoiu shared information about the work of AER and the ongoing projects we have on the topic of healthcare. Irén Lejegren, County Commissioner from Örebro County in Sweden subsequently updated the Commissioner and his staff about the work done by AER in the area of food security.

Similar threads were discovered in this meeting as that which took place in the morning with regard to the need for cooperation among actors such as the European Commission and local and regional authorities. AER intends to follow-up closely on this topic with the new European College of Commissioners in the autumn.

On the topic of the European elections, AER also had the opportunity to present Commissioner Andriukaitis with a copy of its manifesto for the European elections.

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