Place: European Youth center Strasbourg, France
Dates: 30th of May 3rd of June (arrival day 29th)
Participants: 30
Costs: 50 EUR participation fee. Travel, food and accommodation is covered.
Working language: English
Application deadline: 1st of April
The No Hate Speech Movement was fighting against hate speech and promoting human rights through Human Rights Education. The No Hate Speech Network, as an organisation built on the legacy of the campaign by the different actors of the campaign, also aims to use Human Rights Education for promoting human rights and fighting against hate speech in online and offline environments.
The idea of the study session is that new and old stakeholders of the movement and the network can participate in educational activities where they can develop the needed competences to have a human rights-based approach in fighting for human rights online and offline. The study session envisages to empower youth workers and youth activists representing different youth organisations to fight against hate speech, nationalism and intolerance through human rights education.
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY SESSION
Following decades of different challenges existing in European societies, the economic and social situations remain difficult due to high unemployment, low quality of education and the weak position of civil society. All these factors contributed to creating a situation where human rights and fundamental freedoms are still being violated, especially in areas directly affected by conflicts and crises.
Moreover, one of the biggest challenges of the XXI century, the virus COVID19, has affected every sphere possible all over the world. Except for feeding the economic and political crisis, the virus developments have severely contributed to the rise of nationalism, intolerance, inequality and racism in our modern European society. There have been many conspiracy theories spread around by different groups that promote hatred and intolerance – and the most of them target vulnerable groups such as migrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQI, etc. and use the virus as an argument to justify the spread of hatred.
We will all overcome the virus and sooner or later everyday life will get back to normality, but unfortunately the hatred will stay with all its expressions and illogical argumentations. There have always been efforts from different organisations to challenge the hatred, intolerance, injustice, etc, but in the reality that we will have when the current challenges are over even more efforts will be needed.
The No Hate Speech Network aims to prevent and counter hate speech by mobilising and connecting individuals and organisations to act in support of human rights and democracy online and offline. With the aim and the priorities of the Network we would like to create a space for youth workers, youth activists and youth organisations to become human rights activists and challenge hate speech, nationalism, intolerance, etc. through human rights education values and approaches.
In this regard it’s also important for us to mention the current atrocities connected to the explosion of yet another war and that are deeply affecting us, pushing our effort to better equip young people to defend values of peace and human rights.
ABOUT THE STUDY SESSION
This study session supports several of the Council of Europe’s programme priorities by gathering activists, partners and human rights educators involved or wishing to be involved in the No Hate Speech Movement. The resources developed by the Youth Department and the No Hate Speech Movement, our experiences on Counter and Alternative Narratives and Human Rights Education – we can change heads, hearts and hands and create our own alternative narrative built on Human Rights, equality, diversity and inclusion.
The study session will explore and develop the structures and strategies, tools and actions we need to keep the Movement alive and act for human rights in our daily online and offline lives.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES:
The aim of the activity is to empower youth workers and youth activists to challenge hate speech, nationalism and intolerance through human rights education values and approaches.
Objectives:
- To contribute to the development of youth workers’ and youth activists’ understanding of human rights education based on learning about, through and for human rights approach;
- To contribute to the competence development of youth workers and youth activists in challenging hate speech, nationalism and intolerance and supporting human rights;
- To develop the competences of youth workers and youth activists to use Human Rights Education publications: Compass, Compasito, Bookmarks, We CAN, etc;
- To develop concrete guidelines on human rights activism in post-pandemic reality;
- To support the process of partnership building between youth workers and youth activists coming from different youth organizations and to design partnership-based projects;
- To contribute to the capacity development of the No Hate Speech Network;
- To contribute to the Human Rights Education strategy of the No Hate Speech Network.
PARTICIPANTS’ PROFILE
The Study Session seek participants that are:
- Youth workers, youth activists, human rights educators
- Between 18 and 30 years of age (with space for some exception)
- Resident in one of the European Cultural Convention signatory countries (we also welcome the participants from the following countries not signatory to the European cultural convention but who had an active NHSM campaign, namely: Kosovo, Tunisia, Morocco, Mexico and Canada).
- Able to communicate in English
- Have knowledge in human rights education, experience in fighting against hate speech, intolerance and nationalism even if at the beginning of their practice.
- Ready for further engagement in the No Hate Speech Network and human rights education
PREPARATIONS AND FOLLOW-UP
- Preparations include reviewing the infopack and materials provided by the training team and keeping up with the relevant communications.
- The team is keeping in touch with the participants to foster their involvement in the Network and the improvement of their practice, especially in relation with the spreading and the application of the Guidelines drafted during the Study Session..
The No Hate Speech Network welcomes applications from all candidates who fulfill the specific profile of the study session, irrespective of gender, racial origin, colour, language, religion, political or other views, national or social origin, belonging to national minorities or any other status.
FINANCIAL AND PRACTICAL CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Travel expenses
Travel expenses and visa fees for accessing Strasbourg will be reimbursed according to the rules of the Council of Europe. Only the participants who attend the entire study session can be reimbursed.
Accommodation
Board and lodging for the residential training course will be provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg. The European Youth Centres are accessible to people with disabilities and can take measures to accommodate for any specific needs of participants in this respect. Please provide all the necessary information in your application form.
Enrolment fee
An enrolment fee of 50 Euros is payable by each participant. This amount will be deducted from the amount to be reimbursed for travel expenses or paid at the EYCS during the residential seminar.
Working languages
English will be the working language of the study session. Participants are expected to be able to express themselves autonomously in English.
COVID-19 protocol
A special COVID protocol will be shared with participants upon selection. This includes rules and recommendations for a safe stay in the European Youth Centre Strasbourg. All participants are expected to follow this protocol during the training course.
If you have any questions please contact nohatespeechnet@gmail.com
Best wishes,
Gubaz Koberidze, MarinaTrajkovska, Debora Barletta, Rami Hadroj and Ibrahim Kraria
Preparatory team of the Study Session of the No Hate Speech Network.
