Description of the Study Session
We think that a society can only be sustainable when it has reached the level of an inclusive, multicultural, peaceful democracy, respecting the rights and freedoms of all its citizens, with special attention to the most vulnerable groups. We are indeed convinced that it is the treatment of the weakest groups that shows the level of democracy and peace in a society. One of the groups who are suffering most from social exclusion, isolation and a general lack of acceptance are refugees, today in particular from the most recent escalations of conflicts in the Middle East.
Despite the disturbing discourse of hate-speech present in many European societies nowadays, the issues of refugees and migrants have triggered actions of solidarity among many citizens, especially the young people, and in many countries the civil society has not failed, whenever it had the possibility, to react in order to provide for their decent treatment. At official level, some of the states and local communities have shown a considerable level of solidarity, starting programs for inclusion of refugees (especially children and youth) into the society. However, others have shown an alarming level of rejection, which has sadly found support from some of their citizens. Based on this we are still aware of the need for a comprehensive response, both holistic in policy approach and global geographically, when it comes to this issue which is currently affecting hundreds of thousands of people, many of them youth and children.
Through this Study Session, we aim to empower the young people dedicated to contributing to the social inclusion of (young) refugees by letting them explore the issues and come up with their own responses to the current challenges on the one hand while, on the other, giving them the tools for advocating and motivating more young people for this action. To be able to do so, we will first offer the participants the opportunity to explore the concept of identity, its meaning, structure, bases on which it is formed and importance for a young person and their development from childhood to adulthood. Furthermore, they will have the chance to analyze the issues of discrimination and multiple discrimination, understand their roots and come up with their own responses and proposal for solutions, which they will be able to disseminate and use to call upon more young people to join them in this struggle.
In addition, we will give them the tools for exploring the concept of a peaceful, inclusive, democratic society and the ways in which they can reach out to all its stakeholders in order to contribute to bringing it upon, strengthening and keeping it.
Finally, as an international movement, we will offer the participants and youth organizations the possibility to work in cooperation with each other, across borders within regions and globally, in order to enrich their struggle and reinforce their efforts towards peaceful inclusive societies all over the world.
Objectives
- Facilitate the participants in exploring the roots of discrimination and multiple discrimination and deconstructing them to develop means to promote social inclusion and human rights
- Empower the participants in their efforts to work with and for young refugees to help with their personal development and social inclusion
- Enable the participants to identify the main stakeholders in the society and develop their own methods and tools for reaching out to them to promote a peaceful, inclusive society and in particular the social inclusion of young refugees
- Assist young people and youth organisations to establish a platform for intercultural learning and joint international action aiming at the struggle for peaceful inclusive society and against all forms of discrimination and violence.
Participants profile:
total of selected participants will be of 30 people
- Grass root youth activists from IUSY Member and Partner Organisations – aged under 35 years old
- Interested in the topics of human rights protection and create open and inclusive societies
- Interested in developing follow up proposals on the topic
Working-language of the Study Session will be English: participants need to be able to communicate in English without translation in/to Spanish or in/to French.
The selection will take into account gender as well as geographical balance.
Participants must be able to attend the entire programme of the Study Session. All participants must be aged under 35 years old, with no exceptions.
How to apply
To make sure that everyone has equal chance in participating, participants must apply via the online application form at https://goo.gl/forms/7KoOhU6iFxZJ9vUG2.
DEADLINE for the registration is March the 9th, 2018 at 23:59 Central European Time. The final confirmation will be sent to all participants by Monday the 12th of March.
Eligible member/partner organisations per country
Are eligible to apply grassroots members from Member/Partner organisations from Member States of the Council of Europe (list: https://goo.gl/GbWVG1) and from the Parties to the European Cultural Convention (Belarus, the Holy See and Kazakhstan).
Participants from Countries outside Europe, especially in the Middle East, are encouraged to apply, and will be selected accordingly to their motivation and to the gender and geographical balances, taking in account the Council of Europe rule imposing strict limits for participants outside Europe.
Costs
Participation fee is set by the Council of Europe to 50 Euros. Travel, accommodation and food will be fully covered by the Council of Europe. Participation fee will be deducted from the Travel Reimbursement.
Travel information
Arrivals and Departures
Day of arrival for the Study Session is Sunday the 22nd of April and day of departure is the Saturday 28th of April. Please make your travel arrangements accordingly and do not forget that neither IUSY nor the Council of Europe will be able to cover accommodation or any other additional expenses for participants who need to stay additional nights. Participants wishing to stay extra-nights must organise themselves accordingly.
Travel reimbursement
As soon as your participation is confirmed, we strongly advise you to communicate with IUSY Secretariat in order to organise your travel and buy your tickets as early as possible to avoid high costs.
Cost of travels must be proven by original documents directly to the Council of Europe competent Secretariat for the Study Session. (Therefore, please do not forget to keep and hand in ALL of the following documents at the Study Session.)
Participants will be asked to present their tickets and receipts/invoices on the first day of the study session (original invoices, original receipts – in the case of e – tickets documentary evidence of the sum actually paid e.g. copy of credit card slip and to forward the original email with the e-tickets to traveldocs.eycb@coe.int – and copies of visas). Details of supporting evidence accepted by the Council of Europe are indicated in the attached file n. 1 “Travel Reimbursement documents required”. Travel Reimbursements will be issued by the Council of Europe, in CASH during the meeting. In case some documents are missing the reimbursement will be done via bank transfer.
Visas
The IUSY Secretariat will support visa applications for the Study Session. If you require a visa, please make sure to fill correctly the passport details (passport number, date and place of birth, date and place of issue and expiry) in the registration form.
The cost of the visa is reimbursed upon presentation of an original receipt and copy of the page in the participant’s passport containing the visa and the date of its validity. If the participant must travel to get the Visa, the cost of the travel or agency fee can only be reimbursed if the participant has contacted the Youth Department Secretariat of Council of Europe at Katalin.LERCH@coe.int. Supporting evidence must be provided. In any other cases the travel for the visa or the agency fee will not be reimbursed.
Accommodation and meeting venue
Accommodation and meals are provided at the European Youth Center in Budapest for the duration of the Study Session by the Council of Europe. The Study Session itself will be allocated in the rooms of the European Youth Center.
Contact
IUSY Secretariat – iusy@iusy.org / Phone-number: +43 699 135 32 970 or +43 699 135 32 960