Call for Participants: Council of Europe’s 2017 World Forum for Democracy- Strasbourg,France (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: Tuesday 11 July at CET 13:00 (1 p.m.)
Is Populism a problem?
Youth training Strasbourg, 6th-7th November 2017
World Forum on Democracy, Strasbourg, 8th-10th November 2017

The sixth edition of the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy will engage with decision-makers, young people and opinion-formers to review novel initiatives and approaches which can enhance democratic practices and help parties and media, but also other political actors, to re-connect to citizens, make informed choices and function optimally in 21^st century democracy.

In this context, the Youth Department will invite 60 young people to participate and engage
with decision-makers and opinion-formers in a reflection on the question of populism: its
various forms as well as real stories.

In this edition of the World Forum for Democracy, COE wish to invite young people who have been involved either through youth organisations, political parties, political movements or other projects in initiatives related to the question of populism.

Requirements:

In order to be selected and participate in the World Forum 2017, youth applicants should:

• Be aged 16-30 (exceptions can be made in special cases);
• Be resident in Europe; 15 places will be made available for participants from other
  regions outside the European continent;
• Be able to communicate and work in English;
• Be actively involved in civil society democracy initiatives;
• Be motivated to contribute to developing new ideas on youth and democracy;
• Be ready to share own challenges faced in relation to populism and its effects on
  society;
• Be ready to adopt a solution-oriented approach by bringing in new ideas and visions
  on the question of populism;
• Be available to participate fully in the World Forum for Democracy and the
  preparation process beforehand.
  The youth representatives will be chosen on the basis of these criteria and the video to be submitted. The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all candidates who fulfil the above mentioned profile, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
• Working language
  The common working language of the event will be English. Candidates must be able to use English independently in order to be able to work and communicate efficiently.

All selected participants should arrive on Sunday 5th November and depart on Saturday
11th November. A Youth meeting will take place for all participants on Monday 6th and
3 Tuesday 7th November in the European Youth Centre before the World Forum begins on
8th of November

Benefits:

• Travel expenses
  Travel expenses and visa costs will be reimbursed upon presentation of the relevant
  receipts, according to the rules of the Council of Europe. Only the participants who attend the entire event (pre-Forum meeting and World Forum) can be reimbursed. The payment will be made by bank transfer after the World Forum. Prepaid tickets for travel can only be arranged in exceptional and justified cases.
• Accommodation
  Board and lodging are provided and paid for by the Council of Europe (arrival on Sunday 5th November and departure on Saturday 11th November). Participants will be accommodated at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg (EYCS). You might be requested to share a room. The EYCS is fully accessible to young people with disabilities and ready to adapt to young people’s special needs in order to ensure full inclusion and quality working conditions. Wi-fi is not provided in the rooms.

Selection:

• For this purpose, applicants should send a 1-minute video (see instructions below)
  explaining what populism means to them. The video should be inspiring and based on a
  real-life testimony of how participants themselves are concerned by the topic.

How to Apply:

All candidates must apply in 2 parts:

1. An online application form should be completed via this link: http://youthapplications.coe.int/Application-forms
2. A short 1 minute video should be posted on YouTube, with the link attached to the online application form (see instructions below).

The application form must be submitted on-line before Tuesday, 11 July 2017 at CET 13:00 (1 p.m.), together with a support letter from your NGO/sending organization if this is appropriate.   In case of technical problems with the use of the platform, please send an e-mail to youthapplications[at]coe.int .

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Council of Europe’s 2017 World Forum for Democracy