Aim

The Youth Peace Camp engages young people and youth organisations from conflict affected regions in dialogue and conflict transformation activities based on human rights education and intercultural learning during and after the camp.

Objectives

The main objectives (personal, organisational and institutional) of the Youth Peace Camp are:

• To develop awareness and basic competences (knowledge, skills and attitude) of participants in human rights education, conflict transformation, intercultural learning and dialogue, including a critical understanding of personal and collective identities and their role in conflicts.
• To enable participants to share personal experiences of conflict and violence and coping strategies in a positive and safe atmosphere of living and learning together.
• To introduce and share existing youth work practices and experiences of young people working on dialogue and conflict transformation in their home communities.
• To motivate and support participants in their role as multipliers and peer leaders in peace building activities with young people encouraging them to implement follow-up initiatives.
• To associate the participants and their organisations with the mission and activities of the Council of Europe, in particular its youth sector, regarding youth work in the field of conflict transformation and intercultural dialogue.

Methodology

The programme of the Youth Peace Camp will give young people, coming from regions affected by armed conflicts, the opportunity to share, explore, and reflect upon their work in the field of dialogue, conflict transformation and peace work.

The programme will be based on mutual learning situations among participants, making use of a variety of working methods. The participants will be able to share personal experiences with conflict and violence and share the coping strategies they developed. The programme will also allow time for participants to explore the relation between identity and the conflict in their region for young people and themselves. Personal reflections and sharing within community groups will be alternated with sharing, learning and reflecting between youth from the different conflict regions. Towards the end of the camp, participants are expected to develop initiatives as peer leaders and multipliers with other young people in the field of dialogue and conflict transformation, in their home communities. Central to the concept of the Youth Peace Camp is the motivation and the possibility for living, learning and discussing together with other young people with whom otherwise it may be very difficult to have contacts or cooperation. A team of experienced trainers and facilitators (one per each community or region from where the camp participants come) will develop and facilitate the programme. The participants are invited to implement their initiatives for peace building, with the support and guidance of the facilitators, to share their experience with their peers and promote the values and approaches of the Youth Peace Camp. The Youth Peace Camp started as a camp with participants living in tents and doing also outdoor activities. Nowadays the activity is mostly held indoors at the European Youth Centre, where the participants are also accommodated. The spirit of a camp remains present in the activity though the extensive usage of non-formal education methods, the experience of living and learning together and, to the extent of the possible, the usage of outdoor activities.

Working language

The working language of the programme will be English. Participants must have sufficient understanding of English in order to comprehend and complete the application form without assistance from another person.

Educational team

The educational team consists of a group of facilitators and trainers, including an educational advisor of the European Youth Centre. Altogether, trainers and facilitators are experienced in running similar activities, have direct experience of the regions from where participants come and will be able to communicate with participants in their mother tongue.

Participants’ Profile

In 2017, the camp will bring together groups of young people from the following countries and communities: Cyprus (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots), Kosovo*, Serbia, South Caucasus region and Ukraine (in particular the Luhansk and Donetsk regions) during its eight day programme. Each group should include an average of 6 participants.

All participants must:

• be aged between 18 and 25 years;
• be able to work in English;
• be available and fully committed to take part in the Youth Peace Camp;
• be curious, open-minded, appreciate diversity and learn about each other’s realities.
• be motivated to learn and to apply the values and approaches of the Youth Peace Camp, notably human rights, democracy and intercultural dialogue;
• be involved in youth or community projects in their community and be motivated to implement youth initiatives for peace-building following the camp;
• possess a sense of responsibility for one’s own actions, a commitment to personal and community development and continue the engagement with other participants;
• preferably be involved in an organisation or network, institution, formal and/or informal group that is ready to support them throughout the project duration and afterwards when implementing youth initiatives for peace building.

A specific priority will be given to applicants who are or have been displaced as a result of armed conflict (refugees, internally displaced people, migrants, asylum-seekers…). The group of participants should be balanced in relation to sex and reflect the diversity of their communities. The total number of participants and facilitators expected will be 70.

Application procedure and selection of participants

All candidates must apply on-line, completing the application form under this link: http://youthapplications.coe.int/Application-forms. Applications must be submitted by 8 February 2017. A letter of support from their sending organisation or institution can be uploaded on the platform or sent separately by e-mail, fax or post, to express support offered throughout the project to the participant and his/her initiatives. Participants who are member of an informal network or youth group can supply a letter of support from their fellow members in the informal network or group expressing their support for the participants’ application.

Financial and practical conditions of participation

Travel expenses

Travel expenses 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 Youth Peace Camp may be reimbursed. The payment will be made by bank transfer after the meeting, or at the end of the meeting in cash (in Euros) in duly justified cases.

Visa expenses

The Council of Europe will issue invitation letter for the purpose of obtaining visas to all participants. Costs related to the application for visas will be reimbursed by the Council of Europe, upon presentation of the relevant receipt and after being previously approved.

Accommodation

Full board and lodging at the seminar will be provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg.

Deadline for applications

The application form must be submitted on-line, with the (optional) support letters by Wednesday 8 February 2017, at noon CET.

Further information

For more information about the Youth Peace Camp, the application procedure and financial and practical conditions of participants please email: eyc.programme@coe.int

For more information about this camp, click here

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