Youth Peace Camp in Budapest, Hungary

Deadline: 17 April 2013
Open to: Young people (18 – 25) from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Georgia, The Russian Federation
Venue: European Youth Centre Budapest, 21-30 June 2013

Description

The Youth Peace Camps were initiated by the Council of Europe in 2004, in cooperation with   Europa Park in Rust, Germany, to bring together young people from conflict regions and to support them in initiating dialogue and cooperation.

In the past nine years the peace camp project brought together young people (of ages 18-25) from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (including Abkhazia and South Ossetia), Israel, Kosovo, the Palestinian Authority, the Russian Federation and Serbia. During the one week Youth Peace Camp, the participants followed an experiential learning process and acquired competences in the fields of intercultural learning, dialogue and conflict transformation within a human rights framework.

Aim

The aim of the Youth Peace Camp is to engage young people and youth organisations from conflict stricken regions in dialogue and conflict transformation activities based on human rights education and intercultural learning and to provide them with a positive experience in living and learning together.

Objectives

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

  1. To develop the conceptual and practical meanings of conflict, peace, and conflict transformation.
  2. To share among participants their personal experiences of conflict and violence and their coping strategies, identifying commonalities and specificities between them
  3. To develop the competences of participants in conflict transformation and intercultural learning, including a critical understanding of the personal and collective identities and their role in armed conflicts
  4. To learn about human rights and human rights education as frameworks for conflict transformation and dialogue
  5. To learn from existing practices and experiences of people within the youth field working on dialogue and conflict transformation
  6. To motivate and support participants in their role as multipliers and peer leaders in peace building activities with young people from their organisations and communities
  7. To increase the role and expertise of the Council of Europe, in particular its youth sector, in working with conflict transformation as part of its mission in relation to intercultural dialogue.

In 2013 as part of the Youth Campaign for Human Rights Online, the Youth Peace Camp programme will place a specific emphasis on the role of Hate Speech in conflict and post-conflict situations.

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. During the Youth Peace Camp there will be a few occasions for participants to work in “mother tongue” language groups.

Eligibility

The 2013 Youth Peace Camp will bring together young people from: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, participants coming from both Albanian, Serbian and other backgrounds, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Georgia (including Abkhazia and South Ossetia), The Russian Federation, especially young people directly affected by the crisis with Georgia. 

For each group of three to six participants there will be a facilitator affiliated to the community with which those participants identify to support participants. Each group should be balanced in relation to sex and reflect the diversity of their communities. The total number of participants and facilitators expected will thus be 50.

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 project;
  • 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 residential meeting;
  • 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;
  • possess a sense of responsibility for one’s own actions and a commitment to personal and community development;
  • be curious, open-minded and appreciate diversity.

Costs

  • Travel expenses: Travel expenses and visa costs are 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 either by bank transfer after the meeting, or at the end of the meeting in cash (in Euros).
  • Accommodation: Board and lodging at the seminar will be provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre in Budapest.

Application procedure

The recruitment of applicants will be made through an open call in the communities or regions concerned. All candidates must apply on-line, completing the application form hereApplications must be submitted by 17 April 2013.

If the participant is affiliated with an organisation, a letter of support from their sending organisation 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.

For more information, please check the call for participants.

12 thoughts on “Youth Peace Camp in Budapest, Hungary

    1. Dear Alma,

      From the language of the official website, it seems optional, but it's best to contact the organizers at youth@coe.int to ask for certain. Since the deadline is today, you should submit a letter just in case. As the post above states, if you are a member of an informal network or youth group, you can supply a letter of support from a fellow members in the informal network or group expressing their support for your application.

      Kind regards,
      Mladiinfo team

  1. Dear Mladiinfo team,
    Thank you for your answer. Are you sure the e-mail you gave me is right because I keep getting this message " The email address "youth@coe" is not recognized.Please fix it" when I try to contact them.

    Thanks a lot

    1. Dear Anna,

      If there are no specification on that in our post or at the official webpage, then please direct your question to the responsible contact person as Mladiinfo team only shares the information and is not responsible for the selection process.

      Best regards,
      Mladiinfo team

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