In the framework of the Youth Advocacy Alliance Programme a first international training session has happened on the 2-5th February 2023 in Narva, Estonia, where Nordic and Estonian participants have learned a concept of youth advocacy, learn the necessary knowledge in the field and also gain practical experience through four key areas that have proven to be key challenges in the process of promoting youth advocacy: youth leadership development, advocacy education, strengthening youth associations and civil society, and youth involvement and participation in decision-making processes.
The first part of the training was a skills session covering the becasics of leadership and advocacy concepts. The second part of the training has been dedicated to gaining practical experience by conducting practical exercises and visiting different institutions that promote/support and help youth work and work on behalf of young people. The final part of the training session has addressed the issues facing young people in each partner country, what are the common challenges that could be addressed through joint efforts, and how to link and use advocacy methods to promote awareness of these issues. The headliners of the training session were Triin Roos, Head of Estonian National Youth Council, Anneli Ohvril, Head of Lets do It World Founation (promoting sustainabbility, clean and healthy planet) and Anna Liza Starova, research of Tartu University.
As a result, the I training participants have generated the first draft of a youth advocacy document on youth participation and dialogue, which will serve as a basis for further youth participation policies and related activities, which we will disseminate among partners to make their own adjustments and changes to ensure the sustainability of the project. The results of the work of the all 4 training sessions will be compiled in the final version of a single Youth Advocacy Statement, which will be disseminated among youth associations and partner organisations/agencies in the field.
Each training is a unique event that allows participants from different backgrounds (professional, ethnical, and cultural) to profoundly share their experiences and ideas and perpetuate the complex approach.
The aim of the 4 international trainings is to provide constructive knowledge and skills on the concept and practice of advocacy education, ranging from public speaking, presentation, advocacy strategies and other such skills. Through international cooperation, exchange experiences and good practices on how to initiate change (contributing to the legislative process, organising campaigns promoting youth interests, etc.) and to create a comparative perspective to highlight the difficulties in the Estonian situation and illustrate the Nordic and European. The speakers of the trainings are prominent youth politicians, experts, and civil activists from Estonia and other Nordic countries. Nevertheless, we are welcoming anyone who wishes to take in other parts of the training programm as we will provide digital participation.
The registration form you can find here.