Advocacy and Lobbying for international youth work

The activity consist of 4 online workshops with first on 17th November, a residential seminar 15-20 March 2027 in Moldova and a final online meet-up in the middle of April. More details below. Apply ONLY if you can fully participate in all these elements!

OBJECTIVES

• To map the advocacy landscape — Identify the Erasmus+ Youth actions, strategies and policies where programme–partner country cooperation should be advocated, the key decision-makers to target, and the data sources needed to support the case.
• To build advocacy and leadership competences — Develop participants' advocacy and lobbying skills, introduce effective methods and tools, and strengthen their leadership and communication capacity to use them.
• To position youth organisations as policy stakeholders — Raise awareness among youth organisations of their role in shaping policy in international youth work, and their potential to feed into future advocacy structures.

EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

• 25 representatives of youth organisations well experienced in cooperation between the programme and the partner countries (approx. 10 from programme countries and 5 per each of the 3 neighbouring regions);
• Personal experience as coordinator of at least 3 youth projects within Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps including programme and partner countries (coordination of the cross-regional projects, involving more than 1 partner region will be a strong asset) since 2020;
• Representing a youth organisation with the record of at least 6 youth projects within Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps including programme and partner countries since 2013;
• Able to work meaningfully in English;
• At least 18 years old;
• Committed to participate fully in all activities of the course.

OBLIGATORY ELEMENTS OF THE TRAINING COURSE (the organisers keep the right to substitute a participant in case of absence in these activities):

• Tuesday, 17th of November 2026, 11.00 - 13.00 CET - Intro on concepts and getting to know each other
• Tuesday, 15th of December 2026, 11.00 - 13.00 CET -| Advocacy and lobby landscape (for a wider audience)
• Tuesday, 19th of January 2027, 11.00 - 13.00 CET - Youth organizations as advocacy and lobby stakeholders
• Tuesday, 16th of February 2027, 11.00 - 13.00 CET - Advocacy and lobby tools and methods
• 15th - 20th March 2027, a 4 working days residential seminar in Moldova
• mid-April, final evaluation meet-up

The activity is facilitated by the experienced team of Olga Kyriakidou and Andrei Popescu. The process is supported by experts from SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus, SALTO EuroMed, the German National Agency of Erasmus+ Youth as well as the other partners of the Beyond Borders strategic partnership.