Call for Participants: Nordic Training of Youth Trainers, Utøya, Norway

Why Nordic Training of Youth Trainers

On July 22, 2011, Norway was struck by the deadliest terrorist attack it had seen since World War II. Carried out by a far-right Norwegian extremist, the attack was a violent declaration against inclusion and diversity—democratic values that the terrorist saw as a threat to the Norwegian society. The main victims were young members of the Norwegian Labour Party Youth attending a summer camp at Utøya, an island just outside of Oslo. In the years following this attack, all Nordic countries have seen a rise in various forms of hate and violent extremism.

The Nordic perspective on this training serves as a reminder that hate and intolerance know no borders, and it highlights the need to recognize these shared threats and work together to build resilient societies. 

Youth trainers in the Nordic countries are doing an important job in strengthening their communities in the face of polarization.This training will be a space for them to develop their skills and exchange experiences across the Nordic context, using Utøya as a key point for reflection and learning. 

Participant profile

Due to funding rules, the training is for youth trainers and educators between 16 – 25 years old involved in youth work, campaigns, networks, youth organizations or other activities with young people promoting youth engagement to combat hate speech, extremism and xenophobia. 

Participants should:

• Be able and motivated to organise a follow-up workshop after the training
• Live in a Nordic country (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland or Åland)

Objectives of the training

At the training course, participants will

Human Rights Education

• develop the competencies of human rights education of youth trainers working against hate speech, extremism and xenophobia.
• become more familiar and confident using non-formal education methods for human rights education by and with young people, and practice facilitation skills.
• learn how to use Compass, Bookmarks and other human-rights based manuals as a youth trainer with young people.
• exchange experiences as youth trainers and the opportunities and challenges we face.

Human Rights

• become familiar with Utøya as the site of a far-right extremist terror attack and to understand how living remembrance can inspire young people to contribute to the fight for basic human rights.
• become familiar with human rights as an idea, and learn how to produce learning and reflection with a human rights approach.
• map and discuss human rights challenges in the Nordic countries and how to address them.