During the trip to Brussels and Strasbourg, young activists will meet with Europe's leading rights defenders and important actors of the European Union. The five-day tour, which aims to increase the sustainability of grassroots organizations and to pave the way for international solidarity and transfer of experience, is planned to be held in the last two weeks of November.*
The trip, which will consist of meetings with the representatives of the Council of Europe and the Parliament, international rights organizations, and non-governmental organizations in Brussels and Strasbourg, will include experience transfers on the following subjects:
- The structure of the European Union institutions, the scope of their work, their jurisdiction, and obligations
- How to organize digital campaigns, how to reach the target audience on social media, and how to address the international public
- Ways of networking and international solidarity for the defense of rights
- Rising barriers to freedom of expression globally and ways to deal with them
- Planning a career in civil society
- Ways of material and moral sustainability of grassroots organizations
Self-care methods for rights defenders, how to keep your community alive in times of crisis, who can you get help from
Detailed information about the institutions and people to be visited during the trip will be announced after the participants are selected. The trip, which will cover all expenses of the students, is open to 10 participants, but to apply, you must send your resume and a motivation letter to [email protected] by September 3, 2021, 17:00. The motivation letter and the resume should be no more than 2 pages long. Participation is open to all students over the age of 18. Candidates who are exposed to discrimination or inequality for different reasons such as class, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religious belief, and language are encouraged to participate.
In your motivation letter, you are expected to explain why you want to participate in the trip, your past experiences that may be related to the content of the trip, and how you will use your experiences from this trip in the future as a young activist. It is among the criteria sought for students to have an idea about the agenda of rights defenders in the country and the agenda of activism on a global scale. All participants must have completed their vaccinations against the COVID-19 virus before the date of the trip. During the evaluation process of applications, candidates can be interviewed in September. Selected candidates will be notified on 10 September.
* IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Due to COVID-19 conditions, the arrangement of the trip is subject to international travel restrictions. Our association has developed an alternative plan for the possibility that the trip cannot be organized. In case the students cannot travel abroad, the representatives of the institutions and activists who will share their experiences during the trip will meet with the students at a conference to be held in Istanbul. In this alternative plan, all expenses of the students such as travel, accommodation, food, and beverage will be covered by the association.
