From 27 to 31 October 2025, the Compass National Training Course on Human Rights Education “For Action: Human Rights Passwords” was held at Stratford Youth Zone in the London Borough of Newham.
The course was designed to support the implementation of human rights education (HRE) and education for democratic citizenship (EDC) in both formal and non-formal educational settings. 20 youth practitioners, as well as youth leaders, deepened their understanding of key concepts of human rights and human rights education and their ability to put them into practice with young people (16 – 25) living in the UK. In this regard, participants were familiarised with the HRE approaches of the Council of Europe Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People.
The training aimed to empower participants working with young migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; young people who are not in education, employment, or training; young people with disabilities and/or special educational needs; LGBTQIA+ youth; care-experienced young people; and young people from Global Majority communities — by providing them with tools and methodologies on Human Rights Education. This support enabled participants to implement concrete actions through their organisations and new projects, while also positively influencing local authorities on the importance of HRE.
As part of the training, an exhibition dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights has been inaugurated on October 27. A panel discussion provided an opportunity to debate the work of the Council of Europe and the role of the United Kingdom since the signing of the Treaty of London 75 years ago. It is organised for young people to share their aspirations and commitment to a democratic Europe and to contribute, as irreplaceable partners for the present and the future of the Council of Europe, to shaping the future of democracy and human rights on the European continent, starting from its communities.
Additionally, Maurizio Cuttin, Vice-President of the Advisory Council on Youth, attended the training course to present the Council of Europe’s activities for and with young people, as well as their active contribution to a democratic and values-based society.
The training course was organised by AICEM - International organisation for cooperation and worldwide education and London Borough of Newham’s Youth Empowerment Service in cooperation with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe within the Youth for Democracy programme.
The training aimed to strengthen the informal network of human rights educators and advocates in the UK, which was informally established during the 2024 edition of the national training course Human Rights Passwords.
