Are you 18-29 years old and interested in working with others on important issues in your community and taking part in creating real change?

The Council of Europe invites young people from different regions of Georgia to participate in the Youth Laboratories („Youth Labs“) for Democracy and Human Rights initiative.

Labs are informal, self-created spaces where young people come together to work on local issues that are important to them, explore possible solutions together, test ideas and learn by doing.

You do not need to have any previous experience  in community engagement, project management or local initiatives to join the Youth Laboratories. What matters most is your interest in issues affecting your community and your willingness to work with others to develop and put practical ideas into action.

What do we offer?

Selected participants will:

• undergo a series of short online orientation Webinars in November 2026
• participate in the National Platform “InoHub” meeting in December 2026 that will bring together new participants and members of already operating Labs
• gain practical knowledge and experience in working on local initiatives, communication and building partnerships, teamwork and leadership
• work with mentors and other young people
• become part of InoHub - a network connecting youth labs across Georgia
• have the opportunity to join existing youth labs or, taking into account their interests and local context, explore the possibility of developing new Youth Labs.

Youth Lab activities do not end with one event. We expect active and continuous engagement from participants, testing ideas in practice, learning from experience and continuing their activities in their own communities.

For more information about the Youth Labs, visit the Council of Europe website and watch the videos:

• What is the Youth Labs initiative about?
• Youth Labs Fair
• The InoHub Network – continuing to work with young people

Who are we looking for?

We especially welcome the participation of young people who:

• permanently live or have strong ties to the municipality / region where they want to get involved
• are ready to engage not only in individual events, but in the process for a longer period
• are interested in local issues, youth participation, democracy, human rights or related topics
• are ready to work with people with different experiences and perspectives
• are willing to share responsibility, learn from others and take practical action
• have fewer opportunities to participate in civic, educational or development programmes

We especially welcome applications from rural, remote, mountainous, ethnic, religious minority communities in Georgia, as well as young people with disabilities.

What do we expect from you?

Youth Labs are based on voluntary participation, youth leadership and shared responsibility.

If selected, we expect you to actively participate in online orientation webinars, InoHub meeting and subsequent activities, to work as a team, to respect different opinions, and to be willing to act on your own initiative.

How to apply?

Fill out the online application form: https://forms.gle/6VXRv11e17tnUVGh6

Deadline for applications: 30 October 2026, 23:59 (Tbilisi time)

For questions please contact Anna Arevadze at [email protected]

An information session about the application process will be held on 15 October 2026 at 14:00 Georgia time via Zoom. The Zoom link and other important details about the selection process are provided in the Call document.

 - Call document

This initiative is organised in the framework of the project „Advancing Participatory and Human Rights-based Local Democracy in Georgia” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency as a part of the International Partnerships Austria.