The annual training course for youth centres in the network of the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres took place between 2-6 October 2023 at the European Youth Centre in Budapest. The course was attended by educational staff and youth workers from 15 labelled and candidate youth centres.

The thematic focus of this year’s training was on revitalising democracy, as one of the priorities of the Council of Europe’s Youth Sector for 2022-2025, as well as the role that the Quality Label youth centres play in responding to democratic backsliding and advancing young people’s meaningful participation and democratic citizenship.

The participants also had the opportunity to hold an exchange on the state of democracy with the new Head of Youth Department, Tobias Flessenkemper, and to share good practices of labelled youth centres in promoting different forms of youth participation.

Finally, participants looked into practices to increase participation of young people in their youth centres, and planned actions connected to the Council of Europe’s youth sector project Democracy Here, Democracy Now.