The Youth Department of the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, is holding a training-seminar on the access to quality youth work and non-formal education during the war and in the post-war period in Ukraine.

 The seminar, which takes place from 2 to 6 June 2025 at the European Youth Centre in Budapest, brings together more than 30 participants, including youth workers, representatives of youth centres, and professionals working directly with Ukrainian young people in 12 member states.

 Participants reflected on youth work as a strategic, values-driven activity for sustaining democratic cultures all over Europe. And in times of war, youth work contributes to the resilience of democratic cultures safeguarding human dignity, protecting civic space, and upholding human rights.

 The training seminar is based on non-formal learning principles and encourages peer learning and co-creation of solutions rooted in the lived experience of participants equipping them with practical tools and knowledge to develop and implement values-based, high-quality youth work in response to the ongoing challenges created by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

 Throughout the week, participants explore how to apply Council of Europe standards in their own contexts, among others the Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work and recently updated Youth Work Portfolio.  The seminar also features insights and outcomes from the “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” project, serving as a platform to discuss achievements and deepen co-operation.