Study session "Youth Actions Against Discriminations" is taking place at the European Youth Centre Budapest from 19 to 24 May, and it is gathering young changemakers from different countries. It provides a unique space for participants to connect, learn, and collaborate. The participants have drafted practical toolkits designed to empower youth to build more inclusive societies by combatting all types of discrimination and hate speech.
Organised through a strong partnership between the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, the week-long programme equips participants with essential skills, knowledge, and confidence to drive societal change locally, nationally, and globally.
Throughout the session, participants share their experiences and best practices, demonstrating how challenges faced in local realities remain interconnected despite geographical differences. Anja Jokić, a Bureau member of the Advisory Council on Youth, delivered an inspiring talk on youth activism’s role in decision-making and shaping today’s European agenda.
The programme featured diverse and dynamic formats, ranging from simulation games to gallery walks. Through storytelling and direct engagement with invited experts, participants explored journeys from discrimination to empowerment.
One of the most impactful activities was a simulation session, where participants experienced decision-making processes, by looking at the core of the decision-making processes of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) where they proposed diverse group opinions on a recommendation case, advocating for it and voting for different proposals. Discussions highlighted the significance of local election participation and its ripple effects on European and global governance and the importance of youth participation in it.
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN), one of Europe’s largest student associations, plays a pivotal role in fostering mobility and intercultural understanding. Established in 1989 and officially registered in 1990, ESN operates as an independent, non-partisan, non-political, and non-profit international association under Belgian law, with headquarters in Brussels. With the support of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, ESN collaborates with over 1,000 higher education institutions in 46 countries. Its network of around 15,000 active members serves approximately 350,000 international students annually, promoting inclusive education and the concept of “internationalisation at home” for those unable to study abroad.
