The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe has opened a call for participants for the HEY course on Intercultural/Interfaith Dialogue. This edition, in English, will take place from 23 June to 20 July 2025. The deadline for applications is 8 June.
The course targets young people (18 to 30 years old) from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, active in the formal and non-formal education sector, media professionals and members of Civil Society Organisations and Faith-Based Organisations to:
- Introduce concepts, principles and methodology of Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue (ICD/IFD), to explore the interrelations among them and their contextualisation in a North-South dimension.
- Analyse relevant notions related to ICD/IFD, such as culture, discrimination, racism, majority/minority, inclusion/exclusion, etc.
- Develop competences focused on defusing and recognising potential conflicts, thus actively promote a culture of peace and non-violence, and mutual understanding between peoples of different cultures and religions.
- Promote networking among participants involved in global awareness-raising or educational actions on Intercultural – Interfaith Dialogue, in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Topics covered
- Theories, methods and key concepts of Intercultural – Interfaith Dialogue; North-South dimension of Intercultural – Interfaith Dialogue; Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) and the Intercultural/Interfaith Dialogue dimension.
- Human rights framework; key elements of identity; discrimination; legal mechanisms for protection.
- Conflict management and transformation; positive role of intercultural dialogue in society and creating spaces for it; human rights education.
- SDGs, UN 2030 Agenda and other global policy initiatives; advocacy for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue at local, national, regional, international and global level.
Follow-up
Participants who successfully complete this and/or other HEY courses will have the opportunity to apply for the Trainings of Tutors (TOT) to become certified HEY tutors. In 2025, two TOT are planned, in June and September, in the framework of the NSC Summer Youth Universities.
More about the course
The conceptual and methodological framework of the course is based on the HELP programme and the Global Education Guidelines, systematised by the North-South Centre. Participants’ learning process will be focused on developing competences related to the main topic of the training course: the CoE Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) is the main reference in terms of competences. Through a non-formal learning approach, collaborative and interactive activities and exercises allow participants to contribute to their own learning process. The training course is fully online, hosted on HEY Programme e-learning platform, based on MOODLE WORKPLACE. Working methods are structured according to the possibilities offered by the Learning Management System, they include different kinds of activities and exercises that meet the different learning styles of participants. Three tutors accompany participants during the 4-weeks activity, supporting their learning process, providing feedback, moderating discussion, giving inputs, and promoting further reflections on the main topics of the training.
For more information on the application and selection processes, please carefully read the call for participants to verify the eligibility criteria.
Implemented in the framework of the iLEGEND III project since 2023, this training course on Intercultural/Interfaith Dialogue has been developed by the CoE North-South Centre, in collaboration with the AKDN-Aga Khan Development Network, KAICIID – International Dialogue Centre, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and Universidad Católica de Valencia – European Institute of Education for Democratic Culture (ECUDEM-UCV), with the contribution of the Dicastery for the Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See; the training course aims at providing young people – education practitioners in the formal and non-formal sector, media professionals and members of Civil Society Organisations and Faith-Based Organisations – with new skills and competences on Global Education, Intercultural/Interfaith Dialogue and Human Rights
About HEY
The Human Rights Education for Youth (HEY) programme is designed to strengthen young people’s capacities to act for human rights, by raising their knowledge and understanding of European standards and other international legal frameworks for human rights protection, such as specific United Nations, League of Arab States and African Union treaties, conventions, protocols and charters.
It builds on the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme, which has been successfully training legal professionals on topics related to human rights and rule of law for over 20 years in Council of Europe member States and beyond.
HEY courses are developed building upon existing Council of Europe’s materials (NSC and HELP programme). Courses are adapted to a younger audience, with an interactive approach, based on the NSC expertise on global education and youth cooperation.
Participants who successfully complete the tutored courses online have the possibility to apply for a residential training for tutors, which results in a certification as HEY tutors and gives them the possibility to implement cascade HEY courses in their regions or countries, with the support of the North-South Centre and relevant experts. Other networking, participation and granting opportunities will also be available.
More information at: coe.int