HANDBOOK FOR FACILITATING ONLINE YOUTH POLICY DIALOGUE

This handbook is the output of an online course promoted by the North-South Center with the intention to strengthen the skills of professionals facilitating virtual dialogues and consultations among youth stakeholders. 

The course articulated around three pillars: 

1) facilitation competences, 

2) policy making and policy dialogue knowledge, and 

3) technical expertise to set up quality online spaces for dialogue.

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

1. To understand the elements that ensure safe and engaging digital environments for youth policy dialogue and youth policy-making. 

2. To learn strategies that guarantee equal contribution opportunities to all the actors involved taking into consideration the intercultural dimension and the gender mainstreaming perspective. 

3. To enhance facilitation competences such as empathy, neutrality, conflict management, active listening, active techniques of questioning, report building and consensus building among others. 

4. To understand the role of the facilitator and the different phases of the facilitation process (from the preparation of the event to the final evaluation of the effectiveness of their performance). 

5. To enhance the capacity of leading the conversation with consideration of the impact public policies have on different publics and sectors of the society, being aware of the Council of Europe’s human rights approach. 

6. To be acquainted with the main international youth policy instruments and policy dialogue mechanisms in order to facilitate a youth dialogue around and within them. 

7. To be able to work at interregional level and for interregional cooperation within the different international platforms of dialogue promoted by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the African Union and other international organisations. 

8. To understand issues related to global democratic citizenship, human rights and intercultural dialogue, to address challenges regarding the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and of the UNSCR 2250 “Youth, Peace and Security”.