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Mediation and Advocacy Competences and Tactics for Sustainable Futures

- a professional development training for youth workers & youth leaders -

- in Vienna, Austria from 10 November to 17 November 2026 -

GENESIS OF THE TRAINING:

Climate and environmental protection have been among the top priorities of young people in Europe for almost a decade. Yet many young people are caught between a strong sense of responsibility and a deep feeling of helplessness. Alarming news, political stalemate and little influence on decisions have turned into eco-anxiety, frustration and distrust, while confrontational protest tactics and their legal consequences have left many unsure about what kind of climate action is permitted, effective and safe. As a result, more and more young people step back from climate engagement altogether.

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Youth workers are at the frontline of this challenge. They can mediate, advocate and help young people turn concern into constructive action, but most have never been trained in environmental mediation, conflict transformation or peaceful advocacy. A survey among 57 youth workers and young people in our partner organisations showed three gaps: a competence gap (no training in environmental mediation or climate conflict resolution), a connection gap (difficulty linking local climate issues to concrete advocacy pathways) and an advocacy gap (young people, especially rural youth, young women and NEETs, do not feel represented in climate decision-making).

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Our training "Mediation and Advocacy Competences and Tactics for Sustainable Futures", with the support of ERASMUS+ of the European Union, brings together 32 youth workers from Austria, France, Croatia, Latvia, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia to close these gaps. It equips youth workers with mediation, non-violent communication, negotiation and advocacy tactics, so they can guide young people towards peaceful, lawful and effective climate engagement.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE:

During this ERASMUS+ training, you will first explore environmental mediation and climate conflict analysis to build a common understanding of conflict, peace and transformation. You will work with conflict transformation models such as Galtung's and Thomas-Kilmann's, and practise mediation, negotiation, active listening and non-violent communication through role-play. You will take part in an immersive multilateral simulation of climate conflicts, a study visit in Vienna, and design-thinking workshops on peaceful advocacy tactics.

 

In national teams of four, you will design your own local follow-up initiative on a climate or environmental issue in your community, with an implementation plan, and present it to the group for feedback. After the training, each country team implements its initiative by 30 January 2027 at the latest, supporting at least 15 young people to learn from what you gained in Vienna. The initiative can take different forms, such as a workshop, a peer-mentoring session or an awareness action.

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The follow-up is an integral part of the training course itself. You will also contribute to a shared online library of tools and receive a Youthpass certificate recognising your learning.

THE PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS:

  • You live in one of the participating countries: Austria, France, Croatia, Latvia, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia.

  • You are between 20 and 35 years old.

  • You work with young people at grassroots level, or are ready to, as a youth worker, trainer, educator, youth leader or volunteer.

  • You can communicate in English (B2 level).

  • You commit to full participation during the whole activity and all sessions.

  • You wish to learn mediation, conflict transformation and advocacy skills, methods and tools.

  • You are ready to work in a team to design and implement a local follow-up initiative.

  • You are ready to support dissemination and visibility activities online and offline.

  • You are curious, open to intercultural learning, and appreciate diversity in every sense.

  • Participants from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia must already hold a valid Schengen visa or other guaranteed entry to Austria. Due to administrative constraints, we cannot provide visa support or invitation letters for visa applications.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS:

  • The training is "mostly" funded (85%)!

  • It is co-financed by the European Commission as part of the Erasmus+ Programme.

  • The training is fully funded by the European Union as part of the Erasmus+ Programme. There is no participation fee.

  • Accommodation at the hostel, the training programme and materials are covered.

  • Meals are covered from breakfast on 11 November until breakfast on 17 November, except lunch on the day of the possible UN headquarters visit.

  • Flight tickets to and from Vienna are refunded up to these limits: Croatia €285; France, Latvia and Tunisia €309; Algeria, Egypt and Lebanon €395. Any costs beyond these limits are covered by the participants themselves.

  • Only flight tickets are refunded. Public transport in Vienna, the transfer between the airport and the venue, and any other local transport are the participants' own contribution.

  • You book your own flights, and only after we have approved your route. Send your proposed routes and costs to arabdiplomacy.org@gmail.com before purchasing.

  • The travel refund is paid after you have implemented your local follow-up initiative.

PARTICIPATION RULES AND CONDITIONS:

  • You must be available for the whole training, from 10 November to 17 November 2026.

  • You should engage in all preparation and follow-up activities to the best of your abilities.

  • Fill out the application before 2 October 2026 (deadline).

  • You should sign the participation agreement within three days of being selected.

  • Participants from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia must purchase their flight tickets by 30 September 2026 at the latest, after their route has been approved.

  • Participants from Austria, France, Croatia and Latvia must purchase their flight tickets by 20 October 2026 at the latest, after their route has been approved.

  • Send all travel documents (e-tickets, boarding passes, invoices and proof of payment) to arabdiplomacy.org@gmail.com by 30 September 2026.

TIMEFRAME:
Preparation:
September to November 2026 (in various stages, including an online preparatory meeting)

Participation:
10 November to 17 November 2026 (in Vienna, Austria)

Follow-up:
December 2026 to 30 January 2027 (local implementation of follow-up initiatives)

OTHER IMPORTANT REMARKS:

  • Applications will be reviewed and accepted based on motivation and eligibility.

  • More details, such as preparatory tasks and the final programme, will be shared after selection by email.

  • There may be a study visit to the United Nations headquarters in Vienna during the training week, subject to security clearance.

  • You will receive a Youthpass certificate on the last day of the training.

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