You(th) LEAD

The project Youth Leadership, Engage, and Advocate for Democracy (Y-LEAD) is the mobility of young people with and without fewer opportunities and special needs to share, explore, practice and co-create tools and practices of effective youth engagement. The youth exchange will be hosted in Kristiansand, Norway, it contributes to Kristiansand Youth Forum during Democracy Week in May 2025, with the aim to learn from the Norwegian model of civic participation, as well as share practices, from diverse stakeholders across Europe. The exchange brings together 45 young people from as Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Romania. A mix of program and partner countries, countries with consolidated democracy, and those with democracy in transition, as well as countries which have political and social issues among each other (especially Western Balkan countries), is important for young people to meet in a neutral country ( like Norway), to reflect, brake prejudice and establish positive relations among each other.

Date: May 1–7, 2025

Location: Kristiansand, Norway

Youth Engagement & Practice:

Learn tools for civic participation, inclusivity, and democratic action.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Meet local leaders, participate in Democracy Week 2025, and deepen your understanding of real-world governance.

Who Can Participate?

We’re looking for 45 young people who are:

Motivated by civic participation, community engagement, and democracy-building, and who are committed to sharing their learnings locally.

Open to individuals with or without fewer opportunities or special needs (e.g., facing social, economic, geographical, or cultural obstacles).

For more information please see the infopack Below

INFOPACK FOR APPLICANTS