Apply Now: HEY Course on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue

The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe is now accepting applications for the 2025 edition of the HEY Course on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue. This fully online learning opportunity aims to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and impact of young people working in the fields of education, civil society, and media—particularly those who are actively engaged in intercultural or interfaith engagement.

This edition of the HEY Course will run from 23 June to 20 July 2025, and will be delivered in English through the HEY Programme e-learning platform, based on Moodle Workplace.

Participation is free of charge, and successful candidates will also have access to future opportunities for advanced training and tutor certification through the HEY network.

Council of Europe North-South Centre | Fully Online | 23 June – 20 July 2025
Application Deadline: 8 June 2025 (23:59 UTC – Lisbon Time)

About the HEY Programme

The Human Rights Education for Youth (HEY) programme, developed by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, aims to build the capacity of young people to act as multipliers for human rights, intercultural dialogue, and democratic participation. 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.

About the 2025 Course: Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue

This year’s HEY course focuses on the principles, practices, and challenges of Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue (ICD/IFD). It explores how dialogue between cultures and faiths contributes to conflict transformation, democratic governance, and the promotion of peaceful, inclusive societies.

Key Objectives:

1. 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.
2. To analyse relevant notions related to ICD/IFD, such as culture, discrimination, racism, majority/minority, inclusion/exclusion, etc.
3. To 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.
4. To 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.

Key Topics:

• 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.

Profile of Participants:

Young people (18 to 30 years old) with the potential to act as multipliers as:

• Members of Civil Society Organisations and Faith-Based Organisations (i.e., youth organisations; organisations working with migrants, refugees and Asylum seekers; cultural operators and mediators; faith actors and religious leaders; etc.)
• Media practitioners (i.e., journalists; communication officers; bloggers; social media content creators; etc.)
• Education practitioners in the formal and non-formal sector (i.e., teachers; trainers; educators; academia; etc.)

Selection criteria

40 participants will be selected for this activity, application content will be the basis of the selection’s procedure. Priority will be given to candidates active in a CSO or a youth organisation/platform/youth-related institution. Candidates should be able to communicate in English, which is the working language of the course.

This activity is open to young people from the 46 Council of Europe Member States (with priority given to NSC member states), African and the Middle East countries. The selection will be carried out by partner organisations of the consortium, also seeking gender and geographical balance.

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all candidates who fulfil the specific profile of the activities, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

Please note that, due to the large number of applications, only the selected candidates will be contacted. Individual requests and follow-up questions will not be addressed, unless considered as assistance to the application process. The selection results will be announced on 11 June 2025. After the communication of the selection results, the selected participants must confirm their participation to the North-South Centre within the given deadline; failure to do so will result in them being replaced by candidates on the shortlist.

Certification and Follow-Up Opportunities

Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and may be eligible to apply for the Trainings of Tutors (ToT) in June or September 2025. Completion of ToT may lead to certification as a HEY tutor, enabling graduates to organise and facilitate future HEY courses within their own communities or regions.

Further opportunities for participation, networking, and funding are also available through the HEY and North-South Centre platforms.

How to Apply

Deadline: 8 June 2025 (23:59 UTC – Lisbon Time)

To apply, submit the online application form via the official HEY course webpage.

For additional information, contact:
Email: hey@coe.int
Phone: +351 21 358 4035

Please note: Due to the high volume of applications, only selected candidates will be contacted. Selection results will be announced by 11 June 2025.

Be part of a dynamic global learning community and deepen your ability to build bridges across cultures and faiths. Apply now to the HEY Course on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and join a growing movement of young peacebuilders working toward mutual understanding and sustainable development.

More information about the HEY programme can be found in the dedicated webpage on the NSC website.