Roma Youth Together 2026 | Call for Participants
On the occasion of the International Roma Day (April 8), ERIAC joins the Council of Europe’s Youth Department and Roma and Travellers Division in bringing together Roma youth organisations and young people at the European Youth Centre to celebrate Roma identity and articulate the concerns and aspirations shaping their present and future, within the framework of the Roma Youth Together 2026 seminar. The open call for participants is now live and runs until 16 February, inviting motivated Roma youth to apply and take part in this shared space for learning and exchange.
Continuing a long-standing collaboration, the 2026 edition places a strong emphasis on participation and empowerment, particularly supporting Roma girls and women, young Roma LGBTI people, and Roma migrants, and is co-organised with the International Roma Youth Network (TernYpe), the ERGO Network, and Phiren Amenca.
The programme unfolds through three interconnected pillars: celebration, pride, and contribution. It begins by marking International Roma Day and sharing achievements and good practices from Roma youth communities; continues with collaborative work to promote Roma identity, culture, and strategies against discrimination while strengthening advocacy and leadership; and concludes with dialogue on democracy and the role of young people. The seminar will play a pivotal role in advancing the process towards a “New Democratic Pact for Europe” by bringing forward the perspectives and ideas of young Roma on the current state of democracy and the shaping of future commitments.
The seminar Roma Youth Together 2026 will bring together young people who are youth leaders and/or youth workers in Roma and Travellers communities and organisations across Europe. The seminar will be part of the OPRE! Roma Month: Celebrating Roma History, Language and Culture.
Applications must be submitted by Monday, 16 February 2026, 23:59 CET by completing the online application form available at: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=grBJPtViSUilsIbtUZKH0iafNXlBg5VAoGHuo5P2JqxUNklURkJKS08yQTdaUFE2TUlSWk5IQTUxWS4u&route=shorturl
Read the complete Roma Youth Together 2026 Call for Participants
Profile of Participants
The seminar is designed for Roma young people, youth leaders or youth workers in Roma communities, representatives of organisations and networks working with Roma communities from across Europe. Participants should also be:
– Aged between 18 and 30;
– Motivated to meet and develop cooperation with other Roma youth;
– Active within a Roma organisation or a (Roma) youth organisation or community or
informal group;
– Committed to act as multipliers for empowerment of Roma youth;
– Motivated to share experiences and engage in dialogue and cooperation with other
participants in the seminar;
– Able to attend the whole seminar and all its programme elements;
– Able to work/communicate in English.
Priority will be given to participants who have not attended previous editions of Roma Youth Together seminars or similar activities of the Council of Europe.
The Council of Europe and its partners welcome applications from all candidates who fulfil the above-mentioned competences profile, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic, or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
Aims and Objectives
The Roma Youth Together 2026 seminar should highlight the contemporary contributions of Roma youth in Europe, emphasising Roma celebration, pride and contirbution. The seminar aims at strengthening the confidence of Roma youth leaders from across Europe by
celebrating the sense of Roma identity and belonging and developing their skills as agents of change.
Its specific objectives are:
1. to share experiences and realities of Roma youth across Europe, especially in relation to meaningful youth participation;
2. to empower Roma youth and Roma civil society to act as agents of change and multipliers in their communities;
3. to support participants’ potential for leadership, advocacy and action for human rights and the fight against antigypsyism;
4. To associate young Roma in the Council of Europe’s work on Roma youth participation, especially in relation to the New Democratic Pact for Europe;
5. to celebrate the International Roma Day with Roma youth;
6. to strengthen the sense of Roma youth community and connect with European youth organisations and networks in the field of Roma participation
Programme and Methodology
The methodology of the seminar will be based on the principles of human rights education particularly to address antigypsyism, peer to peer learning, exchange of practices and dialogue among participants by using the participatory methods of learning, such as working groups, creative workshops and facilitated discussions. It will be structured in connection to the previous work done by the Council of Europe in the area of Roma youth participation emphasising the Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)4 and its friendly-for Roma youth version.
Specific of the 2026 event is the focus on celebration, pride and contribution which will kick- off with the International Roma Day. These three interconnected phases of the programme emphasise the following:
1. Celebration: Celebrating International Roma Day on 8 April as well as discussing achievements and good practices from the Roma youth communities across Europe and the related approaches of the Council of Europe and priorities of Roma youth organisations which support Roma youth participation.
2. Pride: joining resources, skills, and knowledge to co-create narratives and content that promote Roma identity, heritage, and culture, and establishing working groups focussing on strategies to address anti-discrimination online and offline, advocacy and leadership.
3. Contribution: enabling discussions on current state of democracy and the role of young people as a direct contribution to the process towards a “New Democratic Pact for Europe”
Financial and Practical Conditions
Travel expenses
Travel expenses and visa fees for travelling to Strasbourg will be reimbursed according to the rules of the Council of Europe; the Council of Europe can also provide pre-paid tickets. Only the participants who attend the entire seminar will be reimbursed.
Accommodation and meals
Board and lodging for the seminar will be provided and paid for by the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg. The venue is accessible to people with disabilities and can take measures to accommodate for specific needs of participants in this respect.
Working languages
The main working language of the programme will be English with the possibility for usage of Romani if needed.