Projektitaotlus

EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS
FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS

INITIATIVE PROPOSAL


Title of the initiative: Empowering Ukrainian Youth in Estonia to Protect and Advance Human Rights and Civic Engagement

Implementing entity (beneficiary state entity):
Estonian Human Rights Centre (EHRC)

Partner(s) (minimum one donor state entity):
International Organisation of Migration (IOM)


Bilateral priority area identified by the JCBF beyond the programme
X promotion of core European values, such as  respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights for all people, regardless of their racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity;
• E-governance (digitalization)
• eastern partnership
• equality and equal treatment
• competitive business environment, sustainable and adaptive governance (based on “Competitiveness Plan for 2020” approved by the Government of Estonia)





Allocation (total sum): 56 253,30 EUR
(A more detailed project budget description in the activity plan)




Short description of the initiative:

The primary goal of this project is to enhance knowledge about democracy, the protection of human rights, and the promotion of equal treatment principles among young refugees from Ukraine in Estonia. Specifically, the project aims to increase the theoretical and practical understanding of human rights and democratic civic engagement among Ukrainian youth. In addition, the project will involve Estonian youth to ensure integration, mutual learning, and the exchange of perspectives between the two countries. Furthermore, the initiative aims to provide knowledge about asylum and refugee-specific issues, fostering a deeper understanding and awareness among participants.

A learning program, developed with the active involvement of young people, will be established to provide theoretical knowledge that participants will then apply by organizing thematic events in their communities across Estonia. The young participants will use the knowledge they gain to educate and share within their communities, both in Estonia and Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine is not only a matter for Ukraine; it concerns democratic values, human rights, and our shared future as nations that uphold similar principles. Therefore, alongside military and humanitarian aid, special attention should be given to preparing for what comes after the conflict, including closer integration with European Union.
The project will be implemented from October 2024 to April 2025, involving 40 young people aged 16-24 who will develop their competencies as youth multipliers in democracy and human rights education. At least 60% of the participants will be drawn from the Ukrainian refugee community in Estonia.
Additionally, during the project, these young people will have the opportunity to implement their own human rights initiatives across Estonia, targeting both local communities and refugees. It is anticipated that up to 200 young people will benefit from these smaller projects, which may consist of one major activity or several smaller ones.
IOM, with its extensive network of contacts among refugees from Ukraine across Estonia, will take the lead in establishing connections and recruiting participants from within the Ukrainian refugee community. The EHRC, in turn, will be responsible for recruiting Estonian participants, leveraging its long-standing experience in working with schools and youth centers.
The interactive, student-centered, three-day human rights education training course will be conducted to enable the participants to learn about the principles of democracy and human rights, with a particular emphasis on the equal treatment of all individuals, regardless of their affiliation with a specific group, such as LGBT+ community, ethnic minorities or those with disabilities. The training also aims to enhance participants' capacities by sharing and experimenting with methodologies and approaches within the framework of non-formal education. The core principle of the training is that effective learning occurs when individuals are free to direct their own learning and are driven by a strong inner motivation to develop a new skill or acquire specific knowledge. This sustains long-term learning. Therefore, during the selection process and throughout the project, special emphasis will be placed on the motivation of participants, inclusivity, and cooperation.

After the training, participants will have gained increased knowledge and skills in the field of human rights, enabling them to independently apply simple methods to enhance young people's understanding of human rights, equality, and empathy. This will encourage them to view situations and the world from another person’s perspective. They will also be equipped to identify potential human rights violations and take action to protect their own rights, as well as the rights of other young people, refugees, and minority groups. Furthermore, by including Estonian participants in the project, the activities will also contribute to the integration of Ukrainian refugees into Estonian society and European values space.










During the training, groups of 4-7 participants will be formed based on common interests, geographical location, and other relevant factors to ensure smooth and effective future collaboration. In total, approximately seven groups will be established, each receiving one or two mentors to support them in developing a human rights activity that the group will implement in April 2025. IOM has trained and is coordinating a team of experienced mentors who will assist the young participants in developing and executing their ideas. This approach will ensure the quality of the planned events while also providing additional ideas, practical input, and fostering group cohesion toward a mutual goal. Additionally, the seven IOM mentors will receive specialized human rights training, which will enhance their capacity to deliver Estonian culture training to Ukrainian refugees in Estonian schools. This method will be sustainable, allowing them to continue using these skills beyond the project's completion.
After the training, participants will have gained increased knowledge and competence in the field of human rights, enabling them to independently apply simple methods to enhance young people's understanding of human rights, equality, and empathy. This will encourage them to view situations and the world from another person’s perspective. They will also be equipped to identify potential human rights violations and take action to protect their own rights, as well as the rights of other young people, refugees, and minority groups. Furthermore, by including Estonian participants in the project, the activities will also contribute to the integration of Ukrainian refugees into Estonian society.
The implementation of human rights youth projects across Estonia by participant groups will take place in March-April 2025. These projects can be carried out in any format that upholds human rights both in content and in the treatment of participants. Methods may vary, ranging from moderated debates at youth centres to art installations in public spaces or study visits to locations significant in the context of human rights.
Communication and Dissemination
IOM will reach Ukrainian youth through long-established contacts with schools, as well as via school mailing lists, social media channels, and training days, utilizing both online and offline visuals. The EHRC will reach Estonian youth through similar methods within their networks. Each youth-organized event will include a communication plan that will receive input and feedback from the EHRC’s communication specialist.
Additionally, EHRC will provide information about the project on its website in both Estonian and English to ensure visibility of the content and the funder. The activities and potential success of youth events will be featured in the EHRC’s weekly newsletters in Estonian and its monthly newsletter in English.

Activity plan:

Activity
Time
Location
Cost
Participants
1.
A facilitation tool for conducting human rights education activities and projects with youth 16 to 24 years of age. This tool is also basis for conducting a training. Young participants will have a say about the toolkit during the training and if needed, the toolkit will be amended based on the feedback from the participants.

October-December 2024
Estonia
7023,40 EUR (includes costs of project manager, experts, design and translation, overhead)
Experts from EHRC and participants of the workshop
2.
Mentor training about teaching human rights.
November 2024
Estonia
4111,10 EUR
(includes costs of experts, mentors, transport, catering, accommodation, and overhead)
Future mentors, carried out by EHRC.
3.
The interactive, student cantered three-day human rights education training course (includes public call of participants and initial online meeting of selected participants).
January or February 2025 (depending on participants preference)
Estonia
31692,65 EUR (includes costs of project manager, experts, moderator, mentors, communication and dissemination, transport, catering, accommodation, translation, overhead).
For participants, carried out by EHRC
4.
Brainstorming and preparing of small projects and/or human rights projects for communities across Estonia in cooperation with 7 mentors from IOM.
After the training until the implementation of a project
Estonia
5078 EUR
(includes costs of project manager, expert, mentors, communication and overhead)
Mentors by IOM and participants.
5.
Implementation of human rights youth projects across Estonia.
March-April 2025
Estonia
8348,15 EUR
(includes costs of events, communication, mentors and overhead)
Mentors by IOM and participants.

Planned results1
OUTPUT
INDICATOR
TARGET
Development of a facilitation tool for human rights education
Creation and distribution of the facilitation tool
Tool is ready by end of the November 2024.
Mentor training
Number of mentors trained
7 mentors trained, from whom 90% report increased knowledge.
Development and delivery of human rights education training
Number of participants who complete the training
40 young people trained, from whom 90% report increased knowledge
Implementation of human rights initiatives
Number of human rights initiatives implemented
7 initiatives implemented, overall at least 200 participants.