• AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App homepage showcasing the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective programme, aimed at empowering youth across Africa and Europe through interactive tools, training resources, and a dynamic virtual platform for advocacy and policy engagement.
  • Page d'accueil de l'application AU-EU Youth Voices Lab présentant le programme AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, visant à autonomiser les jeunes à travers l'Afrique et l'Europe grâce à des outils interactifs, des ressources de formation et une plateforme virtuelle dynamique pour l'engagement politique et la défense des droits.
  • الصفحة الرئيسية لتطبيق AU-EU Youth Voices Lab تعرض برنامج AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective، الذي يهدف إلى تمكين الشباب عبر إفريقيا وأوروبا من خلال أدوات تفاعلية وموارد تدريبية ومنصة افتراضية ديناميكية للتمكين السياسي والدعوة.
  • Young African and European changemakers standing together, smiling confidently, representing unity, diversity, and youth leadership. The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective logo is prominently displayed, accompanied by vibrant patterns and bold colors that reflect African and European visual identities.
  • AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App homepage showcasing the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective programme, aimed at empowering youth across Africa and Europe through interactive tools, training resources, and a dynamic virtual platform for advocacy and policy engagement.
  • Page d'accueil de l'application AU-EU Youth Voices Lab présentant le programme AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, visant à autonomiser les jeunes à travers l'Afrique et l'Europe grâce à des outils interactifs, des ressources de formation et une plateforme virtuelle dynamique pour l'engagement politique et la défense des droits.
  • الصفحة الرئيسية لتطبيق AU-EU Youth Voices Lab تعرض برنامج AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective، الذي يهدف إلى تمكين الشباب عبر إفريقيا وأوروبا من خلال أدوات تفاعلية وموارد تدريبية ومنصة افتراضية ديناميكية للتمكين السياسي والدعوة.

ABOUT

AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective is a four-year initiative, part of the AU-EU Youth Lab programme, that fosters a more youth responsive and inclusive society in Africa and Europe. It is implemented by an international consortium with youth-led and youth-informed work expertise, including Oxfam, Restless Development, Search for Common Ground, Youthmakers Hub, and ComDev Africa.

AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective envisions a society where youth engagement, empowerment, and connection drive policy-making, partnerships, and decision-making. Operations are continent-wide, and the strategies involve youth and decision-makers from all 54 African countries, targeting 14 Intervention Countries in Africa and 1 in Europe for in-person activities.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

We are developing the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App, which serves as a virtual mirror of the collective and builds on input from 10,000 young people, tailored to their needs and priorities.

The Youth Voices Third-Party-Funding Mechanism supports youth-led advocacy initiatives by providing microgrants ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 per collective to youth-led groups from intervention countries and the youth diaspora to support their actions. It aims at strengthening local and continental advocacy through research, training, and accountability mechanisms.

Other key actions include training 24,000 young people on advocacy-related skills, hosting Youth Power Hackathons. Support to youth representatives in joining intergenerational and cross-continental decision-making spaces.

VISION &
GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To co-create a more inclusive and youth-responsive society in Africa and Europe, where policies, partnerships, and decision-making processes are shaped by youth through open intergenerational dialogues.

OUR APPROACHES

Two young people holding hands in black color.

THE YOUTH JOURNEYS

Empowering young people – ages 15 to 35, including those in hard-to-reach areas and not in education, employment, or training – and youth-led groups to effectively advocate for their concerns and priorities within the AU-EU partnership in Africa.

A graphic element of a building or institution in black.

THE INSTITUTIONAL JOURNEY

Engaging decision-makers, including institutions, governments, and corporations, to develop youth-centered and youth-responsive policies.

OUR AMBITIONS IN NUMBERS

ENGAGE

0

YOUNG PEOPLE

in information access, action planning, and accountability through youth-led initiatives.

EMPOWER

0

YOUNG PEOPLE

to participate in civil society with collective self-care.

CONNECT

0

YOUNG PEOPLE

with intergenerational dialogues and cross-continental partnerships.

ASSIST

0

POLICYMAKERS &
DECISION-MAKERS

in collaborating on youth-responsive policymaking and accountability.

SUPPORT

0

YOUTH-RESPONSIVE
POLICIES

development or improvement.

INVOLVE

0

YOUNG PEOPLE

in shaping our mobile application according to their needs and priorities.

NEWS

Find out the latest news and opportunities
that might interest you. Be always up to date!

  • Winning announcement for the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

    News

    We won at the .eu Web Awards 2025!

    06/11/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

  • Nomination announcement for the AU–EU Youth Voices Lab at the .EU Web Awards 2025.

    News

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab Nominated for 2025 .eu Web Awards

    09/10/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

  • Youth leaders and participants at the Safeguarding Training for Youth-led Organisations in Zambia

    News

    Safeguarding Training Empowers Zambian Youth Organisations

    02/10/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

MEDIA

NEWS

Find out the latest news and opportunities
that might interest you. Be always up to date!

  • Winning announcement for the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

    News

    We won at the .eu Web Awards 2025!

    06/11/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

  • Nomination announcement for the AU–EU Youth Voices Lab at the .EU Web Awards 2025.

    News

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab Nominated for 2025 .eu Web Awards

    09/10/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

  • Youth leaders and participants at the Safeguarding Training for Youth-led Organisations in Zambia

    News

    Safeguarding Training Empowers Zambian Youth Organisations

    02/10/2025

    AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

MEDIA

CONSORTIUM

Oxfam Logo
Restless Development Logo
Search for Common Ground Logo
Youthmakers Hub Logo
ComDev Africa Logo

FAQ

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective aims to:

  1. Engage young people in accessing information, action planning, and accountability through youth-led initiatives.
  2. Empower youth to participate actively in civil society through collective self-care and agency.
  3. Connect young individuals among themselves and with decision-makers by enabling intergenerational dialogues and cross-continental partnerships.
  4. Assist policymakers in collaborating on youth-responsive policymaking and improve their accountability towards young people.
  5. Support the development or improvement of youth-responsive policies.

Here’s how you can engage with the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective:

  1. Enter the online community by following us on Social Media. 
  2. Subscribe to our Newsletter to receive exclusive updates and opportunities.
  3. Participate in digital and in-person training sessions and workshops (we announce them in the website section Events).
  4. Attend our intergenerational dialogues and other events. 
  5. Apply for funding opportunities through the Youth Voices Third-Party-Funding Mechanism.
  6. Utilize the upcoming AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App for free access to learning resources, providing feedback about the mobile app, and networking opportunities.

The Youth Voices Third-Party-Funding Mechanism provides microgrants ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 to youth-led groups from Intervention Countries and the youth diaspora (various criteria apply; read the Funding Manuals once published for more details). It aims to support youth-led advocacy initiatives to strengthen local and continental advocacy through research, training, and accountability mechanisms. Throughout the four years of the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, there will be three rounds of applications for the Youth Voices Third-Party-Funding Mechanism grant.

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective operates continent-wide, engaging youth and decision-makers from all 54 African countries. However, it targets 14 intervention countries in Africa and 1 in Europe (see question n. 7), which are prioritized for key interventions, including in-person training activities and eligibility to receive grants through the Youth Voices Third-Party-Funding Mechanism. 

The intervention countries were selected based on the following criteria:

  1. Subregional Representation: ensure fair inclusion of countries from all five regions of Africa and at least one country from Europe.
  2. Youth Policy Success: select countries with different levels of success in developing and implementing youth policies to encourage peer learning and the exchange of best practices.
  3. Youth Organizing Potential: prioritize countries with active youth-led groups that are ready to engage in advocacy at both continental and cross-continental levels.
  4. Consortium Presence: choose countries where Consortium members are already active to build on existing initiatives and address specific contextual challenges.
  5. Youth Advocacy Challenges: target countries where youth face difficulties voicing their demands on subregional or regional platforms.
  6. Development and Stability: include a diverse mix of countries, ranging from developing and thriving countries to those in fragile or post-conflict contexts.
  7. African Union Integration: Balancing the selection of countries that are fully integrated into AU institutions with those currently excluded.
  8. Government Support for Youth: include countries with strong policies supporting youth, as well as those facing political or economic challenges in addressing youth’s needs.

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective plans to train 24,000 young people on advocacy-related skills, including policy advocacy, leadership development, and community engagement. These trainings aim to empower youth to advocate for their concerns and priorities effectively within the AU-EU partnership. The trainings are held both online and in person. For updated information, consult our website at the Events section.

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective hosts various events, including Youth Power Hackathons, training sessions, and intergenerational dialogues. These events aim to engage, empower, and connect young people across Africa and Europe. Upcoming events are regularly updated on the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective website in the section Events. Dissemination material from events, training, and any other updates are regularly shared in the website section News.

No, the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective does not have its own offices, as it is implemented by a Consortium of partner organizations (see question n.1). However, the respective organizations are physically present in most African countries. At the same time, associates and representatives of the programme, such as the Youth Advisory Board Members, are located in the Intervention Countries.

The Youth Advisory Board is a group of young people from the Intervention Countries whose role is to assess the programme’s impact on local communities and advise the Consortium on the next steps. Our goal is to give power to young people from marginalized and vulnerable communities who often experience barriers to accessing power and resources. The selected members of the Youth Advisory Board will keep their positions until the end of the programme in February 2028.

The main actions for young people include:

  1. Training sessions, hackathons, and capacity-building activities.
  2. The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App.
  3. The Youth Voices Third Party Funding Mechanism.
  4. Youth consultations on the challenges of advocacy.
  5. Support for youth representatives in joining intergenerational and cross-continental decision-making spaces.

The main actions for institutions include:

  1. Involvement in intergenerational dialogues with youth representatives.
  2. Youth audits to assess the involvement of young people in decision-making.
  3. Policy recommendation on the involvement of young people.

CONTACT

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