Call for EU-Africa Youth Think Tank representatives

Do you have an interest in politics and international cooperation between Europe and Africa? Do you want to gain policy writing, lobbying, and advocacy skills? And do you want to be part of an active group of youth representatives with the same passions and interests?

Then you could be one of our youth representatives!

This fall, a group of 30 youth representatives will start the third edition of the FMS EU-Africa Youth Think Tank.  In a period of 3 months participants will be offered eight informative and interactive sessions about policymaking and cooperation between the European and African continent. The participants will be trained by experts, interact with EU, Dutch and African decision makers, present their own policy report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and present their findings at our annually organized Africa Day.

About the project

Together with other participants you will think about the relationship between Africa and the Netherlands/Europe.  We are looking for critical thinkers and dreamers with vision, who strive for international solidarity and structural change. Together, you will bring a fresh perspective and creative ideas on how we can work together internationally based on equality.

Through workshops and training sessions, you will also learn the right skills to present your ideas in your own session at the annual Africa Day on November 21 and to publish a policy recommendation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European decision makers. For the past 30 years, with some 750 visitors, the Africa day is the largest event about the African continent in the Netherlands. It is a day full of workshops, debates, conversations, movies, and music.

What do we expect?

• You are interested in Dutch and European politics and EU-Africa relations;
• You have affinity with the African continent, because of your personal background, study, work or just because you are interested;
• You can express yourself in English, both verbally and in writing, as the sessions will mainly be in English;
• You are motivated to learn and grow;
• You want this initiative to succeed and therefore attend and actively participate in all sessions;
• You are willing to be open towards the other participants and their ideas;
• You are between the ages of 18-30;
• You are available on the dates stated below;
• You are based in the Netherlands;
• You are willing to travel to the locations where the sessions are organized. The workshops and trainings are mainly organized in The Hague, but sometimes at other locations in the Netherlands and one session is in Brussels.

What do we not expect?

• That you are extremely knowledgeable about the collaboration between the EU and the African continent, and politics;
• That you have done a similar course before or that you do a certain education or have certain work experience;
• That you pay. There is no participation fee and your travel expenses will be covered by us.

What do you get in return?

• Working together with young ambitious people from different backgrounds with the same passion;
• Participation in workshops and trainings where you will learn from experts, policy makers, civil servants, and politicians about advocacy, lobbying, presenting, and policy writing
• The chance to expand your knowledge and insights on NL/EU-Africa cooperation;
• Experience in analyzing policy and making policy recommendations;
• Reimbursement of travel expenses to workshops and meetings.

Program dates

The preparatory workshops will take place on the following dates – mark them down in your calendar! The exact times and locations will be announced. Dates and may be subject to slight changes.

• Saturday August 29: Session 1
• Saturday September 12: Session 2
• Saturday September 26: Session 3
• Monday, October 12 or Tuesday, October 13: Session 4 in Brussels
• Saturday, October 24: Session 5
• Saturday, November 7: Session 6
• Saturday, November 21: The Africa Day!
• Saturday, November 28: Session 7
• Begin December 2025; to be announced: Session 8 (presentation at the MFA)

Want to participate?

Sign up no later than Friday, July 10, by filling in the registration form (including a short motivation letter (maximum 500 words) and your CV). We will organize two online introductory meetings of about 40 minutes on the following dates:

• Thursday, July 30 at 15:00
• Thursday, August 6 at 15:00

Please indicate the dates you are available in the registration form. We will then get in touch to schedule your session. During the online meeting, you will have the opportunity to meet potential fellow participants, and we briefly discuss a case study.

We are looking for a diverse group of youth representatives and believe equal opportunities for all are important. If you need specific facilities to (optimally) participate in this project, please let us know through the application form.

Do you have any further questions about this think tank or the registration procedure? Please reach out to Annefloor Robijn through arobijn@foundationmaxvanderstoel.nl