The North-South Centre (NSC) is calling for applications for the edition in French of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) course, which will run online from 28 April to 25 May 2025. Through this course, developed as part of the HEY Programme in partnership with the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), 40 young people will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of human rights and their relationship with the various dimensions of media and information. The deadline for applications is 9 April 2025.
Are you a young person from Europe, Africa or the Middle East, involved in civil society and particularly interested in media and information? Then this could be the opportunity for you.
Once you've successfully completed the online course, you'll be able to sign up for face-to-face tutor training and join a network of young changemakers to organise regional and national courses like this one and spread the knowledge within your network!
The objectives of the course are as follows:
- To improve knowledge of human rights and freedom of expression, in particular by understanding the theoretical framework (concepts and principles), as well as the role of the media and regulation, self-regulation and ethical media standards
- To improve competences (knowledge and skills) in media and information literacy in the digital sphere by developing critical thinking and evaluation
- Strengthening resilience and e-participation in the context of information disorder and new technologies.
Topics covered
The course will cover different dimensions of media and information literacy, and how they relate to human rights and democracy, focusing on relevant legal frameworks, freedom of expression, privacy, digital threats, critical analysis, media manipulation, the role of digital platforms, online participation, and emerging digital threats, among others.
The call for applications for the course is open until 9 April 2025 (23:59 UTC - Lisbon time), by completing this online form (in French). The selection will be made by the North-South Centre Secretariat, with due regard to geographical balance and parity.
For more information on how to apply, eligibility criteria and the selection process, please read the call for participants carefully.
More information
HEY (Human Rights Education for youth) is a new programme of the North-South Centre which aims to strengthen the capacity of young people in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to act in favour of human rights, by improving their knowledge and understanding of European standards and other international legal frameworks for the protection of human rights, such as treaties, conventions, protocols and specific charters of the United Nations, the League of Arab States and the African Union, on issues identified as important by young people and in line with the priorities of the Council of Europe.
It builds on the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme, which has been successfully training legal professionals on human rights and rule of law issues for over 20 years in Council of Europe member states and beyond. It combines this expertise with the North-South Centre's 35 years' experience of working with young people and civil society, and with the Council of Europe's long history of building the capacity of young people and organised civil society in the field of human rights in its member states.
Implemented as part of the iLEGEND III project, the course helps to empower young people to imagine ways of responding to global crises and counter fear-based thinking. It fosters active citizenship to promote justice, human rights, democracy, co-responsibility, equity and sustainable development at local and global levels.
The course on media and information literacy was developed by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, in collaboration with the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
It builds on the successful implementation of the Global Citizenship and Media Education course in 2022, 2023 and 2024, revised to include relevant elements of the HELP course on freedom of expression, as well as relevant information and resources from the Council of Europe and other recognised sources.
Human rights education is part of Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, which aims to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development and contribute, among other things, to fostering a culture of global citizenship.
The course will run in French from 28 April to 25 May 2025. More than 550 young people from Europe, Africa and the Middle East have applied for the first edition of the HEY Media and Information Literacy (MIL) course, which began in English on 3 March 2025. Other editions are planned for the future.
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