The many Red Cross/Red Crescent (RC/RC) youth volunteers have great potential to be role models, they are key drivers of positive social change and they are the core of the RC/RC movement. The Danish Red Cross Youth (DRCY) has more than two decades of pioneering experience in developing necessary leadership skills for RC/RC volunteers. Therefore the DRCY is pleased to announce the 2018 Leadership Academy: An intensive youth leadership training scheme for key volunteers across the global RC/RC movement, taking place in Denmark from 5 to 17 August 2018.

The mission of the Leadership Academy is to build strong young leaders within the RC/RC movement who can stand out as role models and agents of change as well as initiate and lead youth activities in their national societies.

The training overarches between formal sessions and non-formal training methods that combine innovative group work as well as drawing on participants’ experiences and existing projects. Professional facilitators will be present to ensure the high proficiency of the sessions.

Participants at Leadership Academy 2018 will explore the following topics:

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Working with cases regarding implementation of the SDGs in national environments and the role of youth activity in achieving the goals
• Mobilisation of youth for active citizenship: Training in and testing of an innovative DRCY method to motivate youth to take initiative and participate in their local societies, as active citizens
• Peer education: Acquiring competencies in youth-to-youth approaches
• Youth Leadership: Volunteer Motivation & Management, Graphic facilitation and Group Dynamics
• Humanitarian Diplomacy and Youth Taking Lead
• Introduction to Project Planning and Management

DRCY has invited Finnish Red Cross to nominate a core volunteer to join the 8^th DRCY Leadership Academy. The requirements for the Finnish Red Cross participant are the following:

• Age 18 – 30 years old
• Active Finnish Red Cross volunteer
• Commitment to the purpose of RC/RC
• Ability to communicate in English
• Motivated to learn
• Ready to become a youth role model and take leadership

To apply, please send your application with the required letter of reference to recruitment@redcross.fi by Sunday 22 April 2018, using the application format provided here as an annex. Please include a letter of reference from your district or branch in English, Finnish or Swedish.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Training Coordinator Kaisa Kannuksela, kaisa.kannuksela@redcross.fi, or Training Assistant Mikael Lehtinen, mikael.lehtinen@redcross.fi.