Workshop Facilitator

Please send your CV and a short letter of motivation or a proposal for your workshop stream to Christoph Sproul at info@europe-lab.net.

The Civil Society Forum e.V. (CSF) is looking for three facilitators for its 10th Europe Lab, this year taking place in Weimar, Germany. This year’s Europe Lab is titled “Hyperpolarisation in Europe: looking back, thinking ahead.”

Europe Lab is a social laboratory and networking programme for early career professionals, students and civil society leaders from the EU, EEA, Balkan countries, Eastern Partnership countries, Russia, and Central Asia organised by CSF. Each year, Europe Lab takes place at a site of significance to the local culture of remembrance. This year, 36 early career professionals, activists and students from various countries and disciplines will be chosen and invited to come to Weimar, Germany from 11-15 August 2025.

The streams for this year’s theme will deal with the trends of hyperpolarisation within Europe as well as the threat of the far-right to European civil society and just, social governance. The participants will have the possibility to form teams and apply for small grants to implement their projects. They will be supervised by experienced facilitators and the CSF Secretariat team.

The goal of the project is to establish long-lasting partnerships among early career professionals and students from across Europe. This is done via thematic workshops that provide them with resources and the chance to exchange their best practices in civil society engagement as well as network as part of the Europe Lab community.

Each facilitator should be an expert on a topic relevant for one of the following workshop streams:

Stream 1: Pluralist democracy amid the rise of the far right

This stream examines historical cases of international and European climate policy, highlighting how and why policy can provoke significant backlash. Climate policies must be feasible, effective and fair. Resistance arises not only from powerful, antagonistic stakeholders throughout the economy but also from activist movements that emerge in response to policies perceived as neglecting societal needs, for example the “gilets jaunes.” How can we learn from these examples to ensure future climate policies remain both effective and equitable?

Stream 2: Climate change: policies and backlash

This stream deals with examples of persecution, prejudice and genocide over history aiming to provide theoretical and practical understanding. Participants will discuss the foundations of persecution in both past and present contexts. In an increasingly polarised world where civic spaces are systematically being dismantled, how can bridges be built across borders, movements, racial and ethnic groups? How can identity politics mobilise movements while not dividing larger, aligned groups that are otherwise unified for broader, more universal goals? Special consideration will be given to applicants with unique personal experiences relevant to the topic.

Stream 3: Persecution, prejudice and genocide -- how can we prevent tragedy?

This stream deals with examples of persecution, prejudice and genocide over history aiming to provide theoretical and practical understanding. Participants will discuss the foundations of persecution in both past and present contexts. In an increasingly polarised world where civic spaces are systematically being dismantled, how can bridges be built across borders, movements, racial and ethnic groups? How can identity politics mobilise movements while not dividing larger, aligned groups that are otherwise unified for broader, more universal goals? Special consideration will be given to applicants with unique personal experiences relevant to the topic.

Responsibilities:

Each facilitator will be responsible for facilitating three days of a workshop in one of the topics with a group of 12 participants and helping to conceptualise realistic project ideas during and after the event. Experience and expertise in one of the topics is necessary, as well as experience and skills in facilitating workshops with small groups over the period of a few days.

Key tasks:

• Preparation of a programme for one of the topics in cooperation with the Europe Lab team;
• Participation in up to 3 preparatory meetings before the event;
• Conducting 3 days of a workshop stream (12 August - 14 August) during the Europe Lab meeting in Weimar, Germany for one group of 12 participants;
• Arrival in Weimar on 11 August before noon for an offline project meeting and presence between 11 August until 14 August evening.
• Consultation in preparing a realistic project idea to apply for a mini-grant and supervision of an early project conceptualisation process (3-5 online meetings with project participants after the event). The CSF Europe Lab team will support this process.

Remuneration:

A total remuneration of 1500 EUR gross per facilitator is envisaged.