7th–12th May 2026, the European Wergeland Centre and Utøya invite young activists, educators, and community leaders from across Europe to Utøya!
“Most people believe that individuals who shy away from conflict are poor leaders. But I say, when you meet a person who tries to avoid conflict in order to solve a problem, keep that person, because we need them, they are not so many” – Thorvald Stoltenberg
The Thorvald Stoltenberg Seminar is a training course to support young people’s actions to foster co-existence, trust and dialogue among people living in diverse societies. This year the training takes place at Utøya May 7th (day of arrival) to May 12th (day of departure). Participation is free.
Apply here by March 2nd 2026.
What is the Thorvald Stoltenberg Seminar?
Former Norwegian Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and diplomat Thorvald Stoltenberg was a pioneerfor peace diplomacy. He strongly emphasised the importance of dialogue, often exemplified by his “kitchen meetings”, where he would invite state leaders and foreign ministers to his home to enjoy a cup of coffee,relax and have a talk at his kitchen table.
Thorvald Stoltenberg passed away in July 2018. In his memory, and to honor his strong belief that knowledge and respect could overcome xenophobia and hate, the annual Thorvald Stoltenberg seminar takes place at Utøya, Norway. The seminar was first arranged in 2019, and has become an important international meeting place for young people engaged in democracy and human rights.
Honouring the legacy of Thorvald Stoltenberg and his struggle for peace and dialogue is unfortunately timely in a time of war in Europe. At the same time, polarisation, anti-democratic sentiments and distrust in democratic institutions and between people across and within states seem to be on the rise in many European countries.
The Thorvald Stoltenberg seminar aims to address these common European challenges by creating a platform for young people from where to streng then their democratic engagement for peaceful dialogue and co-existence in Europe.
About the training
The aim of the training is to support and promote youth engagementin Europe to foster co-existence, trust and dialogue in diverse societies.
At the training course, participants will
- identify current threats to democratic and inclusive societies.
- explore how to address these challenges working with young people.
- explore dialogical approaches to conflict resolution and controversial issues.
- exchange experiences and good practices.
The training will last for 5 days (arrival 7thMay and departure 12thMay) and bring together approx 25 participants from all over Europe, selected through an open call with diverse backgrounds.
The training is for young people 18 – 30 years old who are involved in youth work, campaigns,
networks, youth organisations or other activities with young people promoting youth engagement
in society.
About Utøya
On 22 July 2011, a right-wing Norwegian extremist killed 8 people atthe goverments quarter in Oslo
and 69 people at Utøya in Norway. At Utøya were most ofthe victims young people attending the Norwegian Labour Party Youth’s summer camp. The terrorist asserted that people with different cultural backgrounds cannot coexistin a society and promoted the conspiracy theory that Europe is slowly taken over by the Arabic world and Muslims. Utøya carries a strong testimony of why values such as tolerance, equality and diversity cannot be taken for granted, but need to be promoted and practiced in everyday life. Forthis to happen there need to be more places for people to meet, notless.
Since 22 July 2011 Utøya has been rebuilt as a commemoration- and learning centre. More than 15,000 young people come to Utøya every yearto take partin educational programmes, seminars, conferences and summer camps. Utøya is today a remarkable example of young people’s response and resilience to terror and violence.
Practical information
The training is free of charge: There is no participation fee. Travel, meals and
accommodation are covered by the organisers.
Working language: The working language is English. In order to participate, your understanding of and command of English need to be at a sufficient level to actively take part in sessions, discussions and social events.
Venue and accommodation: Utøya is situated approximately 50 minutes from Oslo. It has modern conference facilities and accommodation on site.
The organisers
The European Wergeland Centre is a resource centre on education for democratic citizenship, human rights and intercultural understanding. It was established by the Council of Europe (CoE) and Norway in 2008, with a mandate to support member states implement CoE policies in practice. The Centre designs and offers trainings and educational programmes to educational professionals and civil society actors all over Europe.
Utøya is a commemoration – and learning centre at the site ofthe terror attacks on 22.July 2011. It offers educational programmes, seminars, conferences and summer camps for young people in Norway and from other countries.
Contact information
Do you have any questions? Please contact:
The European Wergeland Centre: Mahira Karim / m.karim@theewc.org
Utøya: Maria Moen Østby /maria@utoya.no