From 25 to 27 August, the OSCE Secretariat, in co-operation with ODIHR and Switzerland's 2026 OSCE Chairpersonship, organized a training on human-rights-based civic engagement for 11 young Muslim professionals - six young women and five young men - from across the OSCE region.
"Respect for religious diversity is not a concession, it is an investment in shared security," Ambassador Evren Dağdelen Akgün, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, said in her opening remarks. "Young people, with their passion and innovative perspectives, are uniquely positioned to challenge prejudices and foster understanding across diverse communities based on non-discrimination."
Throughout the training, participants engaged in discussions on the OSCE's youth and security agenda; combating intolerance and discrimination; freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief in the age of AI; alliance building; and understanding hate crimes. Participants also explored practical ways to address intolerance and discrimination against Muslims and to engage with local authorities.
"Beyond their own communities, Muslim youth can help bridge divides. Interfaith and intercultural projects create real chances for people to meet face to face instead of relying on stereotypes," said Melike Sıla Tekin, a participant in the training from Türkiye. "When they encounter misinformation, they can push back calmly, with facts instead of anger. Small actions matter too: sharing personal stories, inviting classmates to community events, or speaking on panels. These moments make "the other side" feel human, not abstract."
Another participant, Esa Ali Islam, from Canada, stressed that polarization thrives on distance: when people never meet or talk with those unlike them, stereotypes fill the gap. By living visibly as ordinary people - students, professionals, and neighbours with hopes and ambitions like anyone else - while openly practising their faith, he said, Muslim youth quietly dismantle the myths that fuel intolerance against Muslims. Presence, more than argument, is what changes minds.
The programme included team-based exercises, in which participants brainstormed and developed project ideas to promote inclusion and combat intolerance and discrimination in their home countries. Following the training, participants will implement their community-based project initiatives locally.
