Call for Applications for Head of Cluster Positions for International Youth Conference in Riga, Latvia
From 16-19 October 2025, the German-Baltic Future Foundation (DBJW) will host the seventh edition of its youth conference series – this year in beautiful Riga, Latvia. This event brings together young people living in Europe (16-30 years old) to engage in meaningful discussions on pressing issues for the continent across four thematic clusters.
The 2025 theme is "Rethinking Security Through Youth", with each cluster exploring a specific subtopic (see below for inspiration, but we welcome your ideas too). We are seeking three Heads of Cluster—young leaders with prior knowledge in security—who are enthusiastic, committed, and eager to shape meaningful discussions on the topic. This is a voluntary leadership opportunity with an honorary compensation of €700. As a Head of Cluster, you will play a key role in guiding a diverse group of young people across Europe toward impactful policy recommendations. These recommendations will be presented to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels after the conference (likely in November).
Below, you’ll find an overview of the timeline and key responsibilities leading up to and following the conference:
Between June and August, Heads of Cluster will focus on individual work, selecting their subtopic and developing a conceptual framework for it. Starting in July, they will also assist in the recruitment and selection of 6-7 Youth Ambassadors, a process that will continue through August to ensure all participants are ready to begin cluster work in September.
Starting in September 2025, Youth Ambassadors will participate in online meetings to get to know each other and deepen their understanding of cluster topics. Heads of Cluster will structure and lead these sessions and ensure all participants have a clear understanding of the subtopic and are well-prepared for the conference.
During and after the conference, Heads of Cluster will oversee the drafting and dissemination of their cluster’s policy paper and will also lead their cluster in presenting their recommendations to MEPs in Brussels in November.
Our goal is to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where young people living all over Europe, mainly but not exclusively in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany, can come together to develop law and policy proposals that adopt a common European perspective and take into account the unique experiences of the Baltic states.
Suggestions for Subtopics:
Military and Defense
Defense Innovation - What to expect from Upcoming Technological Advances?
Crisis Response
Cybersecurity
European Cyber Security - How to Think Protection Together
Democratic Elections under Attack - How to Counter Deepfakes and AI-Driven Propaganda
Social and Gender Dimensions of Security
Philosophical and Ethical Considerations of Security
Critical Infrastructure and Hybrid Warfare - How to Protect our Public Services against Unpredictable Threats?
Transatlantic Relations and Global Alliances
Public Health and Security
Security in the Age of Climate Change
Main tasks:
Selecting a subtopic and developing the conceptual framework for it
Selecting Youth Ambassadors together with the other Heads of Cluster (6-7 ambassadors per cluster)
Leading and organizing regular online meetings with the Youth Ambassadors between September and October 2024
Meeting with the Cluster Coordinator and other HoCs monthly, generally weekday evenings
Participating in and leading the discussion of their cluster at the conference in Riga, Latvia (October 16th - 19th, 2025)
Drafting and finalizing a law and policy proposal (in English) together with the Youth Ambassadors during the conference. You can see examples of past conferences here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
Coordinating the dissemination of the law and policy proposals digitally and in a follow-up event with MEPs in Brussels
What we offer:
Connect with young people living all over Europe
Develop your organizational and leadership skills
Meet distinguished experts and prominent public figures who will offer valuable insights and inspiration
Participate in a four-day conference (October 16th - 19th, 2024) in the beautiful Latvian capital of Riga (travel (up to 200 €), catering, and accommodation costs are covered by the DBJW)
Opportunity to present your work at a hearing session with MEPs in Brussels, contributing to meaningful policy discussions and making a tangible impact at the European level (travel (up to 200 €), catering, and accommodation costs are covered by the DBJW)
Upon successful completion of the project, volunteers will receive an honorarium of €700 in recognition of their time and contributions
If …
You enjoy organizing and leading group discussions
You are between 16 and 30 years old and are living in Europe
Your English skills allow free speech and you are able to communicate complicated issues (approx. level C1)Â
You are able to work independently as well as in a team with the larger DBJW team
You are interested in learning about the Baltic states (no previous knowledge required)
You are interested in the topic of security and already have preexisting knowledge in a field related to the overall topic of the conference
You have the availability and commitment for this role, understanding that the workload varies over time—with a slower pace in summer (approx. 1 hour/week) and increased responsibilities from September to December (approx. 3-4 hours/week)
Â
... then become part of our team of over 20 team members who are based in Tartu, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Bremen, Berlin, and many other places and are actively represented in the Baltic states with three regional offices!Â
Please submit your applications exclusively using our application form! When filling out the application form, we appreciate originality and creativity, so we encourage you to share your own ideas and experiences rather than relying on AI-generated responses.
If you have any questions, please contact Alexandra Ehresmann-Dyluś (Cluster Coordinator): a.ehresmann.dbjw@deutsch-balten.de
The deadline is May 4th, 2025.
If you would like to find out more about our work, visit us at www.dbjw.deutsch-balten.de!
Feel free to download and share!