Application Call: Join The Hague in Action

Empower your voice. Connect with peers. Help build inclusive communities.

The Hague in Action gives young people in and around The Hague the opportunity to learn, collaborate, and contribute to stronger connections between people in their communities. 

What is it about?

Are you interested in human rights, migration, and how people with different backgrounds can meet, connect and participate in their communities? Do you have ideas about creating meaningful change on the local level? Then The Hague in Action could be for you.

At Justice & Peace, we believe in the voices and ideas of young people. All backgrounds are welcome, whether or not you have experience in youth leadership or a relevant education in the field. We welcome students, recent graduates, and young professionals to join The Hague in Action. Here, you will get a chance to explore challenges around human rights, migration and inclusion, take part in community dialogue, train your skills to drive change, and turn your ideas into a real impact project that strengthens social cohesion and connection in your community.

The trajectory

The Hague in Action is part of Rights in Action, a collaborative MDT programme run by a consortium of civil society organisations and educational institutions. It offers young people the opportunity to explore human rights issues that matter to them, develop skills, and actively shape change in their community and beyond. The Hague in Action is a trajectory offered by Justice & Peace.

Over the course of 4 months, participants will receive practical guidance on how to launch a social project, expand their knowledge of migration, human rights and social inclusion, and build connections in their neighbourhoods. Participants will learn how to develop, plan, implement and evaluate a local impact project, giving them a practical introduction to the project cycle often used by civil society organisations. Through this, participants explore their communities, meet people with different perspectives and discover how they can contribute to more inclusive and connected ways of living together.

Design and carry out your own local impact project, for example:

• Organise community events that foster good ties in your neighbourhood.
• Create activities that help people feel welcome and meet others outside their usual social circles.
• Raise awareness about a human rights or migration-related issue that matters in your community.
• Engage with people in your community and create spaces for voices and experiences that are not always heard.
• Connect with other civil society initiatives and join their efforts to drive change in your neighbourhood.

Throughout the programme, you will receive necessary guidance, and you don’t need to arrive with a finished idea. In collaboration with peers, mentors, and trainers, you will shape a project that responds to a situation you see or hear about in your community. 

Why join?

• Learn how social projects work: get hands-on experience with different stages of a project cycle, from identifying a local issue and developing an idea to planning, implementing and evaluating.
• All training sessions and workshops are free of cost.
• Maatschappelijke Diensttijd (MDT) offers recognition of your work: upon completion of the programme, you will receive an MDT certificate.
• Build connections with peers, as well as with other local organizations working on human rights, migration, inclusion and/or social cohesion.
• Gain hands-on experience in social cohesion, migration, and community-building, while making a direct impact locally 

“I used to think that I could only make a difference or have an impact once I’d reached a certain level of knowledge or been recognised as an expert. Now I feel more confident in the idea that, even without that external recognition, you can still contribute, organise and lead within socially valuable projects.”

Former participant in The Hague Changemakers

 Who can join?

• No prior experience required, just a passion for human rights, migration, community-building or civic participation!
• Young adults aged 18–30 (who haven’t participated in two MDT programmes before) living in and around The Hague
• Those available for the full trajectory period (10 October – 30 January)
• We welcome young people from all backgrounds and experiences to participate. 

It’s important that you attend the physical gatherings in The Hague. In order to be able to receive your certificate, you will need to complete approximately 80 hours over 4 months, and participation in the in-person gatherings is an important part of the trajectory. Other than 5 meetings in The Hague, the programme is designed to be flexible, so you can combine your participation with your studies, work, or other commitments.

Dates: 10 October 2026, 7 November 2026, 12 December 2026, 9 January 2027, 30 January 2027 

Questions? Email us at youth@justiceandpeace.nl.

Join The Hague in Action and help build a more connected, inclusive and welcoming community.

Application deadline: 28 September

This trajectory has been made possible in collaboration with Fonds1818.