Once a year, the IYTT recruits 24 young leaders, thinkers, and artists aged 18-26 to become IYTT Youth Fellows through an open call to participate to the yearly International Youth Conference taking place in a rotating place in the world. Youth Fellows contribute to the creation of the IYTT Participation Toolbox, an ever-evolving collection of innovative participatory methods spearheaded by the Open Chair Democracy Talks, they foster participation by actively contributing to communal life in their communities while being part of a global network of like-minded individuals.

This year the IYTT is headed to Seoul! IYC26 will take place from August 31 to September 3, 2026, graciously hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute!

24 young individuals will shape democratic change. The overall assignment is to jointly develop twelve tangible proposals on how to reclaim dignity, openness, and democracy in the 2020s and beyond. Over four days of structured deliberative sessions, they are guided by four facilitators to develop your proposals and present them to the public in an open session on the final day of the conference. To inspire and structure your work, we provide a facilitated program and invite researchers, executive professionals, and experienced change-makers to serve as speakers and commentators.

Participants leave the conference as IYTT Youth Fellows, with new friends, and access to a global network of young activists, professionals, and leaders spanning four continents. They will be ready to go from words to deeds by using the various IYTT methods in collaboration with Youth Fellows overseas, and you will develop new methods and activities to innovate democracy at the local and global level. The conference will boost their network and leadership capacity, broaden their knowledge, train them as a democracy entrepreneur and strengthen their voice on the global stage.