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About us
Rights in Action MDT is part of the Dutch Social Service Program (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd – MDT), a national initiative that enables young people to develop their talents, contribute to society, and connect with others through meaningful social engagement.
Through a collaboration between civil society organizations and educational institutions in the Netherlands, Rights in Action MDT creates space for young people to actively engage with human rights in practice and contribute to positive change in their communities.
Why we are doing this?
As human rights come under increasing pressure, they are shaping how young people experience society. Many want to contribute to positive change, but feel disconnected from decision-making processes and are unsure how to engage with the issues that affect their daily lives.
Rights in Action MDT responds to this reality by creating space for young people to engage with local challenges, work alongside communities, and help shape solutions that matter to them and to society.
How do we do it?
Participants can choose from different trajectories, each organized by one of the partners. While each trajectory focuses on a unique theme or approach, they all support young people in building communities, collaborating with others, and engaging beyond their own perspectives to raise awareness among communities and policymakers.
Through the different trajectories, young people can:
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Work on policy and campaigns, focusing on themes such as local asylum policy, discrimination against religious groups, or human security.
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Conduct participatory research to explore human rights themes at the local level and contribute to actions and policies that address them.
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Take part in youth assemblies, where young people develop and present widely supported recommendations to municipalities, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and private sector.
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Use visual storytelling to make stories related to human rights themes visible and to bring about greater awareness and change.
Step by step, we are building a society in which young people are the driving force for positive change.