ESC: Support advocacy & research to expand youth mobility

EFIL is the umbrella structure of 26 AFS organisations in Europe, established in 1971. Through its activities and those of its members, EFIL promotes opportunities in the field of intercultural learning and active citizenship and facilitates pupil mobility in Europe. AFS is a network of exchange organisations in over 50 countries worldwide. With the help of a large network of volunteers they organise short- and long-term intercultural and voluntary service stays abroad for over 11600 young people every year. Most of the exchanges involve deep cultural immersion of the young participants in the local community. EFIL supports its members by providing opportunities to innovate their practices, by offering a rich calendar of training activities, facilitating key staff meetings to foster synergies, running special programmes and projects focused on European citizenship and intercultural learning, promoting relevant EU initiatives (E+, ESC) and by external representation, advocating for a better and more inclusive environment for youth mobility. The EFIL office team is strengthened and supported in its activities by volunteers with grassroots experience, who are involved in European working groups, preparatory teams and permanently established structures, such as the Training and Intercultural Learning Advisory Body (TICLAB), the EFIL Pool of Trainers (EPOT). EFIL participates in the EU Youth Dialogue and is member of the European Youth Forum, Lifelong Learning Platform, EESC Civil Society Liaison Group, Advisory Council on Youth and the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe.