A youth reflection piece by Dorna Khan, a dedicated youth leader specializing in digital safety, on her participation at the University on Youth and Development (UYD) Training
From September 14 to 21, 2025, I had the privilege of joining over 250 young leaders from 78 countries at the University on Youth and Development (UYD 2025) in Mollina, Spain. This impactful gathering, hosted by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in partnership with the KAICIID Dialogue Centre and other organizations, focused on harnessing the power of dialogue to navigate today’s complex digital challenges, particularly those around identity, stereotypes, and online hate speech.
In my work on preventing violent extremism (P/CVE), I have witnessed firsthand how extremist ideologies spread through misinformation, stereotyping, and marginalizing voices. UYD 2025 equipped me with practical tools in digital safety, dialogue facilitation, and intercultural understanding that strengthen community resilience against these threats.
A core lesson I took from the training is that dialogue is a powerful form of prevention. Unlike negotiation or debate, dialogue emphasizes empathy and listening, creating space to address grievances before they escalate into violence. KAICIID’s innovative sessions introduced me to creative tools, including a Duolingo game designed to make learning about diversity and dialogue engaging and accessible for young people.
Several experiences during UYD stood out. The opportunity to network and build bonds with passionate youth leaders from around the world was invaluable. Additionally, visiting the Mezquita in Córdoba, a historic site symbolizing coexistence between cultures and faiths, deepened my conviction that dialogue is not just a concept to teach, it must be actively lived.
As I move forward, I plan to integrate these lessons into my work by training youth to critically assess online narratives and resist extremist messaging. I will promote safe spaces, both virtual and physical, where inclusive dialogue can thrive and will use interactive methods like games and storytelling to engage young people meaningfully in P/CVE efforts.
For future UYD editions, I recommend enhancing the practical links to P/CVE work by showcasing how dialogue can be embedded in community-led peacebuilding initiatives.
UYD 2025 was more than a training, it was a call to action. It reaffirmed that dialogue stands as one of our most powerful tools to counter hate, bridge divides, and prevent violent extremism. The skills, connections, and experiences I gained will continue to inspire my contribution toward building resilient, peaceful communities.
About Dorna Khan
Dorna Khan is a dedicated youth leader specializing in digital safety, intercultural dialogue, and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). She empowers youth with critical thinking skills to recognize and challenge misinformation, fostering resilient and peaceful communities through inclusive dialogue and creative educational tools like games and storytelling. With experience in designing and implementing youth empowerment strategies, Dorna leads training and capacity-building programs for youths and trainers. She collaborates with government, civil society partners and local community-based organizations to strengthen community resilience, promote social cohesion, peace and prevent violent extremism. Passionate about grassroot advocacy and community development, Dorna applies data-driven approaches to assess local needs and measure the impact of her initiatives.
About the iDove Programme
The iDove programme and capacity building support program on Interfaith Dialogue and prevention of Violent Extremism provides youth-driven, innovative, and context-specific responses to preventing violence. The program activities are implemented by selected seven local organizations associated with iDovers, who are youth peacebuilders from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The program contributes particularly to the advancements of the small-scale projects while supporting iDovers engagement more broadly. The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers supports the actions implemented by the iDover-associated organisations to enhance their organisational capacity building to ensure timely and effective youth-led responses to preventing violence.
