Here's what you can expect from the Youth Ambassador Program

Are you planning a longer stay abroad or are you unsure for other reasons whether you can "commit" yourself for 2 years? Contact us, we will find a solution for almost everything.

Below you will also find an outline of the program and the time required (subject to change).

2027: During the program’s first year, you’ll meet all the other participants online for the first time. The various workshops will also take place online and through self-study. You’ll explore pressing issues such as peace, justice, education, environmental protection, and intercultural sensitivity. You’ll also form a tandem with an international youth ambassador and exchange ideas with him or her.

In the summer of 2027 You’ll be part of the two-week visit by the international youth ambassadors to Switzerland. As participants, you’ll discuss topics that matter to you and build community with people from over 10 countries. You’ll also prepare for the second trip (for the Swiss participants). This two-week stay will take place between July 5 and 25, 2027.

In the winter of 2028 The Swiss participants travel as part of a small delegation to a Mission 21 partner country in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. They gain insight into local ways of life and learn about projects run by Mission 21’s partners. They form international friendships, develop cross-cultural skills, and share their experiences with those around them.

2 Preparation Days (for Swiss participants): To prepare for the visit and the trip abroad, a preparation day will be organized in Basel, and all Swiss participants are expected to attend.

2 Online Preparatory Sessions (for international participants): to help participants prepare for their trip to Switzerland and explore the possibility of becoming a host.

It is very difficult to give exact times for the effort of the program, because not everyone needs the same time for the same tasks. We ask you to take this into account. We calculate the following average effort:

2 days of physical preparation (for Swiss participants)
A Saturday in mid-May and a Saturday in mid-November 2027, in Basel.

2 online preparatory calls (for international participants)
2 sessions of 2 hours each. The dates will be set in consultation with the participants.

Approx. 20h per year
For online calls, individual self-study, participation, preparation visits/trips, reflection reports.

Summer 2027: 2 weeks for visits (for everyone!)
The visit to Switzerland will take place over a two-week period between July 5 and July 25. The exact dates will be announced at a later time.

Winter 2028: 2 weeks for a trip abroad (expected to be for Swiss participants only)
Exact date not yet determined: to be discussed with the Swiss participants.

You do not need to be religious to participate in the program. Likewise, people of all religious backgrounds are welcome. You should be open-minded and tolerant toward religions and related topics. Since Mission 21 has a Christian background, we also work with many partner organizations and partner churches that share this background. For this reason, the trip usually takes place in a religious context. Some program participants will travel to Switzerland from this context.

Mission 21 collaborates with foundations on the overall program and strives to keep costs low for participants. We are currently working to cover as many program costs as possible for everyone. We are communicating this process to participants as transparently as possible.

For Swiss participants: We may ask you to contribute a maximum of 800 CHF, as we have done in previous program cycles (200 CHF per year, plus a 200 CHF solidarity contribution for people with low incomes). This would cover: airfare for the trip, as well as room and board during the trip, the preparatory days, and the visit to Switzerland.

For everyone: Insurance costs, as well as any medical examinations required prior to the trip, are also the responsibility of the participants.

If these financial hurdles are too high for you, please contact us and we'll work with you to figure out how to move forward.

All program components are conducted primarily in English. Mission 21’s other working languages are German, Spanish, and French.

The following requirements must be met for the 2027–2028 Youth Ambassador Program:

• Age: between 18 and 30 years old (1996–2008)
• Good command of English
• Openness, motivation and willingness to engage in intercultural encounters and embrace new perspectives.
• No health restrictions relevant for travel to Asia, Africa or Latin America

For Swiss citizens: Will you be of legal age by the time the international youth ambassadors visit (July 2027)? If so, please feel free to contact us anyway!

For International Participants: Due to visa requirements and other legal and security considerations, international participants must be at least 18 years old at the start of the program.

Part of the international Youth Ambassador Program is a certificate in intercultural and transcultural competence issued by the Institute for Communication and Leadership (IKF) and Mission 21. To receive this certificate, the youth ambassadors must participate in all program components in accordance with the "Conditions of Participation." The certificate also awards 3 ECTS credits, which you may be able to apply toward your degree program.

IKF Institute for Communication & Leadership

Mission 21 is engaged in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America within the framework of sustainable development cooperation as well as emergency aid and reconstruction. This worldwide commitment is combined with programs for intercultural exchange and interreligious cooperation as well as for the promotion of an understanding of global interrelationships. One of these programs is the Youth Ambassador Program, which is organized and implemented by young@mission21. Young@mission21 offers young adults around the world the opportunity to network and thus advocate for sustainable development.

Mission 21 (mission-21.org)

How does Mission 21 relate to its past?

Mission 21 reflects critically on its past and deals with it intensively. That is why Mission 21 manages the in-house research archive on mission history. Likewise, Mission 21 offers various events on this topic, such as the event series "Mission-Colonialism Revisited". It is therefore important to us to do decolonized international cooperation. Mutual learning is in the foreground. In the Youth Ambassador Program, this is reflected in the fact that young adults from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America participate and can all take a trip abroad. The program also offers the opportunity to learn about the history and current international cooperation of Mission 21.

On the event series "Mission-Colonialism Revisited".