Human Rights Education Youth Network

What Human Rights Education Youth Network does

Human Rights Education Youth Network (HREYN) is an international non-profit association established in 2006 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It operates as a membership-based network of 22 civil society organisations and individual members across Europe, dedicated to human rights education for and with young people. Its primary constituents are youth workers, human rights educators and trainers, young people aged roughly 16-30, and civil society organisations working in non-formal education. Geographic reach is concentrated in Belgium, with active programming across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia), Italy, and Georgia.

HREYN's core product is FREIRE, an e-learning platform launched in May 2024 and built on the third-party Canvas LMS, named after Paulo Freire. FREIRE provides interactive online courses, blended learning, and pre-mobility preparation for human rights educators. Standalone courses include a five-module Digital Human Rights Education programme (launched May 2025), Cyber Security for Youth Workers, and a self-paced MOOC on Youth Civic Space (1.5-2 hours). The technical stack is not proprietary beyond domain-specialised course content; the differentiation lies in methodology rather than underlying technology. Supporting outputs include the Quality Assurance Handbook, Log In HRE publications, and the Reclaiming Youth Civic Space Handbook.

The network's revenue is not publicly disclosed but is overwhelmingly grant-funded. Primary institutional donors include the European Union's Erasmus+ programme, the Council of Europe's European Youth Foundation, Belgium's Bureau International Jeunesse, and the European Youth Forum. Membership fees from individuals and organisations provide a secondary recurring revenue stream. Distribution is delivered through free self-serve access to FREIRE (Freemium model for members), international in-person training courses and study sessions across Europe, and membership-based engagement via the General Assembly and board activities.

Name

Human Rights Education Youth Network

Legal name

Human Rights Education Youth Network

Website

https://hreyn.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Human Rights Education Youth Network (HREYN) is a Brussels-based international non-profit, founded in 2006, operating as a 22-member European network advancing human rights education through the FREIRE e-learning platform, training courses, and Erasmus+/Council of Europe-funded projects serving youth workers, educators, and young people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-formal Education / Youth Work Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Human rights education
• Youth network
• E-learning platform
• Non-formal education
• Civic space advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HREYN operates as a membership-based network with individual and organisational members. Members pay fees to join and receive access to FREIRE platform, participation rights in General Assembly, and networking benefits.
2. Project Funding and Grants: Primary funding from European Union Erasmus+ programme, European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, Bureau International Jeunesse (Belgian National Agency), and European Youth Forum. Multiple long-term projects covering Western Balkans, quality assurance, digital youth work, and civic space.
3. Publications and Resources: HREYN produces and disseminates publications including quality assurance handbooks, toolkits, and educational resources. Some outputs are freely available while others are developed as project deliverables.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HREYN is an international membership-based non-profit network that delivers human rights education for and with young people across Europe. It operates the FREIRE e-learning platform and offers online courses, training programmes, study sessions, youth exchanges, conferences, and publications to support youth workers, educators, and civil society organisations. The network consists of 22 member organisations from across Europe and is funded primarily by EU and Council of Europe programmes.

Product overview

HREYN operates as an international non-profit network offering human rights education primarily through its FREIRE e-learning platform (built within Canvas), which provides online courses, blended learning, and pre-mobility preparation for educators, youth workers, and organizations. The core educational offerings include standalone courses on Digital Human Rights Education, Cyber Security for Youth Workers, and a MOOC on Youth Civic Space. HREYN also produces and distributes publications including the Quality Assurance Handbook, Log In HRE resources, and the Reclaiming Youth Civic Space Handbook, which complement the digital learning offerings and support the broader mission of promoting human rights education across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FREIRE: An e-learning platform for human rights education named after Paulo Freire. Built within Canvas, FREIRE provides free online courses, blended learning, and pre-mobility preparation for youth educators and workers.

Products and services

• FREIRE E-Learning Platform An e-learning platform built within Canvas LMS that allows HREYN members to develop and facilitate human rights education through interactive online courses, blended learning, and pre-mobility preparation. Features include course development, participant onboarding, collaborative planning, and anonymous feedback tools.
• Digital Human Rights Education: Tools, Ethics, and Practice A five-module online course designed for youth educators, human rights trainers, and civil society practitioners covering digitalisation's impact on human rights, ethical and safety considerations in online spaces, digital tools for educational practice, and designing digital HRE activities.
• Cyber Security for Youth Workers

Quantifiable outcome

• Quality Assurance Handbook providing intersectional and human rights-based approach to evaluation of youth projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forum MNEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the 'Unlocking Potentials of Youth Work in the Western Balkan Region' project. Forum MNE contributes to supporting quality youth work development and recognition in the Western Balkans through multi-country cooperation.
• NAPORcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the Western Balkan Youth Work project. NAPOR contributes expertise in youth work development across the region.
• Union for Youth WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the Western Balkan Youth Work project. Union for Youth Work supports quality youth work development in the region.
• THYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the Western Balkan Youth Work project. THY contributes to youth work recognition efforts.
• Youth for Social ChangescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the Western Balkan Youth Work project. Youth for Social Changes contributes to youth work development in the region.
• PRONIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the consortium implementing the Western Balkan Youth Work project. PRONI contributes to youth work recognition efforts.
• Amnesty InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Reclaiming Civic Space' project promoting youth civic space through youth work and human rights education. Includes collaboration with Amnesty International Italy, Hungary, Moldova, and Poland chapters.
• European Institute of Education and Social Policy (EIESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Quality Assurance for All project. EIESP contributes expertise in education policy analysis and quality assurance frameworks for non-formal education.
• Giosef TorinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Quality Assurance for All project. Giosef Torino contributes expertise in intersectional approaches, anti-discrimination, and non-formal education in Italy.
• Ofensiva TinerilorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Quality Assurance for All project. Romanian organisation contributing to youth work quality assurance efforts.
• Idee in FugacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Quality Assurance for All project. Italian social cooperative contributing expertise in social inclusion and working with disadvantaged people.
• Youth Partnership (Council of Europe and European Union)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing supporting educational materials for HREYN activities and youth work initiatives.
• YIHR (Youth Initiative for Human Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerART x PEACE conference partner coordinating the project on cultural cooperation and peacebuilding between Kosovo and Serbia.
• Civic InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ART x PEACE conference implementing peacebuilding and cultural cooperation activities.
• IntegracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ART x PEACE conference contributing to peacebuilding and cultural cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia.
• XeliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation in Reclaiming Civil Space training-seminar contributing to human rights education activities.
• World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in study session 'Advancing at Constructing Safe Learning Spaces in Non-formal Education' contributing to safe learning space methodologies.
• Advisory Council on Youth (Council of Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHREYN chair Nika Bakhsholiani participated within his mandate at the Advisory Council, representing youth perspectives at international level.
• DROA CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHREYN's Belgian member providing logistical support for Reclaiming Civic Space project activities in Brussels.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International (Youth/HRE programmes): Global human rights organisation that runs human rights education programmes and is itself a strategic partner of HREYN (Reclaiming Civic Space). Overlaps on HRE delivery and civic space advocacy; vastly larger scale and broader mandate.
• SALTO-YOUTH (European Commission): EU resource centre supporting youth work and non-formal education across Europe. Comparable on training, resource production, and youth worker capacity-building, but funded directly by the European Commission rather than operating as an NGO network.
• Council of Europe - Youth Department: European intergovernmental body that funds HREYN (via European Youth Foundation) and sets policy frameworks for youth work and HRE. Comparable mission space but as an institutional funder/standard-setter rather than an NGO.
• European Youth Forum: Larger umbrella platform for youth organisations in Europe with policy advocacy at EU level. Overlaps with HREYN on youth civic space and HRE advocacy, but operates across all youth policy areas rather than specialising in HRE.

Emerging players

• Youth for Human Rights International: Global NGO producing HRE materials and educational content for young people. Overlaps with HREYN on human rights education delivery and youth audience, but focused more on awareness materials than European policy advocacy.
• ILGA-Europe: European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, running human rights education and capacity-building programmes for civil society. Comparable on European HRE delivery for NGOs and intersectional approaches.
• People's Action for Human Rights Education (PAHRE) / Equitas: International human rights education organisations (PAHRE/Equitas ecosystem) that deliver training programmes for educators and activists. Comparable on HRE pedagogy and capacity-building, though Equitas is Canada-based and more focused on international cooperation.

Direct peers

• Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR): Western Balkan-focused youth and human rights organisation that is itself an HREYN project partner (ART x PEACE, Reclaiming Civic Space). Highly comparable mission around youth HRE and reconciliation, with strong regional focus.
• DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe): Europe-wide network of organisations active in human rights and democracy education, with overlapping mission, similar membership model, and shared funder base (EU/CoE). Highly comparable to HREYN in scope, methodology, and target audience.

Regional players

• Erasmus Student Network (ESN): Europe-wide student network operating under the Erasmus+ umbrella with mobility, training, and advocacy activities for international students. Overlaps with HREYN on European youth mobility and non-formal education, though focused on higher-education students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hreyn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Rights Education Youth Network