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This article was originally published in “Corax Magazin”<\/a> for social work (issue 3\/19). Authors were Michaela Gloger, social worker from “Roter Baum” Dresden and Martin Kleinfelder, coordinator of “Roter Baum” Berlin and coordinator of this project.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the Roter Baum\nBerlin team has been intensively involved in youth work in Europe, especially\nin European youth centres within the framework of international projects. This is\nan exciting undertaking, not only with regard to the lobby of open child and\nyouth work in Europe. It is interesting, for example, that there is no uniform\nunderstanding of open child and youth work and youth centres as a place of\ndesign either on the professional or on the scientific level. The reality is as\nfollows: the idea or understanding of what constitutes a youth centre, how it\nis organised, but also how and which young people find access, is very\ndifferent in the European countries[1]<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are areas in Europe, mainly southern and south-western Europe, where youth centres\nexist predominantly or entirely without state support. This is an aspect that\nis often linked to the legal foundations of open child and youth work.  Therefore, is open child and youth work at\nall legally anchored and who has the right and the possibility to demand\ncorresponding services?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Germany, the legal anchoring and the often closely associated\nformulation of professional standards is by no means uniform. For example, only\nsome federal states have implementation laws for the SGB VIII[2]<\/a> or\nalso KJHG[3]<\/a>. If people widen their view of Europe\nagain, it can be seen that not all European countries, not even all EU ones,\nhave their own codes of law for child and youth welfare. With regard to the\nlobby of open child and youth work and youth centres, this is a first\nchallenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legal connection is often connected with the formulation of goals,\ncontents and professional standards. Experiences from studies in various\nEuropean countries, but also from research and international projects that have\noverlapped countries, show that open child and youth work in European youth\ncentres is based on very differentiated standards and that in some places they\nexist even without specified professional ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also major differences regarding the content of the youth\ncentres. In South-eastern Europe (Balkan countries, Romania, etc.), youth\ncentres tend to be state-owned houses in which specific courses are offered,\nmostly by independent associations. Open areas and space for self-realisation\nare rather rare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, especially in Central and Northern Europe, there are\nconcepts based on an open and participatory approach. Although the clubs and\npeople working in the youth centres pursue identical or similar goals,\nprimarily to support the positive personality development of young people, the\naction concepts and methods are at least as diverse as the qualifications of\nthe employees. While in Germany relevant\nqualifications are usually required in order to be active in youth work,\nin Romania, for example, it is not unusual for teams to be multi-professional. Different\nprofessional backgrounds not only require different approaches to and views of\nthe field of action, but also different approaches and principles guiding\naction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While volunteering, participation and discursivity are central\nprinciples for youth centres and open child and youth work in Germany,\ncommitment plays significant role in youth centres in southern and south-eastern\nEurope (including Romania and Italy). In youth centres in these countries,\nnon-formal educational offers and activities are generally provided, whereas\nwork in Germany tends to follow the idea of creating and using informal\neducational opportunities, among other things by providing young people with\nspaces and materials for self-determined discussion and appropriation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With regard to a lobby for youth centres and open child and youth work,\nit becomes clear how difficult it is to establish and expand a joint lobby for\nyouth work in Europe, because many of the aspects mentioned are in a constant\ndiscourse.  In order to establish and\nexpand a lobby for open child and youth work in Europe, a comprehensive\ndefinition is helpful. The Expert Group on Quality(s) in Youth Work in the\nMember States of the EU made a contribution. From the Council Conclusions 2010\nand 2013, they derive two aspects that apply to all youth centres and open\nchild and youth work in general, irrespective of funding, sponsorship and\nmethodological design; focusing on the overarching objective and the education\nand learning space that makes it possible[4]<\/a>.\nThese Conclusions result in the following definition of youth work<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Youth Work is understood as actions directed to young people\nregarding activities, where they take part voluntarily, designed for supporting\ntheir personal and social development through non-formal and informal learning[5]<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, in its\nattempt to award a uniform European quality label, established the\n“Quality Label for Youth Centres”[6]<\/a>.\nThis is oriented more towards overarching criteria that apply more to\ninstitutions that we would rather classify as youth education institutions.\nConsequently, the only German institution to have been awarded this label is\nthe wannseeFORUM Foundation. However, this also means that the term “Youth\nCentre” is or will be “occupied” by a type of institution that\nhas little in common with the general German (and Central European)\nunderstanding of the word “Jugendzentrum<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, the EU has emphasised in its youth strategy the\ndemand for more own spaces and more self-determination and participation. The\nEU Council presidencies of Romania, Finland and Croatia have also committed\nthemselves to this topic under the heading “Creating opportunities for\nall” and especially in the second half of 2019, meanwhile Finland takes\nover the Council Presidency, the topic “Quality Youth Work for all”\nwill be discussed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth centres with an informal approach, known as well as open youth\nwork, are places where young people can try out, develop and realise\nthemselves. They are able to reduce injustice and disadvantage. If young people\nare given the opportunity to realise their own interests, this improves their\nchances of development and encourages them to become more involved in their\nliving environment. In this respect, it is not only helpful but also necessary to\nfind for open youth work their fixed and secure place in European society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We as Roter Baum Berlin, and together with partners from five countries,\nhave dedicated ourselves to this goal and have developed a project that wants\nto provide support for the lobby of open child and youth work in Europe. We\nwant to compile the rare studies, prove the sense of open youth work, compile\nexperience reports and concrete examples of successful youth work and provide\nexplanations of what youth work can achieve under good conditions. All this\nwill be put together on a website in different languages to support local\ncampaigns. We have opted for this form because one of the aims of open youth\nwork is to be participative. Those who take this seriously must also develop\nthe demand for a lobby for open child and youth work in Europe -together\nwith addressees and actors- f<\/em>rom “below”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want to support young people precisely in this and help them through\na strong lobby to direct their demand for their own rooms and support offers to\nthe ‘right’ places and people through open youth centres, creatively, soundly\nand convincingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homepage of the European Commission:
https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/youth\/policy\/implementation\/work_en<\/a> (last update: July 5th<\/sup> 2019).
European Commission: \u00abQuality Youth Work \u2013 a common framework for the further development of youth work\u00bb 2015. Download at:
http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/assets\/eac\/youth\/library\/reports\/quality-youth-work_en.pdf<\/a> (last access: July 4th<\/sup> 2019).
Database for International Youth Work in Germany (DIJA<\/em>):
http:\/\/www.dija.de\/laenderinfos\/<\/a>\u00a0 (last access: July 5th<\/sup> 2019).
Council of Europe \u2013 Youth. \u201cQuality Label for Youth Centres\u201d:
https:\/\/www.coe.int\/en\/web\/youth\/quality-label-for-youth-centres<\/a> (last access: July 5th<\/sup> 2019).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1] See also \u00abQuality Youth Work \u2013 a common framework for the further development of Youth Work\u00bb. European Commission, 2015: 11. Download file:
http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/assets\/eac\/youth\/library\/reports\/quality-youth-work_en.pdf.<\/a>
Online at: https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/youth\/policy\/implementation\/work_en<\/a> (last access: July 4th<\/sup> 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2] The Achte Buch Sozialgesetzbuch<\/em> (The Eighth Book of the Social Code) is a law passed by the German Bundestag and comprises the federal regulations in Germany concerning child and youth welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3] The Gesetz zur Neuordnung des Kinder- und Jugendhilferechts<\/em> (The Child and Youth Welfare Act) is the name for the entirety of the legal regulations in the Federal Republic of Germany concerning child and youth welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4] See #1, p.11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5] See #1, p.12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6] More information at: https:\/\/www.coe.int\/en\/web\/youth\/quality-label-for-youth-centres<\/a> (last access: July 4th<\/sup> 2019). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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