4 decades of youth participation
DESCRIPTION
Ulrich Bunjes from the Council of Europe's Youth Directorate on the 40 years of their experience in sharing power and co-managing the youth sector together with young people and their organisations.TRANSCRIPT
40 years of youth participation
in Europe
Co-management in the Council of Europe
A presentation at the London Youth Policy Symposium, 17-18 May 2011
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The Europe of the 47+• The Council of Europe was
founded in 1949• Human rights, democracy and
the rule of law • Almost all European
countries • Wider co-operation
in the cultural field
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Youth policy since the 1970s• Education and training facilities• Financial grants• Standard-setting• Policy advice• Youth research
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The instruments
• European Youth Centre Strasbourg 1972
• European Youth Foundation 1972 • European Youth Centre Budapest
1995• Youth-related conventions
and recommendation• “Soft monitoring”• International networking
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The co-management approach• Governments and youth
organisations• “Nothing about young people –
without young people”
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The technicalities
47+ governments
30 youth NGOs(rotating)
• Meet twice/year• Decide on policies and standards• Decide on programmes• Decide on grants to youth NGOs• Decide on joint representation
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Which NGOs participate?
• A selection from a huge pool of partners• All recognised types
(“families”) of youth NGOs• Based in any of
50 European countries• 60% INGYOs, 23% national youth
councils and 17% NGOs “involved in other areas of youth work”
• At least 17% INGYOs non-affiliated to YFJ
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The value of co-management• Unique decision-making system at level
of intergovernmental organisations• “Walk the talk”: participation in practice• Cascading: knock-on effects at national
and local level• Training political
competencies• Example of best practice
for other sectors, e.g. education
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To know more
www.coe.int/youth
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Thanks.