Transcript Document

Recommendation
The time spent in care should be a
time for the preparation of the child
for responsible life in a democratic
society
Ertion Axha
(EU Council of Ministers, 2005, p.14)
Member of the
International Youth Council
"I matter" Campain
Agenda
• United Nations General Assembly guideline
• Youth Participation in “I Matter” Project
“I Matter” in Albania
International Youth Council (IYC)
A brief summary of the Action Plan of IYC
Challenges and Positive outcomes
The Importance of Youth Participation
Evaluation of recommendations seen from different aspects.
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United Nations General Assembly guidelines for the Alternative
Care of Children
Basic Concepts:
decisions taken] ... should respect fully the child’s right to be consulted
and to have his/her views duly taken into account
– [All
in accordance with his/her evolving capacities
on the basis of his/her access to all necessary information
(UN G. A. , 2005, p. 6)
Youth participation
• Leaving Care Project in Albania
• International Youth Council (IYC)
Youth Participation during the Leaving
Care project in Albania
Round Table - Feb 2009
- Discussed problems evidenced in situation analysis
- Suggested different approaches how to solve these
problems
Structuring I Matter Project
- Two Tracks => Youth Participation
Youth Network with other Youth NGOs
- TAMAM
- Active Youth
Other Activities
International Youth Council (IYC)
Berlin February 2010
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Action Plan
2 Members from each of per each country participating in LC
Project
Divided in three main groups: Policy, Communications and
Events
Since October 2010 have an Action Plan
Action Plan
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Provide organizational opportunities for young people to gather
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Develop youth unions between all forms of alternative care
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Inform the public about leaving care
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Make partnerships with different businesses or important people
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Offer life skills trainings for young people
IYC - Continued
Activities where IYC members participated:
- Vilnius October 2009 "Keeping doors open" Conference
- Brighton July 2010 IFCO Conference
- Vienna November 2010
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Meeting with Steering Group of LCC and Senior Management
Team of SOS
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Radio Broadcast
http://teenstalk.medienzentrum.at/
Challenges
Lack of time
Lack of Skills
Communication
Organization
Lobbying
Positive outcomes
Innovation
Responsibility on sharing information
Greater Confidence
Every youngster needs to be stronger
towards the challenges of the future
Christian Pichler
Secretary General of
SOS KDI
(Prague 2011)
People want to negotiate for what is
important to them
Michael Ungar Ph.D.
Professor in School
for Social Work,
Dalhouse University
(Prague 2011)
Motivate youth participation
Introduce youth participation in earlier ages (create a culture of
democracy)
and
Gradually increase the opportunities of youth participation
By:
- collective meetings between youngsters and caregivers
- opinion share gatherings
- motivating strong feeling of self-organizing
- giving opportunities to participate in decisionmaking
Smoothly change
between the levels
of Youth
Participation
according to age
and capacity will
give us the
possibility to
understand Youth
Participation
through experience
It will help us:
- be more expressive
- effectively communicate our ideas and deliver our concerns
- have experience on how to lobby for them (this world is a
big institution)
- build stronger confidence
- have the sense of entrepreneurship
- develop responsible needs
- create the sense for our thoughts
- have the possibility to know better ourselves and know
where is better to invest our potential in time
- be better active members of the democratic society
Make care institutions have such
youngsters
They will have an active group of youngsters who:
- will have a direct contact with other children (peer
counseling)
- actively give innovating ideas for improvement
- may be future colleagues willing to invest their energies to
improving quality care
More involved youngsters and equal co-decision-making helps closing the gap
between adults and youngsters
Makes it possible to inherit good experiences and achievements and reflect on
bad ones (more contacts between youngsters of different ages)
Recommendation
Introduce the concept and provide experience at younger ages,
according to child's capacity and accessibility to information
Encourage youth organization groups (of every type) in Care
Institutions and provide a healthy negotiation environment and
sense of responsibility for the other person
Allow youth representation in decision-making level with an
equalized importance between children and adults