Youth work is value based and its core principles are that it needs…

to promote critical thinking and creativity, as well as human rights, democratic values and active citizenship.

This bullet point makes clear that it is towards these core societal values that youth work should have its primary loyalty, even when other actors in society might be going in the opposite direction. Having young people as primary stakeholders means that youth work must support and defend their right to argue and act for changes based on these values, even when it puts them in conflict with other actors.

These values are unconditional. They are the fundament on which a secure/safe youth work environment is built, and youth work must always secure that they are upheld within its own realm.

However, being unconditional does not mean that they should not be discussed. On the contrary, it is through discussions, not through setting up rules, that they will be fully understood and kept alive.

Do you agree on what this means in practice?
Do you agree on to what degree youth work meets this bullet point?
Here you find the questions you need to discuss to find out!

If you think that this is something you need to work on, click the “Add to development agenda” button below. You will then find your agenda on your personal page and be able to start a development process.

Please note!
If you start a development process related to this bullet point you will find the below questions also under the page “Discuss and assess”. There you will also be able to take notes.

Questions to discuss

Is local youth work actively inviting young people to think critically about its organisation and activities?
Does local youth work stimulate and promote active citizenship among the young people it meets?
- Is youth work itself a place where young people could execute active citizenship?
Is local youth work having behavioural or other rules that are not discussed with young people?
What are the risks of taking decisions that affects young people without having discussed them with the young people concerned?

References & tips

“This brochure contains inspiring initiatives, practices and tools, including the EU projects, that showcase how youth work and non-formal learning can enhance young people’s creativity and innovation, through their experimental nature, participatory approaches, and peer-learning, and how this can help them to find their place in the labour market – and in life.”
Unleashing young people’s creativity and innovation, European Commission 2015
“Human rights are best respected, protected and appreciated when all of us understand them, stand up for them and apply them in our actions. Human rights education – learning about, through and for human rights – is therefore essential in preventing human rights violations and in making democracy a sustainable way of life.”
COMPASS: Manual for human rights education with young people, Council of Europe