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

to strive to enhance young people’s self-determination, autonomy and access to rights.

The process of personal and social development is directly linked to and interdependent with the gradual increase in self-determination and autonomy. It is through having self-determination and possibilities to act in an autonomous way that personal and social development is tested and confirmed in practice. Without self-determination and autonomy, you will never be able to “try your wings and start to fly”.

Due to various reasons, young people often have limited access to their rights. It is therefore a crucial task for youth work to make young people aware of and able to execute their rights. This will at the same time make clear that young people are full-worthy (not “to become” or conditioned) citizens to be respected for who they are and not being in debt to society for services offered.

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

Does local youth work inform young people about their rights?
Does local youth work support young people to fight for their rights?
Is local youth work sometimes ‘helping’ young people in a way that actually prevents them from gaining autonomy?
Does local youth work sometimes keep young people in activities led by youth workers even if they would gain more from being supported to run them themselves?

References & tips

Youth work helps young people “to navigate pathways to autonomy and define their position in developing surroundings, providing them with opportunities to reflect on challenges and helps them to make the most appropriate choices for themselves.” Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on youth work policy in an empowering Europe. (C/2024/3526)
“Youth organisations and youth work have a critical role to play in ensuring young people’s access to rights and supporting young people to be active citizens;”
Council of Europe, Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)7 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on young people’s access to rights, 2016
In order to promote the work with young people’s rights the European Youth Forum has developed an online youth rights info tool.