Back Participation in the German “Child and Youth Welfare Congress 2017” and organising a workshop on youth work: towards the 3rd European Youth Work Convention

The 2017 the 16th German Child and Youth Welfare Congress (DJHT) was a unique showcase for the expertise, creativity and commitment of the child and youth welfare community. This was one of the major events in youth work and child and youth welfare in Europe.

For the 2017 summit JUGEND für Europa together with its national and European partners have created a European programme that opened the doors to the vibrant field of youth work and child and youth welfare. Over 400 youth workers and other experts in the field from all over Europe were invited to discuss the challenges of youth work across Europe. The expert programme took up the current debate on the “common ground” of youth work in Europe and contributed to the European Agenda for Youth Work that was adopted at the 2nd European Youth Work Convention in Brussels in 2015. The aim of the European programme of the 16th German Child and Youth Welfare Congress was also to elaborate the role and contribution of child and youth welfare / youth work to a social and fair Europe.

For this occasion, the partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the field of youth organised a panel discussion followed by an open exchange with the participants, that contributed to clarifying possible directions and stepping stones towards a 3rd European Youth Work Convention, foreseen for 2020 and to its possible approaches and topics. The panel discussion mapped the state of art of youth work, the main achievements following the 2nd European Youth Work Convention and some of the future steps.

The objectives of the panel discussion were as follows:

To present the rationale, principles and key messages of the first and second European Youth Work Conventions, their importance for the developments related to youth work at all levels and discuss their main successes and shortcomings

To introduce the upcoming recommendation on youth work, to be adopted by the Committee of Ministers in the Council of Europe, and its meaning for the recognition of youth work in Europe, and relevant initiatives by the European Commission and the Partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the field of youth

To discuss, within this framework, the policies that safeguard and actively support youth work at all levels and on a coherent competency framework for the education and training of youth workers

To raise points for possible directions and stepping stones towards a 3rd European Youth Work Convention.