In Defence of Youth Work

Unite the Generations! Not just a Youth Voice but A People’s Voice?

Tony Taylor — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:58:14 +0000

We have received news of the following important initiative from Neil Duncan-Jordan, National Officer of the National Pensioners Convention [NPC].

This is a proposal from the NPC to launch a campaign later in the year to link the generations – and show that the division in society is between rich and poor rather than young and old. I’d be grateful of any comments/feedback and an idea if you and your organisation would support the campaign.

GENERATIONS UNITED - For decent jobs and pensions

Background

A growing number of politicians, media commentators, academics and think tanks are beginning to argue that today’s older generation have escaped the austerity measures at the expense of younger people. In doing so, they portray a conflict between the generations that is highly divisive and dangerous to our society. We must therefore respond by linking a number of key policy issues to show that young and old have a common interest.

Campaign demands

The National Pensioners Convention has long argued that the campaigns we organise today for existing pensioners, will also benefit future generations. In this sense, we are already committed to inter-generational solidarity and now we plan to build on this work by uniting with young people to campaign for their rights as well. We believe there are some key policy areas where this solidarity can be developed:

Raising the retirement age adds to the problem of rising youth unemployment and should be set at 65 for men and women
Everyone should be entitled to a decent state pension in retirement that takes them out of poverty
Young and older people have both suffered from government cuts, whilst the wealthiest in society have largely escaped. More should be done to ensure that big business and wealthy individuals pay their taxes
Public investment is essential to re-build Britain’s economy, creating training and employment for young people and improved services for all

Campaign details

We would seek to stage a rally/lobby event in mid to late October 2012 to raise these issues with politicians. The rally could include speeches, music and film – and would be aimed at an audience of both young and older people.

To support the event we could also consider local activities on the same day for those unable to get to London for the rally/lobby.

Campaign materials

We could consider producing explanatory leaflets about the campaign, postcards to be sent to MPs and posters, alongside launching an online petition which would seek to get over 100,000 signatures to trigger a parliamentary debate.

Target audience

The NPC would seek to sign up trade union youth sections, alongside college/university students, young unemployed workers and youth workers/groups across the country.

Next steps

To form a small steering group of interested parties to organise the event and associated materials/activities. The aim would be to begin in June.

The IDYW Campaign Steering Group is fully supportive of this move by the NPC and we hope all our supporters will spread the word and open up the issues raised with young people. This inter-generational initiative raises important questions about the sometimes problematic character of the emphasis on ‘youth voice’ and ‘youth-proofing’ within youth work circles. The right to vote notwithstanding, in reality the overwhelming majority of the population have little say in the crucial economic and political decisions determining the direction of society. Focusing on age, forgetting its intimate relationship to class, gender and race, amongst other divisions, is an ever present danger within our work. We hope to post a fuller discussion of this dilemma in the coming weeks. For the present thanks again to the NPC for this challenging proposal – even if the demands are somewhat too decent and too mild!

Towards an Open Conference on the Future of Youth Work

Tony Taylor — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:12:42 +0000

The following self-explanatory letter has been circulated on behalf of our Campaign. Already there have been positive responses, tempered sometimes with caution. Certainly we stand by our concern that significant sections of those involved in youth work seem to be sleepwalking into the suffocating clutches of the market, mumbling monotonously that there is no alternative. However it may be that we are the comatose ones, failing to wake up to today’s new dawn. Time therefore for all of us to heed the alarm and join in a serious exchange of opinion about the future of youth work.

To Choose Youth Partners, NCVYS, NCIA and Youth & Policy,

The first half of this year has seen our Campaign continuing its commitment to critical debate about the state of youth work today. Our defence of youth work leads inexorably to questioning the future of youth work. Thus we have made a number of informal overtures to leading players within youth work about the possibility of organising a pluralist and accessible conference, which grapples with the issues facing all of us.

To take but one example, we are concerned deeply about what we view as the uncritical embrace of the business model in the so-called ‘youth sector market’. In response we are criticised for failing to engage with ‘new ways’ and ‘new thinking’. At the very least this clash of opinion needs to be out in the open – not least because there is a growing wider argument about whether there is ‘a common good’, which cannot and should not be calculated by the market.

At a minimum, if we are true to the critical and democratic tradition within youth work, we ought to engage together with the contradictions of our differing perspectives. With this in mind we are suggesting that under the banner of Choose Youth such a conference comes to pass and that a working group, reflecting our differences, is charged with its organisation.

Your responses, hopefully supportive, would be appreciated and we trust that this proposal will be discussed at the next Choose Youth meeting on May 16.

Regards,

Tony Taylor [Coordinator IDYW] at tonymtaylor@gmail.com

Changing the World Together Through Film, June 6

Tony Taylor — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:31:45 +0000

Message from Lucy Pearson at RefugeeYouth:

I am writing to let you know about our film festival Refuge In Films. We have a 1 day event at the British Film Institute on the 6th June which is aimed at bringing together young people to watch films, do some film making workshops and get inspired to make their own films and get involved in creating the big public festival which will happen in November.

We wondered if you are working with any young people who might like to get involved. If there are a few we have an outreach team who could come and visit and tell young people about it and invite them to get involved. If you think this is possible let us know when is a good day and time for you.

Contact Mamuna on 020 7793 7156 / 07739 468696

refugeinfilms@gmail.com

Youth, Recreation and Play conference, May 31

Tony Taylor — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:05:31 +0000

Youth, Recreation and Play

University of Greenwich, Maritime Campus

Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation, with Youth and Policy

Thursday May 31^st 2012, 9.30 a.m.-5.00 p.m., Queen Anne 080

While young children’s need to play is widely recognised, identifying socially acceptable recreational activities for young people can be problematic. Arguably, contemporary UK society has little tolerance of adolescent “risky behaviour”, which has been regarded as an essential aspect of maturation. While complaints about youthful high spirits date back to Plato and beyond, many societies have had “rituals of misrule” which acknowledged the need for a “safety valve” and temporary role-inversion.

Conversely, the engagement of young people with philanthropic activity could and still does bring social endorsement, but to what extent is it class or gender related? Can it be understood as a form of voluntary recreation, or is it performed under pressure from adults?

This one-day conference, hosted jointly with the peer-reviewed journal Youth and Policy, will consider issues relating to young people’s recreation, leisure and play from historical, theoretical and contemporary perspectives. It will address aspects of youth culture, historical definitions of play, recreation and the transition to adulthood, and early modern “rituals of misrule”. Theoretical approaches will consider evolutionary biology and the life-cycle. The theme of children and citizenship will be explored in relation to the Duke of Edinburgh’s awards, disability and the Girl Guide Association, and the Junior Red Cross. Contemporary themes include sociological approaches to friendship , the “lost generation” , the problem of reconciling legal liability with the freedom to play, and the significance of sport and youth work as interventions. A group of schoolchildren will talk about their experiences of playground “Guardian Angels”.

The conference will be followed by the launch of the London Network for the History of Children (5.30 p.m., Queen Anne 075) . Both conference and launch are free of charge, but to register for one or both please e-mail playandrecreation@gre.ac.uk by May 27^th with name, contact details, and affiliation/professional body/interest. Late contributions to the programme may be considered.

Youth Work is Political

Tony Taylor — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:29:27 +0000

In my ignorance I know nothing about Mike Baizermann and, being miserable, I would rather make up my own mind about whether he is inspirational. Away though with my pettiness, it’s heartening to hear about a conference that states explicitly, Youth Work is Political. Good on Youth Work Northern Ireland and we hope a report on the proceedings might be forthcoming.

‘Youth Work is Political’ Conference

Tues 12th June 2012 at YouthAction N.I. Belfast 9.30am – 4.30pm

Purpose of conference: to inspire youth workers to embrace participative democracy as a catalyst for young people affecting social change.

The conference is for youth work managers and practitioners, focusing on the art and attitude to influence change and how this can be applied within the youth work setting.

This event will involve inspirational keynote speaker Mike Baizerman from the University of Minnesota who will discuss civic youth work and practical civic youth work skills.

Outcomes:
• Platform for reflection, discussion, sharing and action among youth and community workers
• Forum for developing alliances and networks with others
• Re-energising youth workers to embrace their political appetite within their youth work practices

Booking information:
The conference will cost £50 including lunch. The event is limited to 80 people.
Booking confirmations by Mon 4th June 2012 to: denise@youthaction.org

Denise Kay will provide more information on how to make payments (Tel: 02890240551).

The conference organisers comprise the Northern Ireland Assembly Education Service, YouthAction Northern Ireland, Save the Children and Public Achievement.

International Perspectives and Partnerships

Tony Taylor — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:12:04 +0000

The international perspectives of Youth Work practice and education

Date: 14 June 2012
Start Time: 10:00 am
Location/venue: Coventry University

This event is being hosted as part of the Higher Education Academy’s Workshop and Seminar Series 2012

10:00-16:00

Information about the event:

This event aims to:

bring together teachers, researchers and organisations with a remit for supporting young people. In order to share information and understanding, ultimately learning from each other and informing the development of policy and practice;
situate the teaching and practice of youth work within an international context;
provide an interdisciplinary, international forum for informed discussion and development of understanding of the way that international policy influences contemporary Youth Work;
ensure that undergraduate, post-graduate and early career colleagues play an active role in the organisation of the event.

Bookings

There is no charge to attend the seminar, but a place must be reserved. To register, please email Nicky Boyle

40 places available on first-come, first-served basis

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Carolina Silin writes:

New Erasmus partners

I represent a university called Novia University of Applied Sciences and a degree program called Civic Activity and Youth Work. We are interested in making an Erasmus agreement with a University, in the United Kingdom, that offers similar education.

Our students study 3,5 years to become Community Educators, Bachelors of Humanities. You can find our curricula on the following webpage https://intra.novia.fi/curriculae2010/?id=3398

We can offer a study module (24 ECTS) and an internship (6 ECTS) in English during spring 2013. We are situated in the city of Turku, Finland. Turku is welcoming city with about 180 000 inhabitants in the south-west part of Finland two hours from Helsinki.

Please contact me if you are interested in an Erasmus partnership carolina.silin@novia.fi

South-West Regional : This is Youth Work, Friday, May 11

Tony Taylor — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:22:01 +0000

SOUTH-WEST FLYER TO CIRCULATE.

The slippery slope of social enterprise

Tony Taylor — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:33:56 +0000

Over the next few days and possibly weeks we’ll post contributions from our week of seminars, which focused on what we’ve dubbed the Drive to the Market. To set the ball rolling here is the Power Point presentation made by James Beecher from Stroud Against the Cuts. In truth this succession of bullet points does not do justice to the challenging clarity of James’ argument. We were all impressed by an economist, who didn’t mystify economics and who is in the midst of effective political action. Hopefully we will fill out James’ bullet points in ensuing posts. To state the obvious, social enterprise needs to be a contested notion. As things stand it is dressed up, as it suits, usually by men or indeed women in suits, to mask all manner of sins.

The Drive to Market & Resistance – James Beechey

In addition the following articles by Caroline Molloy, a fellow campaigner fill out the detail of how the Gloucestershire objection to the privatisation of the NHS has stopped the process in its tracks. What might be some lessons for the world of youth work?

A Glimmer of Hope?

Campaign Guide

MAY DAY GREETINGS : A SPRING IN OUR STEP

Tony Taylor — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:47:44 +0000

Not sure the weather is helping to put a spring in the step, but solidarity on International Workers’ Day to one and all.

And the struggle continues.

The battle over Derbyshire county council youth services

OCCUPY WEST SIDE : IDYW ON THE ROAD

Tony Taylor — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:10:36 +0000

We’re on the road this next week with IDYW events in Newcastle on Monday, in London on Thursday and Manchester on Friday – all in one way or another facing up to the implications of the rule of the Market. If you are still weighing up whether you can make it, I will still be accessible on tonymtaylor@gmail.com.

I’ll try to remember to take some photographs and there is the prospect that I might tweet from the events, but I can’t promise! Feels a bit bizarre!

There is a lot of material to post so watch out from next weekend – stuff on climate change and young people; on young people and the Olympics; on young people’s treatment at work via Paris-Match ; and much more.

I’ll leave you with this revised version of ‘Gee Officer Krupke’ from West Side Story, created after the recent infamous activities of the Deputy Inspector of the New York Police, Edward J. Winski at the Occupy New York anniversary march.

Dedicated to Occupy’s favourite perpetrator of police brutality and squasher of dissent. Deputy Inspector Edward J. Winski.

The lyrics are here.

I reckon Lenny Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim might well approve.