Report - Salto

74
Bridges for Recognition | Hot Issues discussion groups
Some Steam from the Hot Discussions
A total of five Hot Issues discussion groups had been devised to cover these subjects and an
additional one was added after a request from the floor. There were two opportunities to engage
in the hot issues debate. Conference delegates were free to either discuss two different subjects
or to stay with one subject for both discussion sessions. The topics were:
Transferability across countries and organisations
Responsibilities and resources for recognition
Social recognition of Youth Work
Transferability between sectors
The creaming effect – recognition and equality
Recognition of trainers
The hot issues discussion then took place in groups rooms throughout the conference centre.
Brief reports were given in the final plenary session. The highlights from the discussions were
as follows:
• There was, of course great appreciation of the value and further potential of non-formal
learning.
• The need for common understanding of terms and concepts across sectors was discussed
many times.
• Recognition was seen by one group as needing to move through a progression of “Self – Sector
– Society”.
• There was a lot of discussion about the relationship between the formal and the non-formal
learning sectors. Several groups recognised their complementarity and called for greater
mutual respect. Others expressed the concern that any certification would be interpreted as
the formalisation of the non-formal sector.
• “Recognition for ALL young people” was the response of the group discussing the “creaming
effect”; articulating the risk of reinforcing the disadvantages of less able or marginalized
young people.
• Real concerns were expressed about the risk of losing something of the culture of Nonformal
learning; its links with play and voluntary participation were particular areas where
recognition posed a threat.