6 Country Reports on Youth Work - Jugendpolitik in Europa
6 Country Reports on Youth Work - Jugendpolitik in Europa
6 Country Reports on Youth Work - Jugendpolitik in Europa
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Volunteer<strong>in</strong>g has always been crucial for youth work and youth associati<strong>on</strong>s. It is the basis of<br />
youth work with<strong>in</strong> youth associati<strong>on</strong>s and the medium for the variety of offers provided to<br />
youngsters. Today some 90 supra-local youth associati<strong>on</strong>s exist, with the number of all youth<br />
associati<strong>on</strong>s estimated at approximately 400.<br />
<strong>Youth</strong> associati<strong>on</strong>s organise their work ma<strong>in</strong>ly as group work although forms of open youth<br />
work are becom<strong>in</strong>g more and more popular, as <strong>in</strong> recent time there has been a greater need<br />
for issue-related and part-time <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> projects rather than for permanent<br />
commitment.<br />
In c<strong>on</strong>trast, the youth work provided by youth welfare departments is mostly organised as<br />
open youth work <strong>in</strong> youth clubs, youth projects, youth centres or youth houses. Actually the<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>cti<strong>on</strong> between open youth work and social work for children and young people is<br />
gradually vanish<strong>in</strong>g because of the need to address the special problems of disadvantaged<br />
groups of young people.<br />
<strong>Youth</strong> work <strong>in</strong> Germany is nevertheless a highly professi<strong>on</strong>alised and legally regulated<br />
sector. It is adm<strong>in</strong>istrated by youth welfare departments at municipal level, and it benefits<br />
from the cooperati<strong>on</strong> between professi<strong>on</strong>als and volunteers.<br />
The essential aim of n<strong>on</strong>-formal educati<strong>on</strong> and support is to lead young people towards<br />
determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g their future and tak<strong>in</strong>g resp<strong>on</strong>sibility for their acti<strong>on</strong>s. Therefore, participati<strong>on</strong> by<br />
the child or young pers<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> shap<strong>in</strong>g youth services is not merely a procedural requirement,<br />
but also an essential element for the effectiveness of the service itself. Special importance is<br />
attached to the participati<strong>on</strong> of young people <strong>in</strong> youth work. Young people participate <strong>in</strong><br />
shap<strong>in</strong>g its c<strong>on</strong>tent and organis<strong>in</strong>g it. Their needs and <strong>in</strong>terests are the focus of varied forms<br />
of work and organisati<strong>on</strong>. The primary task of youth work is to make a c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong> towards<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>al self-fulfilment and towards greater freedom and justice by develop<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
strengthen<strong>in</strong>g young people's will and ability to play a resp<strong>on</strong>sible part <strong>in</strong> state and social life.<br />
6.4 Greece<br />
Despite the existence of legal provisi<strong>on</strong>s regard<strong>in</strong>g youth issues, there is no special official<br />
def<strong>in</strong>iti<strong>on</strong> or legal framework for youth work <strong>in</strong> Greece. However, youth work does exist as a<br />
social practice; it c<strong>on</strong>stitutes an <strong>in</strong>tegral part of educati<strong>on</strong>al and welfare work and plays a<br />
significant role <strong>in</strong> support<strong>in</strong>g young people’s safe and healthy transiti<strong>on</strong> to adult life. The<br />
range of activities described as youth work is extensive, and <strong>in</strong>cludes health, social support,<br />
counsell<strong>in</strong>g, educati<strong>on</strong>, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, pers<strong>on</strong>al development, etc. However, it seems that youth<br />
work is ma<strong>in</strong>ly related to leisure time activity – that is, artistic and cultural programmes,<br />
outdoor recreati<strong>on</strong>, sports, etc. – provid<strong>in</strong>g a space for youthful experimentati<strong>on</strong> and cultural<br />
development. <strong>Youth</strong> workers <strong>in</strong> Greece work primarily with young people aged between 15<br />
and 25, but may <strong>in</strong> some cases extend this to those aged 13-15 or 25-30. Most youth<br />
services provide a mixture of ‘open’ youth work, <strong>in</strong>tended for all young people <strong>in</strong> the area,<br />
and youth work target<strong>in</strong>g particular groups of young people, usually those who are<br />
disadvantaged or socially excluded.<br />
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