Recommendation

The time spent in care should be a time for the preparation of the child for responsible life in a democratic society

(EU Council of Ministers, 2005, p.14) Ertion Axha

Member of the International Youth Council "I matter" Campain

Agenda

• United Nations General Assembly guideline• Youth Participation in “I Matter” Project

o “I Matter” in Albaniao International Youth Council (IYC)

• A brief summary of the Action Plan of IYC• Challenges and Positive outcomes • The Importance of Youth Participation• Evaluation of recommendations seen from different aspects.

United Nations General Assembly guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children

Basic Concepts:

– [All decisions taken] ... should respect fully the child’s right to be consulted and to have his/her views duly taken into account

in accordance with his/her evolving capacities                                                                                                 

on the basis of his/her access to all necessary information

                                                 (UN G. A. , 2005, p. 6)

Youth participation

• Leaving Care Project in Albania

• International Youth Council (IYC)

Youth Participation during the Leaving Care project in Albania

Round Table - Feb 2009    - Discussed problems evidenced in situation analysis    - Suggested different approaches how to solve these problems

Structuring I Matter Project    - Two Tracks   => Youth Participation

Youth Network with other Youth NGOs    - TAMAM    - Active Youth

Other Activities

International Youth Council (IYC)

Berlin February 2010•     Action Plan

2 Members from each of per each country participating in LC Project

Divided in three main groups: Policy, Communications and Events

Since October 2010 have an Action Plan

Action Plan

Provide organizational opportunities for young people to gather

Develop youth unions between all forms of alternative care

Inform the public about leaving care

Make partnerships with different businesses or important people

Offer life skills trainings for young people

IYC - Continued

Activities where IYC members participated:    - Vilnius October 2009 "Keeping doors open" Conference   

     - Brighton July 2010 IFCO Conference    - Vienna November 2010•     Meeting with Steering Group of LCC and Senior Management

Team of SOS•     Radio Broadcast

http://teenstalk.medienzentrum.at/

Challenges

Lack of time

Lack of Skills    Communication     Organization    Lobbying

Positive outcomes

Innovation

Responsibility on sharing information

Greater Confidence

Every youngster needs to be stronger towards the challenges of the future

Christian PichlerSecretary General of SOS KDI(Prague 2011)

People want to negotiate for what is important to them Michael Ungar Ph.D.

Professor in School for Social Work, Dalhouse University(Prague 2011)

Motivate youth participation

Introduce youth participation in earlier ages (create a culture of democracy)                                                                                                                                    and 

Gradually increase the opportunities of youth participation

By:

    - collective meetings between youngsters and caregivers    - opinion share gatherings    - motivating strong feeling of self-organizing    - giving opportunities to participate in decision-making

Smoothly change between the levels of Youth Participation according to age and capacity will give us the possibility to understand Youth Participation through experience

It will help us:

    - be more expressive    - effectively communicate our ideas and deliver our concerns    - have experience on how to lobby for them (this world is a big institution)    - build stronger confidence - have the sense of entrepreneurship - develop responsible needs    - create the sense for our thoughts    - have the possibility to know better ourselves and know where is better to invest our potential in time    - be better active members of the democratic society

Make care institutions have such youngstersThey will have an active group of youngsters who:

    - will have a direct contact with other children (peer counseling)    - actively give innovating ideas for improvement    - may be future colleagues willing to invest their energies to improving  quality care

More involved youngsters and equal co-decision-making helps closing the gap between adults and youngsters

Makes it possible to inherit good experiences and achievements and reflect on bad ones (more contacts between youngsters of different ages)

Recommendation

Introduce the concept and provide experience at younger ages, according to child's capacity and accessibility to information

Encourage youth organization groups (of every type) in Care Institutions and provide a healthy negotiation environment and sense of responsibility for the other person

Allow  youth representation in decision-making level with an equalized importance between children and adults