From Spain to Russia, and from Finland to Turkey: All across Europe, a new, larger network of collaboration in international youth work develops. From the 26th to 30th of March, representatives of 45 youth work institutions from 17 European countries met in Hattingen. Their common goal: To realise sustainable projects in international youth workcamps, and building a Europe of civil society. Albert Klein-Reinhardt, Officer for European and International youth politics at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, welcomed the active professionals.
In the coming three years, the project partners will realise a total of 45 international workcamps in 17 countries. At the congress in Hattingen, they networked and collaborated to plan the first 15 youth encounters. Already this year, these will take place in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Hungary.
„The youth work organisations have a lot on their plates“, said the Chairman of the International Association for Education and Exchange (IBB e.V.) Matthias C. Tümpel. „Together they want to renovate youth centres, work with refugees and implement ecological projects. One partnership is even building a ship over the course of three years, which then will be used by the Ukrainian partner organisation for their youth work. These great projects show how we imagine Europe. They give me, very personally, hope in a time where, once again, there is war in Europe, and in which some question the European idea as a whole“, Tümpel continues.
Two funding programmes
All of this is made possible by the funding programmes ewoca³(+) – for everyone! and ewoca³. ewoca³ supports youth work organisations from North Rhine-Westphalia, together with their partner organisations. Now the new programme ewoca³(+) also enables youth work institutions from Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia to become part of this network. The project partners from ewoca³(+) continue to develop the concept, adapt it to their practical needs, and, in the coming three years, will realise their own, innovative workcamp ideas.