DISQUS

the one with barcamp is defo tim davies!

Mas - this is really interesting - we did some research with 13-15 years on the media in nov and one of the interesting side discoveries was how that age group felt in terms of opportunities available to them - lots for over 16 and they felt there was fairly OK provision for under 11s but somehow they were falling through the gap...

nice one mas - we were just having the same conversation with a couple of people here yesterday so this is a perfectly timed blog:)

sadly won't be able to make it to the conference on the 18th but look forward to kirsty's blog about it!!!!

I think I agree with tim that a total ban is not the right way to go. It feels like a disproprionate response to a relatively small risk. I think teachers, youth workers and other professionals working with young people need to remember to be as transparent in their conversations with young people online as they are offline. Most practioners are aware of guidelines about ensuring things happen in a public space rather than taking very young people off on their own to a dark corner somewhere so the same principle can be applied online - talk on your wall where possible so that the level of intimacy remains appopriate and with regards to your private life share what you think is approriate that is what the privacy settings are there for surely? I think it is also useful to set up a space for the project for young people to join become friends with so that the line between work and individual is clear - hope that ramble makes sense LOL

we are all manipulated by media and other cultural references around us - look at the difference between the actual crime statistics and people's fear of crime for example! But the fact is that the survival of society depends on the fact that we indoctrinate our children to play by the rules we have already set up for ourselves...

i have to admit that is a pretty slick promo - but with regards to whether V is working or not - I think there is something about our obsession to get every young person volunteering or taking part in youth activities - admitedly 27% aint great but it's not bad is it? Or am I being defeatist??

the whole discussion about online youth work has thrown up issues i never thought about - young people in the main are not that it literate - there are real access issues for some young people - i am still surprised by the fact that there is a significant minority of young people that do youth act that don't have an email add and another small no that only access the internet at school as they don't have internet access at home...

wow that is really interesting - it has a lot to say to traditional youth work and citizen engagement agendas - definately sharing that with loads of people!! Thanks :)

I just visited a school in South London that had an interesting take on their citizenship course for Year 10s - they have to accredit/ mark the students for activee citizenship so they have come up with a structure (that students agree with) that doesn't do the tick boxes thing but recognises going above and beyond basic engagement - they are only trying out now so only time will tell if it really works (will let you know at the end of the summer!)

I read this and thought 'now that's what we need to stop the permanent had in front of trouser thing' that happens all over the UK - am I being too draconian? Perhaps it's time to move to Italy...

You might be interested in the fact that we have just put a funding bid in to do some research about what types of critical soft skills are needed for effective active citizenship and building stronger communities that might be of interest - happy to share as usual :)

Came across this blog on the same issue http://www.1mag3.co.uk/fatal-impact

Whilst I agree with Tim's comment about the fact that there should be no magic age when adulthood is unlocked for young people, there is no getting away from the fact that the position as it currently stands for young people is unnecessarily complicated (mainly because no obe has conducted a comprehensive review of the law as it relates to young people eg family law, negligence law etc as well as all the things you've mentioned)

My broader comment though relates to your point about political participation - whilst I agree that voting is not the most effective form of participation, political participation which is much wider than a responsibility to vote is the highest form of participation.

Political participation means being involved in the decisions that affect your life. That could be at school, at home or in your local community. It is about engaging with decision-makers (people who have the power to make decisions that affect you and the way you live etc) so for example, being involved in discussions and more importantly decisions around changes in school uniform at your school would be an act of political participation.

Participative democracy is about the relationship people have with their decision makers on a daily basis, shaping policies not just by voting buy by being involved in helping to find solutions to problems/ issues that affect them or their community.

Totally agree with all you said! Paid volunteering and forced volunteering are definitely oxymorons unparalleled in the history of oxymoronia!!

The other problem I have in the whole discussion about young people's volunteering is how there is so much emphasis on supporting older young people rather than spreading out investment to all ages.

I am not entirely convinced of statements that say that young people are volunteering less now than they used to in the past but without research to support or disprove this - I am happy for money to be spent supporting the development of volunteering.

Our experience of volunteering is that you need to:
* provide a variety of opportunities so people can pick and choose
* support the development of a culture where volunteering is promoted so that people are interested in looking for places to volunteer and also develop the habit of volunteering (NYA published a report about the culture part, I haven't read it yet at www.nya.org.uk/youthactionandengagement)

It is interesting how you mention the need in Malawi is higher but no social services to help people as I am reading a book about some of the challenges facing countries in Africa and the writer talks about the African culture of the extended family as a better system of providing social care. Basically people feel an obligation to look after others, people in their extended family (that could mean the children of your grandmother's friend's neighbour) It got me thinking about how African culture has loads to teach us about how to look after each other. People think it is their responsibility if they are better off to look after other - that's why you see children in Malawi whose parents are dead (AIDS, poverty) who are still being looked after by older women in the village - the problem is that some of those adults don't have enough to look after the number of children but they are willing to try which is amazing! I guess with homelessness here or prostitution, it's about our willingness to try and help - whether that is just to spend a minute or two talking to someone so that they feel human or giving money to a refuge/ project (don't believe giving the money directly is useful)

Hi Tim. I think the Article 12 started as a developmental right but has expanded to encompass much more than the adu;t knows best presumption (against young people). The right to participate in decisions affecting one's life is not contained in any other UN human rights treaty (not for women, refugees, migrant workers or disabled people)

I think by working with governments to define a child/ young person as widely as possible - we can widen the access of Article 12 to the wider society and by doing this I think we strengthen participation and ultimately make it an integral part of our culture not just something we try to give to young people.

I guess my concern is that everyone especially young people loose out when this right is limited because it is seen as a niche thing to do for young people rather than a way of working with young people (if that makes sense)