G R O U P E D E R E C H E R C H E S E T D 'É T U D E S
S R E MMO U N L R
L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T
Education, Participation and Employability Euro-Mediterranean Youths: From Indignation to Contribution
The unprecedented protests in Europe and the Middle East between December 2010 and Spring 2011 ushered in widespread political/social soul-searching, most notably in Tunisia and Egypt. Such political turbulence demands serious and unbiased reflection. Leading players in European youth programmes, as well as key actors of Euro-Mediterranean youth fields, are being looked to for direction and they need to respond.
Under the aegis of the Youth in Action programme and in a seminar organized by INJEP, AFPEJA, SALTO YOUTH EuroMed in collaboration with University Lyon 2, MOM, and GREMMO, fifty key actors in the youth field and social work from both sides of the Mediterranean sea agreed on a list of recommendations for international policy makers.
Based on participants’ experiences and on direct interactions with international experts from academia, international organizations for development and public institutions, the following list of recommendations aims to promote human security and development in the Euro-Mediterranean area by supporting youth learning, employability and entrepreneurship, as well as by reinforcing universal access to information and the knowledge economy.
The recommendations deal with two main issues, which are both strategic for the future of the region and consistent with subscribers’ competences, visions and values: participation, non-formal education, and employability the information society and knowledge economy. “Euro-Mediterranean Youths: from indignation to contribution”
Lyon, 7 - 10 February 2012, Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée
Recommendations
Participation, non-formal education, and employability
Build a long-term coalition among all the stakeholders (including the private sector) involved in the youth social context
Why To unite the efforts of all stakeholders to develop relevant projects to support better professional and social integration of young people. How By raising awareness among stakeholders (private sector) of the importance of such coalitions in terms of improving the public image of these entities as well as creating more competent human resources. For example: study visits for a best practice model or partnership building activities within the Euromed context
Support entrepreneurship initiatives by young people in the Euromed area
Why Unemployment is already high and will continue to increase Unemployment is a destabilizing factor in the Euromed region that generates a vicious circle of social exclusion. How By implementing capacity building programmes to enhance entrepreneurial competencies among young people, By creating an entrepreneurship-supportive social, political, legal and economic environment. An example: use youth initiatives to facilitate the first steps to setting up a company
Adapt/reinforce a visible EuroMediterranean framework for non formal education that supports voluntarism and employability
Why To make information more visible, accessible to youngsters and stakeholders. To reinforce the impact by highlighting and circulating best practices in civil society. To facilitate the evaluation of the impact of projects on youth employability
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L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T “Euro-Mediterranean Youths: from indignation to contribution”
Lyon, 7 - 10 February 2012, Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée
How By building a Euromed reference for quality criteria of non formal education activities By creating or reinforcing it through the adaptation of national frameworks for non formal education.
Ensure the sustainability of youth-oriented NGOs
Why •Sustainable NGOs are needed as they are aware of young people’s requirements and have a better understanding of grassroots needs. •NGO sustainability depends on management skills and expertise
How • By providing capacity building programmes aiming at empowering NGOs at all organizational, managerial, legal and financial levels. • By bridging the gap between the labour market and NGOs via partnerships.
Promote the added value/recognition of competences acquired through non- formal education in Euromed
Why • Skills acquired through non-formal learning, if recognised and meaningful for the labour market, could enhance youth employability. • Life long learning is a continuum of learning acquired through formal, non-formal and informal education: non-formal and informal learning are particularly important for youngsters and NGO professionals in the acquisition of social, personal and organisational skills. How • By expanding the use of Youthpass within the Euromed program. • By promoting the added value of the Youthpass to all relevant stakeholders within the Euromed region via the creation of common work spaces for youth workers, policy makers, teachers and researchers. • By encouraging policy makers to adopt this tool as an official certificate of acquiring competencies for both youngsters and social workers
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L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T “Euro-Mediterranean Youths: from indignation to contribution”
Lyon, 7 - 10 February 2012, Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée
Information society and knowledge economy
Promote universal access to information through the ICTs
Why ICTs are empowering tools that enhance human development How By advocating the recognition of access to information as a basic human right By implementing policies that contribute to removing economic and social obstacles By implementing communication campaigns in “disconnected areas” that show the potential of ICTs as a developmental tool...
Preserve the free flow of information and the sharing of knowledge
Why A safe environment and full access to information are the prerequisites to enable individuals to become engaged and active citizens How By safeguarding the privacy and anonymity of users, By raising awareness of the political and economic threats to the free flow of information.
Support innovation and the knowledge economy
Why Innovation is necessary to cope with the fast changing world and the necessity of improving youth employability and ICTs offer great opportunities to promote it. How By facilitating the sharing of innovative ideas and good practices through a network of dedicated Euromed centers, By improving awareness that innovative projects can occur everywhere from grassroots processes to multidisciplinary encounters, By establishing virtual incubators to provide support for innovative projects
Promote critical thinking about ICTs
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L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T “Euro-Mediterranean Youths: from indignation to contribution”
Lyon, 7 - 10 February 2012, Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée
Why To fully exploit ICTs’ potential, users need to develop specific competences and skills so as not to be overwhelmed by the overload of information. How By training (adopting formal and non formal methodologies) on ICTs to ensure their efficient, beneficial and responsible use, By training on the production and sharing of information.
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L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T “Euro-Mediterranean Youths: from indignation to contribution”
Lyon, 7 - 10 February 2012, Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée
Organizers and partners:
INJEP – Institut National de la Jeunesse et de l’Education Populaire
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L A MÉ D I T E R R A N É E E T L E M O Y E N - O R I E N T