From 9 to 13 October 2023 ten representatives of youth centres of Donetsk, Volyn and Zhytomyr region, took part in a study visit to Marttinen Youth Centre with the Council of Europe Quality Label in Virrat (Finland).
This study visit was a response, in particular of the Project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III”, to the needs of youth workers from Ukraine, which were discussed during a study visit and seminar for youth workers and representatives of youth centres that provide youth work during the war in Ukraine (from 4 to 11 December 2022, Strasbourg (France)) and 14 Platform of Youth Centres with the Council of Europe Quality Label (from 9 to 10 May 2023, Strasbourg (France)).
Aim of the study visit became a support of co-operation with a network of youth centres with the Council of Europe Quality Label (in particular, the Marttinen Youth Centre in Virrat, Finland) by developing the competence of representatives of youth centres of Ukraine in the field of environmental youth work.
The study visit was jointly organised by the Marttinen Youth Centre (Virrat, Finland), the Donetsk Regional Children and Youth Centre (Vinnytsia, Ukraine), Volyn Regional Youth Centre (Lutsk, Ukraine), Youth Centre of Zhytomyr Region #kreativ_space (Zhytomyr, Ukraine), the Council of Europe project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III” and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
There are 9 national youth centres in Finland, one of which is Marttinen, which is located in the municipality of Virrat. The functioning of youth centres is regulated by the Finnish Youth Act. National youth centres are subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the municipality where they are located. It is important to note that the age of youth in Finland is legally fixed from 0 to 28 years.
Marttinen is a youth centre, located on an island surrounded by lakes and forests. Therefore, forms of youth work in combination with the environment are very popular - hiking in the forests and the national park, fishing, kayaking and SUP boarding, rock climbing, orientation in the terrain, organisation of quests, mini golf, archery, cycling, games and activities in the fresh air, development of games on environmental themes, training in sorting garbage, etc.
One of the main principles of Marttinen’s activity is environmental friendliness, which is manifested in the use of organic food products, economical use of electricity and water, sorting of garbage, for which the youth centre received Green Key environmental certificate (an international eco-label awarded to facilities with positive environmental initiatives by a non-governmental, non-profit, independent programme operating under the umbrella organisation of the Foundation for Environmental Education - https://www.greenkey.global/).
The Marttinen Youth Centre has the Council of Europe Quality Label, which shows recognition at the international level and allows to improve youth work in the centre through the exchange of experience and involvement in the processes of the Council of Europe.
The Marttinen Youth Centre actively implements the direction of international youth work - youth exchanges, educational opportunities for youth workers, international volunteering. This week-long study visit for representatives of youth centres of Ukraine became part of the international activities of the youth centre. During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to explore the approaches, methodology and educational resources of the Marttinen Youth Centre based on an ecological approach to youth work. Representatives of youth centres from Ukraine also presented and discussed the experience of Ukrainian youth work, in particular in the Donetsk, Zhytomyr and Volyn regions, presented good practices and discussed the role of youth work during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The Project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III” is carried out in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2023-2026 and was built on the results and experience of the projects “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” in 2020-2022. The Project will extend the systematic influence by strengthening participatory youth policies and reinforce youth work in the war and in a post war context, taking into account the specific needs of young people.
Co-operation with the network of youth centres bearing the Council of Europe Quality Label takes place within the framework of achieving the planned result of the Project, when youth workers and administrative staff of youth centres in Ukraine are qualified on the practices and approaches of youth centres that have received the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres.
More news and experience can be found on the page – Co-operation with youth centres that have the Council of Europe Quality Label - https://www.coe.int/en/web/kyiv/cooperation-with-youth-centers-that-have-the-quality-mark-of-the-council-of-europe
The project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" emphasizes the importance of the Council of Europe Youth Sector Strategy until 2030 and reflects the National Strategy of State Youth Policy until 2030, the State Target Social Program “Youth of Ukraine” 2021-2025.
The project will encourage interested stakeholders of youth policy in Ukraine to implement and disseminate the Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to member states: on the access of youth from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights, CM/Rec(2015)3; on young people's access to rights, CM/Rec(2016)7; on youth work, CM/Rec(2017)4; on Roma youth participation CM/Rec(2023)4; on protecting youth civil society and young people, and supporting their participation in democratic processes CM/Rec(2022)6.
News, resources of the Council of Europe in the field of youth and open calls for participation in the project’s activities can be found here.
