From 8 to 13 October 2023 a study visit of youth workers of Ukraine to the youth centre with the Council of Europe Quality Label “Marttinen” (in Finland)  took place. Representatives of youth centres of Donetsk, Volyn and Zhytomyr regions took part in the visit*.

Gaining new experience of youth work, in particular, taking into account the ecological direction of work, creating a safe space for young people and orientation to the process, as the basis of the principle of self-reliance was an important aspect during the study visit.

“We appreciate the high level of independence, individual responsibility and decision-making by young people”, says Christian Granat, the project manager of the “Marttinen” youth centre.

An interesting experience for Ukrainian youth work is the creation of conditions for independence, for example, a master class on painting cups will take place in an unprepared space, where young people can work on the organisation of the work area by themselves: prepare paints, brushes, lay a protective tablecloth on the table, organise the distribution of resources and ensure cleanliness during the process.

And if the plan is fishing, then they themselves prepare bait for fish, dig the ground, collect worms.

At first Ukrainian glance, this may seem like the delegation of the youth worker’s powers and the removal of any responsibility from him/her, but in practice this process contributes to the emotional relief of a young person, teaches to enjoy the process, and not to focus on a certain short result.

“Who would have thought that one day I would dig the ground with a shovel and be delighted to look for fish bait there?”, comments a participant of the study visit from Ukraine.

“I was surprised how easily changes were made in the program of the visit. It started raining, which means we can’t go to the forest, we collectively decided what we would do now, waited for the weather and went according to plan. However, it happened very easily and without stress, which surprised me a lot, if something doesn’t go according to plan, it’s a big stress for everyone. And it turned out that it is possible in another way”, says youth worker from Ukraine, participant of the study visit.

The topic requires an in-depth analysis of the relationship of the youth sector to the results of its own work, where the training process is not considered as an achievement, as one that can also fill with resources, give positive emotions and develop certain competencies. The resource is the result, and this is what limits both young people and specialists who work with young people in achieving the principle of self-reliance.

Lidia Indychenko, acting Director of the Donetsk Regional Children’s and Youth Centre.

*Views expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors and may not reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe.

• 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)).
• 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 in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. 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.

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.