EVS Contact making seminar for young people with fewer opportunities, 29 Jan – 1 Feb, 2008, Paris, France “Inclusion in youth work: a French and European perspective” Dr. Lasse Siurala Director of Youth, City of Helsinki

Dr. Lasse Siurala, Director of Youth, City of Helsinki Curriculum vitae Researcher, acting associate professor of economic sociology at the Helsinki School of Economics ( ) Director of Youth, City of Helsinki ( ,2002-) Director of youth, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France ( ) Married: 2 sons, one daughter Finnish Champion in Karate (1974), 1st President of Finnish Karate Federation

DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH, CITY OF HELSINKI AIMS:  To promote active engagement and democracy education  To support youth organisations  To empower youth at risk MEANS:  54 Youth Centres and  specialised services like Youth Information Centre, Media Centre, Cultural Centre, Domestic Animal Farm, Theatre, Nature House, House of craft and visual arts, Traffic Education Centre, Youth Centre for Girls Only, indoor skating hall, 21 outdoor skate parks, two camping islands, residential education centre, Virtual Youth Centre, Virtual Cultural Arena, LAN party facilities etc  300 municipal professionally trained full-time youth workers  Cultural activities, contests for amateur bands, street and show dance, theatre, media art etc  Free for a membership card (4 euros/year)  Budget 25 Me (2008)

Young people with fewer opportunities – recent embarrassment in Finland November 2007 a school boy guns down 8 people at his school. His victims include the headmaster and two adults. Finally he kills himself.

Young people with fewer opportunities – recent embarrassment in Finland The Jokela school shooting debate: Erosion of social communities: why are youth “bowling alone”? Has the emphasis on individual competitiveness and efficient integration into labor markets gone too far? Does the immense space of uncontrolled internet communities support young people to extreme acts? Why the school and other educational contexts do not offer young people possibilities to reflect their differing and sometimes extreme views and ideas?

New forms of illness? -loneliness -obesity -lack of sleep -bad physical condition -multi-drug use -stress -net-dependency -deteriorated backbone -etc Young people with fewer opportunities – recent embarrassment in Finland

Inheritance of social exclusion and disappearance of youth: What are young people (16-28 year-olds) doing after finishing compulsory education? in education57 % at work27 unemployed 7 in military service 3 elsewhere % Source: Häggman, Erik: The Polarisation Memorandum 2007

Social inclusion through youth work Case: Helsinki City Youth Department Early prevention Targeted intervention Reintegration youth centres, cultural youth work support to youth NGOs and action groups youth work in multi- media context counselling democracy education street work employment work shops (production schools) peer education integrating ethnic minorities support to youth in the net multi-agency integration services for youth at risk projects for special groups

The process of deviancyThe role of youth work Frustration (Social pressure theory) Supporting identity growth and choices in life: youth information and counselling, PSSs Offering rewarding experiences in daily life: self-realisation through young people´s own cultural productions Disengagement (Control theory) Learning (Learning theory) Labelling (Labelling theory) Providing informal control and social capital: engaging young people as active participants in NGOs, youth centres, action groups, net communities, municipalities etc Offering an alternative: street work, activities during week ends and holydays, night basket ball etc Seeing youth as a resource, not as a problem: combating stereotypic images of youth, providning ´other knowledge`

A continuum of youth policy approaches Policy typeStrengths weaknesses examples Issue-based programmes and projects: - multi-agency action to combat violence, substance use etc. - fixed term (mixed) funding well targeted, planned, managed and evaluated, broad partnerships, attracts funding, aims at good practices lacking continuity, problem-centred, “politicization” Canada UK Early prevention general services: - youth centers, professional youth workers, youth information, YNGO support systems etc. - permanent (public) funding continuity, professional quality of youth workers, broad clientele, equalitarian, opportunity -focused becoming hidebound*, sectorization, lacking flexibility, one-source funding Finland Austria *hidebound= keeping to outdated traditions rather than accepting new ideas

Toronto Urban Youth Violence project GOALS Empowered youth prepared for opportunities and choices Transform stressed neighbourhoods into strong, safe and healthy communities which provide opportunities for youth PRINCIPLES Fostering partnerships and streamlining Responding at-risk youth and communities Investment in “what works” Promoting local solutions PILLARS Strong, Safe & Supportive Communities. Community and Youth Engagement and Partnerships. Strong and Supportive Families Learning & Skills Development EXPECTED OUTCOMESINDICATORS fewer youth in gangsproportion of “gang alert” youth fewer gang violenceyouth recidivism rate by type of offence increased youth employmentyouth employment rate In co-operation with The University of Toronto