12 December 2020

EYWC2020 is setting the path for the next 5 years in Youth work through the Bonn Declaration - 'Signposts for the future'

Context of the European Youth Work Convention - EYWC2020


The 3rd European Youth Work Convention will take place when the German EU Council Presidency and the German Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe overlap at the end of 2020. The German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth will host it. JUGEND für Europa, the National Agency for the EU programmes Erasmus+ Youth in Action and European Solidarity Corps, is its partner in organising and developing the content of the event.
The 3rd EYWC follows on from two previous conventions held under the Belgian EU Council Presidency in 2010 and the Belgian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2015. The 1st European Youth Work Convention had addressed the diversity of opportunities, actions, and experiences in youth work in Europe and their appreciation. The 2nd European Youth Work Convention had identified a common ground of all youth work in Europe. Its final declaration called for a European Youth Work Agenda.
European Youth Work Conventions are meant to continue as major events for the whole youth work community of practice in Europe after 2020 at about five-year intervals. A European steering group as an advisory board accompanies the preparation of the Convention. The group consists of experts from the fields of youth work and youth policy. It has met at key stages during the course of planning the event to support its development.



The path towards the Bonn Declaration


During 4 days, between 7th and 10th December 2020 it took place the European Youth Work Convention - EYWC2020 where nearly 1000 youth work professionals, researchers and policy makers joined forces and discussed the main issues connected to youth work within panels and workshops structured in 8 thematic strands.

A team of facilitators and rapporteurs has been running the entire event ensuring that all the suggestions and ideas of the working groups are captured and integrated in the final declaration by the Drafting group.

GEYC Community was part of the process having our colleague Gabriel Brezoiu as part of the facilitators team and keeping us updated with the latest updates in social media via #EYWC2020 hashtag.

Bonn Declaration - 'Signposts for the future'


With the European Youth Work Agenda, a framework is set up to strengthen youth work as a distinctive arena of policy and practice in Europe. Building on the conclusions of the youth work community of practice at the Convention, the following framework for implementing the Bonn Process has been proposed:
  • Strengthening policy – through embedding youth work as an essential part of youth policies at all levels, from the local to the European, not as a means but as a practice in its own right.
  • Building competence – through a coherent education and training strategy for youth work and through bringing together non-formal education and learning and formal education.
  • Developing evidence-informed policy practice for and of youth work – through better knowledge gathering and research.
  • Strengthening partnerships – through transversal and cross-sectoral policy and practice at all levels of governance and implementation.
  • Enabling and ensuring provision – through anchoring, resourcing and supporting, also by the European institutions.
  • Broadening and deepening awareness, within and beyond the youth work community of practice – through information and communications, advocacy and explanation.
  • Strengthening commitment of and ‘career opportunities’ for the youth work community of practice – through attending to conditions of service and employment.

Read the full declaration below:

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