Youth NGOs Research Articles

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ОБІЗНАНОСТІ МОЛОДІ ЩОДО ОСОБЛИВОСТЕЙ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ МОЛОДІЖНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ В УКРАЇНІ

The article is devoted to the study of the role of youth in the formation and implementation of state youth policy. The author proves that youth is a powerful «resource» for any state. The further success of all social processes depends on how conscious and active young people are. In March 2024, a sociological survey was conducted among young people aged 14-35, the results of which formed the basis of the scientific article. The main purpose of such a sociological survey is to study the views of young people on possible prospects for participation in the formation of youth policy and their vision of current directions for the implementation of youth policy in Ukraine. The process of forming a questionnaire, developing questions and determining the age category of respondents, which was the main focus of the study, is revealed. It is noted that the questionnaire was created in Google form, which facilitated the process of sending the questionnaire to Viber and Telegram, as well as posting it on Facebook and Instagram. The author lists the questions included in the questionnaire and emphasizes which ones were emphasized. The answers to the questions presented in the questionnaire were analyzed. At the same time, the answers to individual questions that are interrelated were compared. Based on the analysis of the questionnaires, the relevant conclusions were drawn. In particular, the following issues need to be addressed: raising awareness among young people about opportunities to influence state-building processes, as well as about youth councils and youth NGOs; getting young people interested rather than forcing them to do something; ensuring conditions for youth participation by creating youth advisory bodies; holding events and implementing programmes and projects developed by young people; and systematic support for youth work by the authorities.

Covid19 Pandemic in Romania and the Impact on the Lives of Young People

The theme and the purpose of this article is to show the significant role of empathy and solidarity during our Covid-19 Pandemic in Romania, an impact increasingly essential and visible in communities and among young people, youth workers or NGOs. Actions from the simple calls or safe meetings with youth workers, to fundraising and donations campaigns organised by young people for those less fortunate ones, proved that there is someone out there willing and ready to help. According to field research carried out so far, in a few romanian NGO-s working with young people, the main areas most affected in young people’s lives are their emotional health and social skills. Many young people were deprived of human interaction they were used to before, as most activities were transferred online. The youngsters with the fewest opportunities were the group most affected. The specific risks that they are facing are social exclusion, school dropout, health and wellbeing issues, mental health issues,and even anxiety or depression. These challenges as young people seek to negotiate and navigate various transitions are economic, social, educational, personal and, in some cases, professional. Young people and those in NGOs working in this sector have developed new coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with the new circumstances and uncertainties with the help of European funds for their projects, such as European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ funds. Regarding the labour market, within education and in relation to learning, mobility across both formal and non-formal sectors, all activities were adapted to online or hybrid versions, eventually becoming the new normal. As one example, in an NGO that has a project called Empowering Youth Academy, young people showed resilience in the pandemic situation and did not want to give up to youth work activities, even though they had to face adversities in their families, with regards to transportation or other issues, because the youth work activities were therapeutic and motivational for them. They needed a safe space to go and be themselves. Observation of local realities in some youth NGO-s from Romania, reveal the fact that the resources young people need to better face the consequences of the pandemic are related to youth work and the need to have a youth centre as a safe space where they can find someone to listen, activities related to their needs and where they can even help those in need such as children from childcare centres through art therapy activities, boardgames, mindfulness etc. Public policies from national and European authorities that seek to ensure recovery and build back better are implemented by the national authorities, but there is a strong need for collaboration with youth workers and NGOs that know their communities deeply. Additionally, there is a need to adapt an integrated system of youth policies, youth centres and youth services after the pandemic that can also address the economic, educational, personal, professional, and mental health issues among young people due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“How to March at the Computer”: The Role of Digitalization in the Activities of the Regional Patriotic Organizations of Siberian Federal District

In Russia, the government’s demand for the patriotic education of young people is constantly growing. However, the content of the programs, their implementation strategies and the prospects for introducing digital technologies into the activities of patriotic youth NGOs remain vague. Based on the analysis of online resources, including the organizations’ social media accounts, the authors conclude that informative content prevails. In addition, they distinguish 4 clusters of non-commercial organizations: Yunarmiyan (Young Army Cadets National Movement), military-athletic, historical and civic, with 60 000 members in total. With the help of TargetHunter parser, the study analyzes social media posts, paying attention to their content and format, the number of posts, likes, comments, viewers and followers. The authors conclude that the level of online involvement has risen as the amount of news traditionally increases in the first quarter of each year, as well as due to the adaptation to the conditions set by the pandemic. The digitalization of patriotic education is complicated and diverse because of the specifics of patriotic organizations, as patriotic content is second to entertainment and educational content on the web.

ДЕРЖАВНА ПОЛІТИКА В СФЕРІ ПАТРІОТИЧНОГО ВИХОВАННЯ

The article proves the need to cultivate patriotism through public policy, especially in modern wartime Ukraine. A successful path to victory is possible if public policy promotes the development of a system of national and patriotic education. We believe that in the conditions of modern development the idea of patriotism should be the core around which high ideological positions are formed, as well as the aspirations, readiness and ability of all people to actively work for the benefit of the homeland. It is proved that the target audience of the main document, which sets out the directions of state policy on patriotic education are young people, and such segments of the population as persons over 35 years of age, which make up 61.1 percent of the population are not involved. Based on a total population of 41.1 million at the beginning of 2022, measures aimed at promoting Ukrainian youth NGOs banned and persecuted by the occupation and Soviet regimes, including the Ukrainian Plast movement (Plast) and the Scout movement, Unions of Ukrainian youth that have survived abroad and resumed their activities in Ukraine with independence should be covered in 2022, only 0.7 percent of the population, which in our opinion is very small, given that the percentage of young people aged 15 to 35 is 24.7 percent. The planned level of youth coverage of measures aimed at increasing the number of young people ready to fulfill the duty to protect the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine is quite low. Calculations show that out of the total number of young people (10.1 million people), only 239.6 thousand people will join the relevant activities. On average, 19.9 thousand people per month and 163 people per territorial community. It is determined that the influence of the state on the process of patriotic education is the use of appropriate mechanisms that contribute to achieving its goals. State mechanisms are closely linked and complementary, and their integrated use contributes to the main goal of public policy. The direction of patriotic educational state policy should be based on the fact that it is primarily national. We see future research on the essence of directions and mechanisms of state policy in the development of patriotic education of all segments of society and not only young people.

Formation of skills of a healthy lifestyle in children's public associations

One of the social institutions in which children gain experience and develop healthy lifestyle skills are children's and youth NGOs and associations. Their activities are regulated by the Constitution of Ukraine, the Laws of Ukraine "On Extracurricular Education", "On Associations of Citizens", "On the Basic Principles of Youth Policy". By cooperating on a partnership basis with government agencies and institutions, social movements, children's organizations solve the most important problems of children, helping them in social adaptation, creating conditions for their socialization.
 One of the main tasks of children's public organizations and associations is to develop the skills of a healthy lifestyle as a platform for successful self-realization and self-realization of the child's personality. Physical culture and sports are an integral part of a child's harmonious development. The creation of sports organizations for children is conditioned by the needs of the present and the state policy on the development of physical culture and sports, care for the upbringing of a healthy younger generation. Such associations focus children on health care and promote a healthy lifestyle. Thus, healthy meaningful recreation and leisure becomes one of the most important areas of self-education of children and students.
 Free from strict regulations and obligations, children's public organizations and associations create ample opportunities for personal growth and physical development of the child, forming moral values, hardening the character, developing a responsible attitude to health and safety. Characterizing children's movement by areas of activity, we pay special attention to children's organizations of physical culture and sports. Such associations have the necessary potential for appropriate educational influences and are a space for the development of healthy lifestyle skills in children and students.

Does youth participation increase the democratic legitimacy of UNFCCC-orchestrated global climate change governance?

ABSTRACT Youth NGOs have participated in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for over a decade, yet research into their experiences is lacking. Drawing upon an ethnographic case study conducted between 2015 and 2018, we ask: does youth participation increase the democratic legitimacy of a UNFCCC-orchestrated global climate change regime? Applying the concepts of ‘input’ and ‘throughput’ legitimacy, we find that the UNFCCC offers an accessible entry-point for young newcomers into climate governance, but this does not necessarily lead to engagement in orchestrated initiatives. A potential exception to this is Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) which we identify as an overlooked example of UNFCCC orchestration. We thus propose a conceptual distinction between ‘exclusive’ and ‘inclusive’ orchestration, the former merely connecting likeminded intermediaries while the latter broadens inclusion and actively redresses power imbalances, urging more proactive pursuit of democratic legitimacy, including youth engagement from the UNFCCC Secretariat and COP Presidencies.

Проєкти дитячих та молодіжних громадських організацій у контексті молодіжної політики України

Children’s and youth public organizations are an effective partner of the state in the education of children and youth. One of the aspects of the activity of such organizations is the implementation of projects in the framework of the tasks of state target, regional and local programs in the field of youth policy. The purpose of the article is to analyze the competitive bids (programs, projects, activities) developed by civil society institutions, in particular children's and youth organizations, for the implementation (implementation) of which financial support is provided by the state. The main objectives of the article are: review of regulatory and legal support for the activities of youth and children’s NGOs and the procedure for organizing a competition to determine programs (projects, activities) developed by civil society institutions; analysis of trends in the participation of public organizations, in particular in a pandemic; analysis of tender proposals by priorities of activity. The reasons for the decrease in the number of youth and children's public organizations participating in the competition are analyzed. Among the main reasons are the following: quarantine restrictions imposed in connection with the pandemic, which made it impossible for traditional activities of public organizations (in particular, holding camps, meetings, talks, etc.); lack of experience in such competitions; unpreparedness of the necessary tender documentation – a set of documents that contain requirements for the preparation of tender proposals by civil society institutions; non-compliance of organizations with one or more criteria required for participation in the competition; lack of staff (adult leaders) who are ready to take on not only educational and organizational functions but also project management (preparation of documentation, budgeting, etc.); availability of other sources of funding, etc. The article emphasizes the need to establish effective cooperation between the state and children's and youth NGOs as important partners for the development of civil society institutions.

Implementation of the concept of strategic management in youth non-govermental organizations

Relevance of the research topic. It is impossible to build a civil society without forming an effective engine of its development in all spheres of the state. In order to take measures in a sphere of youth politics, the public authorities should get support to its subjects including Youth NGO’s. NGO which is able to develop singly and develop subjects around during a long period of time should become a basis for improving youth policy of the state. Such development is only possible with the help of mechanisms and tools of strategic management, which makes this research up-to-date. Formulation of the problem. Strategic management of developing an organisation requires a detailed study from the point of view of development and implementation of management concept. It states mechanisms and tools which should be used in the organisation`s activity. In regard with the fact that development of NGO was forced by both evolutional and revolutionary changes, the possibility of applying the developed concepts of strategic management for the functioning of concrete types of organisations should be critically analysed. Analysis of the last research and publications. Theory of concepts of strategic management was thoroughly reviewed in works by M. Nebava, O. Ratushnyak, V. Ortina, L. Fedulowa, Z. Shershnyova and O. Stoliarenko. In addition to this, researches on strategic management were also considered. In works of A.Tompsom and A.Stricland, K.Prahalad and H.Hamel, I.Nonaka and H.Takeuchi and B.Wernerfeld. Strategic management in NGO’s was considered by M.Zemba, V.Melenivska, O. Hlebushkina, H.Kachura, T.Azarova, L.Abramova etc. However, the implementation of concepts of strategic management in the activity of NGO’s is not studied enough. This causes a need for thorough comprehensive research which requires a detailed analysis of existing concepts and approaches to strategic management. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. It is hard for youth NGO’s in Ukraine to pick up an effective concept of strategic management. It is a result of both operating conditions and absence of thorough theoretical basis so as most of the concepts were developed for the functioning of the commercial organisation. So, the important part of the problem which needs a solution is a definition of main provisions of the concept of strategic management which will meet the needs of development of Youth NGO. Setting the task, the purpose of the study. Among the main objectives of the article which let to approach the solution of the stated problem can be highlighted the necessity of developing a system of methods and tools of strategic management of Youth NGO. On the basis of this system and existing concepts, it is expedient to form a model of a concept of strategic management of Youth NGOs. Method or methodology of conducting research. Methods of system-structural analysis and synthesis, retrospection, dialectical and methods of generalization, grouping, comparison and other methods became a methodological basis of the article. Presentation of the main material (results of the work). The article considers the necessity of using the paradigm of strategic management for the development of the organization. The system of methods and tools of strategic management of youth non-governmental organizations is developed. The stages of development of the concepts of strategic management are analysed. The link between the strategic objectives of youth non-governmental organizations is determined. The concept of comprehensive strategic management for use by youth non-governmental organizations is proposed. Field of application of the results. Results of this research may be applied during management of the Youth NGO and during the formation of the state’s youth policy according to participants of NGOs in building up the civil society. Conclusions according to the article. Application of the concept of strategic management allows the youth NGOs to change the way of acting from management according to operative tasks to strategic management with the help of a comprehensive approach to perspectives of NGO’s development.

Youth participation and agency in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

This article examines the participation and agency of young non-state actors (NSAs) in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It utilizes the constituency of Youth NGOs: YOUNGO, as a case study to examine the relationship between selection of participatory strategies, power sources (following Nasiritousi et al. in Int Environ Agreem Politics Law Econ 16(1):109–126, 2016), recognition and agency using ego and alter perceptions. It finds that young people’s selection of participatory strategies and power sources is shaped by the level of agency which they perceive to be available to them. When self-perception of agency is high, young participants offer constructive policy amendments which can lead to recognition and agency, though only within certain policy areas and the silos in which they are negotiated. When self-perception of agency is low, youth interpret this as lack of recognition, leading to efforts to assert their relevance and/or to challenge procedural legitimacy: neither of which are well received by decision-makers. In reality, several of the challenges faced by young participants are not structurally unique to their constituency; however, their lack of financial resources does hinder their ability to fully utilize modes of participation which previous studies have found to be beneficial to other NSAs, such as side-events. Financial constraints also restrict the ability of youth participants, many of whom are volunteers, to develop professional relationships with key actors over time, meaning that the level of agency developed by more established, better-resourced NSAs remains largely out of reach. These findings have implications for the understanding of NSA agency, which has previously been treated as homogeneous and raises further questions regarding procedural legitimacy of the UNFCCC and its role in mobilizing and empowering the next generation.

From passive welfare to community governance: Youth NGOs in Australia and Scotland

This study examines two regional youth welfare agencies in different parts of the world that have independently from each other begun to redevelop their organisations within a community governance framework. This means that they are involved in an arena of public decision making about local resources that extends beyond local state services to embrace those activities that involve either the provision of public services as part of the community, or the representation of community interests to the broader policy community. The two agencies used in this study are Brophy Family and Youth Services in Warrnambool, Australia, that services southwest Victoria and Aberdeen Foyer in the regional city of Aberdeen, Scotland that services the rural hinterland. While these agencies are pursuing the same path towards a community governance approach they have adopted different strategies to achieve their aims. Using these two agencies as exemplars this paper outlines a conceptual model that helps to provide an understanding of an emerging community governance framework in the welfare sector.

La participación política de los jóvenes en la Unión Europea

All social agents share the younger generations’ actual success or failure to integrate and develop within society. In order to achieve their effective citizenship, youths require institutional structures that may allow them to participate actively in public events and become satisfactorily self-supporting. Since youth is the stage in life when citizenship is shaped, all EU’s governmental bodies, member states and regional administrations are responsible for implementing the necessary resources to enhance youths’ active participation. Younger cohorts in Europe are likely to lead a new definition of our current social structures. In this sense, the European youth associations’ movement - given its extension – is one of the key agents to be considered. The design and implementation of current and future youth services across Europe will have to take into account such platforms as the European Youth Forum (YFJ), an international youth organisation catering for the needs of young people. The European Youth Forum (YFJ), set up in Brussels in 1996, is a democratic platform advocating for the interests of more than 10 million young Europeans and co-ordinating 91 member organisations, including national youth councils and youth NGOs across Europe. This text aims to explain the YFJ’s internal structure and the range of services it provides to European youth organisations. Moreover, it also aims to highlight the importance of the YFJ’s actions regarding the European youths involvement in the current socio-demographic context. Key words: Youths; Youth services; European Youth Forum (YFJ); Youth emancipation; International co-operation; European Union.

Civil society, youth and societal mobilization in democratic revolutions

Youth have played an important role in mobilizing support for democratic revolutions during elections that have facilitated regime change. In Serbia (2000), Georgia (2003) and Ukraine (2004) youth led the way in organizing democratic coalitions among hitherto warring opposition parties that the authorities had successfully divided and ruled over. In the three countries used as case studies, youth dominated civil society and election monitoring NGOs. The article outlines a five fold framework and discusses the issues that help understand the role of youth in democratic revolutions as well as those essential conditions that lead to success. Regime change only proved successful during certain time period, in our case electoral revolutions when the authorities were at their weakest. Organization of youth groups led to the creation of Otpor (Serbia), Kmara (Georgia) and Pora (Ukraine) and provided the youth movements with structure and purpose. The training of these organized youth NGOs became a third important condition for success and often was undertaken with Western technical and financial assistance. The choice of strategies to be employed during elections was an important fourth feature. In the three country case studies, discussed in this article, the response of the authorities proved to be ineffective, weak and counter-productive.