Center for Intercultural Dialogue organized a half-day meeting for networking within the initiative to professionalize, develop and recognize youth work in Macedonia.
The regional networking of organizations in the Northeast Region was held on 27 March in the Round Hall of the Kumanovo Town Council. Douzen organizations attended and discussed the professionalization and development work with young people.
Some of the meaningful conclusions from the meeting were that the role of youth work must be presented and explained to the local authorities and the society. A starting point could be the former Pioneer homes (existing during Yugoslavia) which could re-open as youth centers that will meet the needs of young people today.
The need for professionalisation of youth work field is more obvious because after school young people are left withouth opportunities to organize their leisure and other activities. The meeting ended with a call for the creation of a regional association of youth workers for the Northeastern Region where organizations that implement programs for youth, or offering youth work as part of their activities can join.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID), in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), implements an initiative to professionalize youth work in Macedonia and the development of a legal framework for the recognition of work with young people. This long-term initiative aimed at setting policy frameworks for the process to establish systems to support young people in Macedonia.
Countries in the region and elsewhere in Europe, have initiated and established a national framework of support systems for youth and youth offices and youth centers in these countries operate on the basis of partnerships between institutions and NGOs.
This was the first of the eight regional and two national networking events. One of final goals of this networking is development of association of youth workers and development of frameworks and guidelines for youth support system.
CID Office