But youth work is a contested term. There is plenty of internal dissent about the meaning, purpose and practice of youth work, hardly a strong foundation for arguing its cause and its case in times of austerity. Even in places where it had flourished, youth work has faced tough times since the crisis.
Under Belgium’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe, the 2nd European Youth Work Convention considered common ground within youth work: by representative and issue-based youth organisations; street-based and detached youth work practice; targeted youth work addressing school inclusion or crime prevention; and youth work concerned with community involvement and social service. A preparatory paper, Finding Common Ground, facilitated the debate concerning differences in youth work: a broad narrative for youth work was needed and shared agendas would strengthen advocacy for youth work at both European and national levels. The paper talked of simple conceptions, such as ‘facilitating agency’ and developing ‘navigational capacities’; two excellent ideas advanced by youth academics. If accepted, these needed interrogation and re-interpretation into language that could reach a broader audience of practitioners and policy makers.
