What makes YEU unique:

YEU is a powerful platform uniting young people from East to West, North to South of Europe through its interactive methodology and educational approach.YEU brings a family spirit and a sense of belonging among young people and youth organisations. With the spirit during the activities and approach to young people, YEU is broadening horizons and opening up spaces for creativity, personal development and cooperation.YEU is focused on the work of its organisations by guiding the building and strengthening the capacities of the organisations and individuals involved in the network.

Family. Positivity. Creativity. Friendships. Connections. Partnerships. Opportunities. Laughter.

Vision:

World united by shared values of peace, understanding and respecting the differences as well as human rights of each living being.

Mission:

YEU is an inclusive network of youth organisations, led by and for young people, promoting the importance of active citizenship initiatives by using non-formal education as a tool in order to provide knowledge, skills and intercultural experience for personal and social development through the promotion of peace, understandingand cooperation between the young people of the world, in a spirit of respect for human rights.

YEU goals:

– To realise youth activities that foster closer cooperation and better understanding among the young people of the world, both between and within continents, particularly by encouraging the exchange of information, ideas and opinions.

– To promote cooperation and mutual aid in the developed and the developing countries for cultural, educational and social purposes.

– To work towards resolving conflicts and promotion of peaceful societies through recognition and respect for others.

– To improve the relationships and promote tolerance among young people of different cultural or political realities.

– To work together on issues related to the protection of the environment and sustainability.

– To support and promote the health and well-being of young people in order to improve quality of life.

– To encourage the active involvement of all young people in society without distinction because of race, social status, educational levels or any other disadvantage.

Approaches:

Working towards our vision and implementing our mission YEU will be taking the following approaches in its work:

• Strengthening member organisations based on their learning and organisational needs while supporting knowledge transfer, communication, synergies and partnerships among them
• Developing and maintaining a sense of belonging to the network as a supportive environment for both personal and professional development
• Empowering young people to actively influence the European agenda by having their voices heard, especially of those in situations of disadvantage
• Acting as interlocutor between the local and European level and ensuring young people’s activeparticipation
• Innovating non-formal education by creating inclusive, needs-based methods and approaches together with young people while following high quality standards and principles
• Creating and nurturing safe spaces for free expression of identities and ensuring well- being of young people, especially focusing on mental health on young people
• Supporting creativity and innovations as tools for bridging the gaps between young people of different backgrounds

Until 2024, YEU is aiming to be a strong, financially stable European NGO with strong member organisations in more than 40 countries around Europe and beyond and, at the same time, recognised by relevant institutions as an important stakeholder in the fields of non-formal education, youth work and social cohesion.

The progress will be measured by setting both qualitative and quantitative Key Performance Indicators such as:

• Quantitative: number of new Member Organisations; participants, events, policy/position papers and Strategies, new tools/methods/approaches
• Qualitative: higher interest in YEU governing bodies’ positions; consultative processes and feedback on topics of YEU priorities; multiplication/replication of YEU tools in other organisations’ events; YEU seen as a relevant stakeholder and is invited to consultations and other events
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YEU Member Organisations commit to:

– Being active in implementing YEU Strategic Priorities together through organising joint activities and cooperating in long-term processes
– Participating in consultations and providing feedback on topics important to YEU by directly involving young people of different backgrounds with an aim to voice their needs to the European level
– Cooperating among each other for the positive change in societies and strengthening young individuals in their communities by providing them learning mobility opportunities on European level
– Innovating, developing and trying out new models, tools, methods and approaches with an aim to build better mechanisms of youth participation around Europe
– Staying curious, creative and committed in building better and stronger communities around Europe and the world.

YEU Priorities

YEU continues to be committed to mainstreaming sustainable development (SD) contributing to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as overarching principles of work and thinking within YEU network as cross-cutting topics of our programmes.

YEU commits to building the capacities and competences of youth organizations in order to advocate for SD and SDGs and to include elements of education for sustainable development in their activities through “an effective process that is participatory, cross-cutting and gender responsive” (Article 11.2 – Paris Agreement, 2015).

YEU commits to enhancing the education on climate change, circular economy and SD/SDGs through training and skills development among young people, as an envoy for change.YEU commits to the efforts of young people around the world in the joint fight against climate change, ending the climate crisis and demanding climate justice for everyone.

YEU is a pioneer of non-formal education since its beginnings. Nowadays, YEU aims to be recognised as an innovator of non-formal education methodologies with young people directly involved in the creation of new tools, approaches, methods based on their needs.

What: Non-formal education is one of the key pillars of YEU work through which YEU contributes to other priorities by:

•  – Developing innovative methodologies and approaches in non-formal education in order to provide ultimate educational experiences aiming at learner’s personal and socio- educational and professional development.
•  – Supporting young people’s transition between education and training and the labor market through holistic approach and competences development
•  – Working on development of quality blended and e-learning through integrating NFE in the online space aiming at increasing opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
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How: innovating, developing new concepts and self-assessment tools, gamifying, building and strengthening capacities, creating synergies and building partnerships with other like-minded organisations.

Target groups: trainers, organisers, facilitators, young people (with a focus on disadvantaged and less represented), member organisations.

Outcomes:

• – New learner-centred methods, tools, approaches
• – Online platforms
• – Skills and competences development oriented programmes
• – Policy and position papers towards the European Union and the Council of Europe
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Contributing to: Recognition and validation of non-formal education process, European Education Area and Lifelong Learning related processes, EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027; Youth Goal 8.

For YEU and its Member Organisations, youth work is planned and purposeful, there is a focus on the personal and social development of young people, who are encouraged to develop new attitudes, skills and knowledge. Youth work in the Member Organisations is learning focussed. Young people are supported toreach their potential, to gain autonomy, to work towards improving the quality of life for themselves as well as to their communities.

What: Following the YEU Quality Label on Youth Work YEU will be working on:

 – Supporting member organisations in strengthening their capacities for continuous quality youth work related activities on a local level for developing young peoples’ qualities, skills and competences.
 – Supporting young people achieve their full potential on personal, social and professional level through quality youth work.

– Working towards professionalization of quality youth work on European level, and local/national levels through our member organizations.

How: developing models for continuous youth work in local communities, building capacities of YEU youth workers based on their needs, developing digital youth work models, advocating for recognition of youth work and youth worker as a profession.

Target groups: youth workers, member organisations, young people.

Outcomes:

– Capacity mapping, building and strengthening programmes.

– YEU Youth Work Code of Ethics.

– Strategies, policy and position papers towards the European Union and the Council of Europe.

Contributing to: Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on youth work, EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, Youth Goal 9.

Social cohesion, solidarity and active citizenship of all young people are a sine qua non for YEU and it’s Member organisations, as without those there are no inclusive societies. Diversity, equality, peace and well-being are some of the core values of YEU and its members. YEU aims to be a leader in the field of social cohesion through involving young people of different walks of life in international activities and following up with Member Organisations on local level to contribute to the building of peaceful and inclusive societies in which young people of different backgrounds are learning to live and work together.

What: YEU takes a holistic approach to the building of inclusive societies by:

• – Continuously working and promoting human rights education and education for democratic citizenship among young people as the basic principles and values of our societies.
• – Stimulating intercultural learning and mutual understanding through learning mobility processes, solidarity, volunteering for the benefit of communities while acquiring useful experience, skills and competences.
• – Supporting conflict resolution and peace building initiatives among young people coming from (post)conflict regions while preventing social exclusion and poverty of young people leading to radicalisation and violent extremism.

– Mainstreaming gender equality in all aspects of YEU work and society in general while combating all forms of discrimination (online and offline (and stigmatization of “Others” in societies.

How: capacities mapping, building and strengthening; outdoor education and sports; creative and artistic approaches (theatre, dancing, singing, cooking, storytelling, gardening).

Target groups: young people of different backgrounds, in situations of disadvantage, unorganised/not part of organisations or movements; youth organisations and movements.

Outcomes:

• – Short-term and long-term programmes based on EU values and inter-cultural dialogue.
• – Innovative approaches and concepts.
• – Strategies, policy/position papers towards the European Union and the Council of Europe.
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Contributing to: EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, Youth Goals 1/2/3/4/5.

YEU is the interlocutor between its Member Organisations and the decision makers at European level (EuropeanUnion and Council of Europe) thus having strong organisations at local or national level is a prerequisite for the highestpossible outreach to young people and strong impact at any level. YEU and its Member Organisations are committed to mainstreaming youth related issues in all segments of societies and ensuring that the voice of the young people across Europe is listened to when the policies are created and decisions are made.

What: YEU is as strong as its Member Organisations and it commits to strengthening their capacities by:

• – Supporting the development of human capital especially young leaders within YEU Network by providing various educational programmes.
• – Increasing the impact and multiplying effects by enhancing the cooperation within the network in order to ensure organisational development, diversification of funding, knowledge transfer and good governance within the network;
• – Focusing on relevant EU/COE/global information youth related issues in order to make them more accessible and understandable for Member Organizations and provide more opportunities for active participation and representation of values and positions of YEU.
• – Stimulating constant network growth through the engagement of new member organizations, possibly focusing on topics not yet prioritized by the current members, such as migrants, LGBTQI+, gender disabilities, in order to increase the diversity of the network.
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• How: Empowering young people to actively participate in decision making processes and youth policy development on local, national and international level.

  Target groups: youth organisations, YEU Member Organisations, youth leaders in local communities.

  Outcomes: Strategies on fundraising/diversification of funding, membership, growth and empowerment, reaching out; safety measures in events, training programmes and webinars, professionalisation of managers, policy officers, legal representatives.

• Contributing to: institutional relations with valuable institutional partners (decision makers/shapers) in the field of youth: European Union and Council of Europe; maintaining representation in relevant platforms and bodies such as European Youth Forum, Lifelong Learning Platform, Advisory Council, Civicus.