Our life. Our voice. Young people and poverty (2015-2017)

Summary

Young people living below the poverty line face multiple barriers to access education, employment, housing etc. Poverty affects their economic well-being, mental and physical health, social relationships and the opportunities and choices that are open to them.

YES Forum leads the strategic partnership “Our life. Our voice. Young people and poverty”, which explores young people’s attitudes to poverty and what it means for them to live in families struggling to make ends meet from day to day. By listening to the young people experiencing poverty we contribute to bridge the gap between policy and practice. We want to provide fresh ideas for both actors in the field of youth services/youth work and policy makers on what real support should look like and how to better channel resources to disadvantaged young people’s needs.

The project sets up 5 groups of young people experiencing poverty in 5 countries, which are different with regard to welfare system, historical development, and economic performance. These groups of 12-15 young people are accompanied by youth workers and apply interactive and participatory methods to get an insight into the experience of young people in poverty. The young people create discussion on different perceptions of poverty and, as a result, formulate their ideas and recommendations against poverty and what real support should look like.

At regional and national events the young people will meet youth organisations, service providers, local authorities, and policy makers to discuss their suggestions in which way their lives could be effectively improved. The final conference is the platform to present and promote young people’s views and recommendation to policy level in Brussels and the wider public.

The project is intended to run between June 2015 and May 2017.

For further information check the project's own website (www.ourlifeourvoice.eu).

You can also find in the Downloads section the project's main Intellectual Outputs, and below additional productions prepared by the young participants with the support of project partners:

• A video produced by Fundatia Ruhama to present the project and its outcomes;
• A video by The Children's Society to present their Children's Commission on Poverty, which inspired "Our Life. Our Voice", and a presentation of their work in the UK during the project;
• A video prepared by After Eight's young Finnish participants to present their own activities and recommendations on poverty;
• A magazine designed and published by After Eight's , "Broke(n)".

News

Events

Downloads