Not the end of history?

A matter for concern? The future of the youth agenda in Europe ‘Building Tomorrow’s Future’: European Conference on youth work & youth policy, Bonn, Germany

Dr Howard Williamson Professor of European Youth Policy

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Overview • • • • • • • • •

Looking to the future The social condition of young people Protest A broken generational contract Alliances and responses of the young There is no end to history Youth policy and Europe Democracy in retreat Beyond Hebe’s dream

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Some recent observations • Plan B for Youth – Context, Challenge, Solutions, Conclusion: educational and work opportunities for young people and a share in political power

• The Locust and The Bee – Toxic levels of mistrust, but crises can be both barren and fertile, need to cultivate capacities

• Indignez-Vous – Inequalities and (threats to) human rights; “our outrage at injustice remains intact to this day” ©University of Glamorgan

Stéphane Hessel 1917-2013 • • • • • • • •

French resistance fighter Concentration camp escapee & survivor Human rights campaigner Diplomat / ambassador to the UN Poet and writer Humanist and progressive Indignez-Vous! (Time for Outrage!) [Occupy and the Indignados]

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Looking to the future • Young people – 94 million Europeans aged 15-29 – Only 34% employed & 5.5m (21%) unemployed

• The risks of speculation – Rumsfeld, horse manure and pods!

• Everybody tries – Journalists, political scientists. historians – Social scientists, politicans

• New alliances amongst the young? – Socially disadvantaged – The intellectually disaffected

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The social condition of young people • • • • • • • • •

To be young is to be excluded? Young people have to make their worlds The balance of opportunity and risk Fractured and fragmented transition pathways A new youth? Dependence AND autonomy Vulnerable youth Human, social and identity capital The importance of ‘youth policy’ The increasing ‘youth divide’

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Protest • • • • • • • • •

North Africa and the Middle East Greece, Spain and Portugal The rest of Europe The lost generation finding a voice? An audacious reclamation of autonomy? Not the end of history? Occupy Indignados UK Uncut

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A [broken] generational contract? • Worsening futures: – Unemployment and ‘scarring effects’ – Demographic shifts and the fiscal burden – The slowing of economic growth rates – The benefits to labour/capital of any growth – Heavier demands on household incomes – Downward pressures on salaries – Class demographics – the only way is down ©University of Glamorgan

A generation sacrificed / betrayed? • Parliamentary Assembly/Youth Assembly – Resolution to build ‘a better future together’ – Invest in youth, strengthen voice, access to rights – But hardly any Parliamentarians turned up!

• Mason’s ‘graduate without a future’ – Wages don’t rise, can’t buy property, locked out of occupational pensions, holes in the welfare net

• European Forum Alpbach – More and more qualifications, endless internships, no guarantees, sense of betrayal ©University of Glamorgan

New alliances amongst the young? • • • • • • •

Generation X and then Generation Y Generation Einstein & Generation Frankenstein! The English riots 2011 Solidarities in the IPOD generation A ‘showdown between the generations’? Blocked opportunity structures Different responses?

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Responses of the young • • • • • •

Reaction Radicalisation Revolt Retreat Relocation and Reverse Colonialism Re-alignment – through shared anger and frustration amongst young people with very different, though sometimes overlapping, histories…..

• New economic, social & political arrangements? ©University of Glamorgan

– networks, services, non-capitalism

There is no end to history • • • • • • • •

The financial crisis 2008 – the right-wing’s ‘fall of the Wall’ Yet little being done on governance Where is the safe haven for human capital? Reconstruction of broken institutions Democracy, egalitarianism, rationality The capitalists have to learn now… Or do they? No room for complacency

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Youth policy • By design/intent, default or neglect • Positive/purposeful v. negative/punitive • Youth transitions – complex and reversible • Youth transitions – vulnerability and risk • In the mainstream / on the margins • • • •

Promoting inclusion / Combating exclusion Opportunity, experience, participation Government, NGOs, communities, families, themselves Proliferation of ‘youth policy’ at all levels

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European developments in youth policy • • • • • • • • • •

1968 les événements – youth participation (voice) 1985 UN IYY - youth development 1989 The fall of The Wall – intercultural learning EU – Youth for Europe to Youth in Action CoE – international youth policy reviews since 1997 EU/CoE Youth Partnership since 1998 EU 2005 European Youth Pact CLRAE Revised Charter on Youth Participation CoE 2008 Agenda 2020 EU 2009 Investing and Empowering

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• • • • •

Democracy in retreat?

1945-75 ‘maximal democracy’ Public sector Keynsianism 1975-2008 declining democracy Public sector monetarism, private Keynsianism What now for flexible markets, (in)secure labour, democracy, certainties and securities? • Globalisation, rising inequalities, resistance to ‘solidarity transfers’, regional nationalisms • Cameron’s ‘knee-jerk xenophobia’ • ‘We are Europe’ ©University of Glamorgan

Beyond Hebe’s dream • • • • • • •

The need for a variety/diversity of youth work The need for training and professionalism Balancing ‘forum’ and ‘transit zone’ Balancing autonomy and support Balancing citizenship and employability Enabling personal change for positional change An ever more diversified youth agenda – Housing, health, racism, faith, generations – Access, inclusion, information, mobility

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Beyond Hebe’s dream - scenarios • Youth policy and youth work futures in Europe: – The abandonment of youth – Containment and privilege – An equitable ‘package of entitlement’

• The need for convergence and a united strategy – A long-term joint political strategy – A comprehensive review and peer learning process – One single coherent programme – A support structure for research and development – A European Youth Agency? ©University of Glamorgan

Conclusion • Stepping out of economic and social orthodoxies – and taking risks • Addressing the back door rewriting of social contracts • Combating the neutering of democracy – World Forum for Democracy

• Youth policy and supporting constructive new alliances amongst the young ©University of Glamorgan

Between autocrats & automatons • Undemocratic power structures and decisionmakers • Robotic and authoritarian workplaces • Living and loving, learning and earning must be governed by more egalitarian, democratic and humanistic arrangements…. • or must they? ©University of Glamorgan

Show indignation - agitate Get involved - participate Challenge conventions - dispute

Offer alternatives - speculate Stand up for values - integrity Stand up and be counted - solidarity “It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees” (Dolores Ibárruri, Spain, January 1938) ©University of Glamorgan