Introduction to the
Good Practice Guidelines
These guidelines have been developed to support you in your practice. Bringing critical thinking skills into the work is more important than ever, locally and globally. As youth workers, we have an opportunity to resource ourselves, to challenge our own thinking, re-examine what we know, and to bring curiosity into imagining what we might do differently.
Importantly too though, we need spaces where we can acknowledge and celebrate the good work we are doing. We need to be able to take a step away from the work, to look up and look out, to consider where we have good practice, and take time to acknowledge that.
In line with this, Youth 2030, the global youth work project at NYCI, together with our members, has developed the ‘Good Practice Guidelines for Global Youth Work.’ This is part of our work in strengthening good practice in a global youth work approach.
The Good Practice Guidelines and downloadable Self-Assessment Tool is written in consultation with NYCI members. The case studies included here represent the memberships’ work and represents a collective agreement to both strengthen and articulate quality and critical global youth work approach. We benefit from the fact that NYCI has a truly diverse membership, and Youth2030, as part of NYCI, is part of a global network that, along with our membership, shapes and informs our practice.
We are all on our own unique journey in youth work. Progress in the Good Practice Guidelines is checked against 15 Indicators in the Self-Assessment tracking tool. This self-assessment process, Mapping Your Global Youth Work Journey, enables youth workers and organisations to reflect on and track progress in Global Youth Work, over 15 indicators, using a self-scoring mechanism for each area.
A global youth work approach has a critical role to play in shaping change, and addressing inequality, and is central to achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A clear pathway is set out through SDG target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”
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Contact Information
If you would like to support undertaking the Global Youth Work good practice journey, support is available from NYCI’s Youth 2030 GYW team. For more information, please contact Sally@nyci.ie.