Tools to support your Global Youth Work Journey 

A useful for framework to support your Global Youth Work is Dr. Momodou Sallah’s ‘five faces of globalisation’ (cultural, political, economic, technological and environmental) which explores how young people are influenced at a personal, local, national, and global level. As global youth workers, it is essential that we fully recognise the global context in which young people’s lives exist. Being able to place the lives of young people in the context of a global society, making the connections between the personal, local, national, and global issues is an important process to the development of good, quality youth work. Daily, young people are influenced by these five faces of globalisation. Directly or indirectly, economics, environment, culture, technology, and politics influence young people’s actions at a personal, local, national, and global level.  

In the diagram below, Momodou places young people at the centre where good quality global youth work/development education supports ongoing critical consciousness and critical thinking and supports young people to take action to create a more just world for themselves and others. 

Take a look at the NYCI e-learning module on social justice  

Explore globalisation, colonisation and inequality through a human rights lens with the NYCI resource Globalisation: The Youth & the Truth. 

Hear from these three useful videos exploring why a racial justice  is an important part of a Global Youth Work approach can be seen here: The first is Racial Justice-An Introduction, the second is a webinar:  a racial justice approach to development education and the third is to hear the testimony from young Irish people of African descent who speak of oppression through stereotyping and dominant stories of the African continent. 

Reflect on issues of oppression and Youth Work, including through use of this eLearning module from youthworkandyou.org Understanding oppression in youth work. 

We must always remember that a starting point is the beginning of a journey, and positive movement from that start point is the goal of all educators, activists or changemakers. If we pass judgement or dismiss someone because of their starting point, we fall into the trap of creating exclusive groups, echo chambers, bubbles, or elitist entities which ultimately fail to create sustainable change because they do not bring people with them. The Global Issues Empathy Spectrum below outlines some different starting points you may meet.

This Global Issues Empathy Spectrum is an invitation to you and in turn the young people and learners you work with to consider where you yourself are now, to reflect on how you got there, and to explore a commitment to positive movement, or maintaining your position if you are an Empathy Actor. You or the young people you work with may not arrive at the Empathy Actor position in an instant, but every positive movement represents a positive possibility. 

What is important about Global Youth Work is the willingness to accept the starting point of young people, and to build on the connection we have with them as a driver for their movement along the spectrum. It is not necessary to explicitly plot everyone onto the spectrum but rather to present it as a tool to illustrate the possible spaces that one might occupy, and to show a progressive and positive pathway towards positive change.

In building your good practice in Global Youth Work, the following considerations may be useful as you plan your activities with your group of young people.  

1. Know your aim: Think of the aim of your workshop or programme as your road map for exploring global justice issues. Everything you do should play a role in achieving your overall aim or goal.
2. Check your language: While facts are very important, the values we share through the language we use is vital.  Humans are humans and therefore are all deserving of their rights under the international charters and conventions, there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. Be mindful of clichés, stereotypes, and sound bites. For example, we often hear ‘us’ and ‘them’ language used to describe different nationalities or different religions. Where possible, deconstruct and dialogue on these common messages and reframe them within a human and environmental centred context. New words and concepts are going to come up in the group – be mindful of the starting point of the group and stay open and curious to explore language, where necessary.
3. Use a group contract: At the beginning of your workshop, decide and explain the purpose of some core things that the group might agree on as valuable in terms of having a positive learning experience. Effective examples are, ‘Mind yourself’, ‘Mind others’, and ‘Respect’.
4. Have a plan of action for dealing with challenges:  In the Global Issues Spectrum there are various ‘starting points’ for young people. Opinions or sound bites shared by young people can be unpacked and challenged through questions and counter arguments. Expect some challenging moments, try and cultivate curiosity within the group. As much as it is possible for you as an educator, try and ensure that the young person knows that they can return to contribute to a discussion, and that wrestling with, and processing ideas/issues can take time.
5. Plan for your participatory methodologies: As youth workers, we should have at our disposal a toolbox of possible methodologies that inspire and support participation. Sometimes that might be about you stepping outside of your comfort zone and exploring new methods. ​A key part of this is the attitude of ‘we’ll figure it out together’.  A youth worker is an educator who invites curiosity and collaboration and doesn’t assume the role of an expert. 
6. Consider how you will include action: You should be ready for the time when at least some of the group will have journeyed to ‘empathy actors’.  They may want to act using their knowledge, awareness or learning from participating in the group. This is great and a core part of Global Youth Work. Allow them to explore and think deeply about why they want to act, and what they want to achieve. One World Week can be a perfect focus point for a timeline for action, but action can happen at any stage. 
7. Evaluate your workshop: Evaluations can be done at the end of each activity and at the completion of a programme. There is a range of formal and informal ways of evaluating. Global Youth Work methodologies can be easily adapted to get feedback from young people and other key stakeholders. NYCI has a relevant tool called the Art of Change that may assist you and can be found at within the resource Activism, the SDGs and Youth.

The following 13 ‘crucial truths’ for youth workers may be worth bearing in mind.  

1. Be aware and self-critical of your values, goals, attitudes, routines, beliefs, stories, and assumptions, bring awareness of how they manifest in your work, seek to learn, and grow wherever possible. 
2. Understand that each one of us has a different construction of social reality. There is no neutral starting point. 
3. Be open to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of working. 
4. Be open to learning from people who are new to your community. 
5. Recognise and appreciate your place in relationship with our environment and the related wellbeing of people all over the world. 
6. Respect the dignity, diversity, and positive contributions of all people. 
7. Challenge the unequal relationship between countries situated in the Global North and the Global South.  
8. Be aware of different forms of discrimination and how the intersecting aspects of peoples’ identity is impacted by systemic inequality. 
9. Acknowledge young people’s ability to contribute to positive social change.  
10. Respect and respond to the knowledge within the group.  The knowledge of young people is a key resource in youth work, as an intentional learning environment. 
11. Recognise barriers to the inclusion of minority groups in youth work and strive to overcome these barriers. 
12. Be prepared to challenge discriminatory behaviour within your organisation at all levels, and within wider networks.
13. Recognise that it’s not about full agreement on all the issues. Be open to wrestling with discomfort and difference, and that a process can take time. 

‘Tight Spaces’: This resource gives insight into the treacherous journeys of a group of resilient young people in search of safety and of their experiences in Ireland’s international protection system. It aims to raise awareness of Ireland’s Direct Provision system and intends to bridge the gap in knowledge for young people in Ireland on this topic. It has been created for use in schools and youth groups. It encourages readers to connect with the topic of Direct Provision, explore it critically, and work towards taking action to build solidarity and create change.’ It is available here.  It is an ARD Youth Project & Irish Refugee Council co-production.  

Sphere 17, Youth Voices: Experiences of living in Direct Provision in Ireland is available here, the video was made with young people living in Direct Provision, using graphic harvesting to support scripting the animation. It is made to hear the reality of what life is like for young people living in Direct Provision.  The project was made by a team from Sphere 17, Kilbarrack.  

What’s the Photostory, Syria-Tipperary’: The resource was developed through the generosity of fifteen young people from Syria and their parents.  Twelve of the young people came with their families to Ireland under a Refugee Resettlement Programme in late 2014/early 2015.  Three have arrived later.  All of the young people here were involved in ongoing youth work with Youth Work Ireland Tipperary.  The resource link for community and youth workers is here and a video featuring the young people is here. 

 Watch Salome Mumba, who works with Trócaire, Malawi. on what climate change means for people living in Malawi.  The video is here. 

 Watch Ineza Omohosa Grace, Youth Activist and Engineer from Rwanda, speaking to Trócaire about: 

1. Her personal story of being affected by climate change here. 
2. Young people taking action here. 
3. Imagine you are in a bush fire here.  

Watch Shaloam Stooper from Concern Kenya in Marsabit – one of the regions badly affected by climate change. Her work is on building water strategies with communities here.

The Perspective Taking Tool is an asset for youth workers and young people who are trying to get a healthy perspective or trying to unpack a complex narrative about global issues.  Each element of the tool becomes useful when it is used to enhance a conversation, inform an analysis, reflective practice, or when a standpoint is being developed on a critical issue.

IDEA (the Irish Development Education Association) has developed a Critical Reflection Tool which presents a series of questions that Global Youth Work Practitioners may find useful. They are designed to encourage thinking, reflection, and analysis of our role in social, cultural, political and economic structures. You can find the tool in IDEA’s Resource Hub here.