Symposium 2023: Youth Work in Europe – Mission (Im)possible?

Overwork, underfunding, juggling from project proposal to the next one: The state of youth work has been difficult for years. In times of war and other crises, young people need more offers and greater support. At the same time, costs are exploding for organisations that provide spaces for young people. What can be done?

On 13 November 2023, young people and youth work professionals from ten European countries met in Dortmund, Germany with representatives from politics, administration and academia. The title of the international symposium: “Youth work in Europe – Mission (im)possible?” Their common goal: putting heads together to develop solutions to the huge problems that youth work is currently facing.

Symposium Results

A summary of the symposium results can be found here. We have also published a comprehensive written documentation of the event:

Youth Work in Europe: Mission (Im)possible?
Documentation of the Symposium to Promote Dialogue Between Youth, Youth Work and Politics
(Published by IBB e.V. | 1st ed. March 2024
48 pp. | pdf | 3,7 MB)

Watch the Video Documentation

Is youth work a fragile, endangered working field – or a mighty dragon rising to save the future? What do those who invest an incredible amount of energy in youth projects think about the challenges they are facing? Filmmaker Harry Abraham has followed youngsters and youth work professionals from ten European countries to the symposium “Youth Work in Europe – Mission (im)possible?”. The result is an intimate short film about the dreams and demands of young activists and long-time youth workers who want to form a strategic joint movement to defend and develop democracy.

Read more about the symposium: