Importance of Empowerment in Ethical Work in Youth and Community Work - Essay Example

?The importance of empowerment and equality in ethical work with young people in youth work and community work Youth is the most intelligent, active,energetic and courageous part of an individual’s life that collectively becomes the sharpest tool that any nation can use for its economic recovery and growth. Youth is the age that appreciates encouragement and acknowledgment and highly discourages the concept of domination and leadership. They think themselves as born leaders. In such cases, commands, limitations and restrictions adversely affect youth’s productivity and make them go astray, or get engage in other activities, show lack of interest their studies and eventually are known as impatient and aggressive thugs, users and truants. This is the reason that whenever we talk about youth now, the first thing that strikes our mind is fun loving and carefree community. But then people began to realize that youth or teenagers have a different mindset and they need to be dealt accordingly. They need to be treated in a way where there get full freedom of speech, liberty of expression and a platform for the implementation of their plans and ideas. Therefore to increase youth’s participation in the economy and to encourage them youth work was initiated in Britain and Northern Ireland. "Like parenting, we all think we can do it. Unlike parenting you can gain professional qualifications in youth and community work." Tracie Trimmer-Platman The National Youth Agency presented a statement of values and principles in the form of ethical conduct in youth work. According to that conduct the behavior of all the individuals involved in the youth work should be based on some norms and must ensure effective delivery of services, modeling proper behavior to young people, trust between workers, parents of the young people and the youth itself. Youth work aims to contribute to the personal, professional and social development of the young generation. Like religion, work and employment cannot be imposed on anyone. One can never do the work he or she is not interested in doing. And even in case of enforcement the productivity and learning both are zilch. One needs to have the love, passion and at least some level of interest in the work he is doing. Youth work helps the individuals to build their confidence, to develop self awareness, to evaluate alternatives and make independent judgments and decisions. There are some core principles like Empowerment, Equality, Informal Education and also Participation that play a very important role in youth work. With these principles youth work helps the individuals to take control over their own lives. It actually adds to their overall formal, academic and vocational education too. “Age does not yield superiority; passion and love put everyone on an equal playing field.” Lisa Silverman, 17, Centennial High School, Ellicott City, Maryland To have a successful youth work, it is very important for a youth worker to have a fair idea of equality , empowerment and all ethical values that are important to be followed at a workplace. Power, leadership and authority is loved by all but when it comes to dominance or the feeling of being ruled by someone at work or even in our routine life, people start hating it. Same is the case with youth. They feel as they are born leaders and authoritarians and no one can dominate or rule them. That is why in youth work, power is delegated to youth for expressing, decision making and taking action whenever required. Research shows that empowerment plays a very important role and is the fostering tool for youth development and citizenship. According to a consolidated research by World Health Organization and Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, empowerment is a transactional partnering process between adults and youth. It also said, “Let’s let them try. Let’s let them experience this. Let’s give them an opportunity. You have to create those opportunities in order for it to happen. I think that is the first part” Survey and research was done by creating an empowering environment and partnering adults and youth. Social context was created by youth workers that was based on the quality of life issues of the youngsters so that they can take realize and take responsibilities. It was basically defined by concepts like welcoming social climate and enabling youth. There, youth was provided opportunities and was welcomed by adults who believed in them, respected, encouraged and cared for them. Similarly enabling youth took place by facilitating, guiding, mentoring, teaching and critically evaluating their areas of planning, decision making and understanding. It showed that empowerment actually added to the youth’s productivity. Therefore t is very important to believe in them and give them some authority. As it says, “someone needs to speak out in the beginning for kids, to say they are capable of doing things.. then by doing it, you are expressing to young people, we believe in you, even though they may have never heard that before, mad they may be don’t even believe in themselves. By the adults or the professional doing that, it is the beginning of the process of allowing the young people to believe in themselves..” Empowerment, respect and care help in creating a facilitative climate for the young ones where they can transform their choices into their desired actions, enhance their capabilities and also learn and grow. It also promotes creativity, productivity, passion and motivates the individuals to undertake their tasks in an empowered manner. Actually this is the type of environment youngsters desire to be a part of. Youth says, “They care about my ideas and about me as a person- me and my life type thing. You need to know that you are respected, and just basically cared for. Caring about the youth when you come into the meeting, you are coming to talk to the adult and as soon as you leave, you still know it’s not just like, “Oh, who cares?” you know they still care.” Apart from Empowerment, equality is another important factor that plays a very important role in youth and community work. Youth work provides equal opportunities to all the individuals. It promotes and encourages intercultural and anti-racist approach of work. Concept of diversity is highly encouraged in youth work as it believes in equality and integration between different cultures, ethnic and religious groups. Youth work highly discourages discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability. “Everyone has the potential to develop their inner strength, but if no one encourages it, it will not grow.” In Ireland Foroige Dublin South project is an example of a youth work project that focuses on the importance of equality and inclusiveness in youth work and stresses on the intercultural approach. While targeting young people youth workers must develop their policies and procedures in such a way that diversity is always welcomed and none of the individual should feel uncomfortable, awkward or left out. Each and every individual should be treated with equal respect with a belief that all people are different and they have a right to celebrate their differences. Youth work basically helps and encourages the individuals to challenge their aggravating pessimism and negativity by providing them with a set of physical and emotional boundaries and a structured framework to analyze and evaluate their own worth and potentialities. Youth work caters to the needs and wants of youngsters and develop in them the sense of responsibility and professionalism by providing them informal education. Youth work develops love and passion for work in individuals by providing them with a challenging, interesting and stimulating platform where they can do the kind of work they feel like doing. References: http://www.going4growth.org.uk/downloads/NYA_-New_Ethics_in_youth_work_l.pdf http://www.intercultural.ie/sites/intercultural.ie/files/12_Steps_2_good_intercultural_practice%20Phase2.pdf http://www.sjsu.edu/people/maureen.smith/courses/ChAD195/s1/Cargo%20et%20al.pdf http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9AA827C0-3920-4011-BB5C-F27D87883644/0/document_YouthWorkCurriculumpdf.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2008/07/13/yourstories_youthwork_feature.shtml http://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=fe5TM-LnSmsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&ots=2RkvJjdS4Q&sig=_HVwk9cSyLDIJPwthVXXL5pudgE#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jDFFVGLlGSUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR8&dq=Ledwith,M.,+2005,+Community+Development:+A+critical+approach,+Bristol:+The+Policy+Press+&ots=3sXttlTlbu&sig=DOC2pLiXlLrCQ8XEV86e0Up6ez4#v=onepage&q&f=false Read More