1. & YP&AR European Forum Obidos 2009

2. AFTER THE WORKSHOOP IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO: Identify the challenges that young people are facing nowadays; Identify some keys elements of scout method to help young people achieve the challenges; Answer: Patrol System; Promise and Law Establish where our work at national level can help the unit leaders to empower young people » Answer: Patrol System; Promise and Law. Introduce new ways to improve “youth empowerment” at local level » How to improve? Share some good practices on this issue;

3. WHAT IS YOUTH EMPOWERMENT? “Empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions under wich young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of the others.”

4. WHAT ARE THESE ENABLING CONDITIONS? Access to those in power; Access to the relevant information; Choices between different options; Support from a trusted independent person and, where needed, a representative, a means of appeal or complaint if things go wrong;

5. THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT REMINDS OF THE STORY OF “WIZARD OF OZ”: The Cowardly Lions asks the Wizard for courage. Eventually, the Wizard gives a ribbon to the Lion, signifying courage. When the Lion looks at the ribbon, he believes he has power; when he feels this way, he also acts this way. But, as the Wizard remarks, “I don’t know why people always ask me for what they already have”.

6. THIS REMARK CAN BE APPLIED TO EMPOWERMENT: Every young person potentially has the power to participate in and contribute to community development. Adult leaders should help them discover that they have this power. The leaders should provide opportunities to young people, so they can develop their own skills.

7. Adult leaders should be trained to “empower young people”. “Youth empowerment” is more than “Youth involvement”; generally speaking, empowerment is a process in which a person or community gives or gets power from another. Power is not outside the person or the community. Power should be viewed rather as a potential resource in every person or community. KEEP IN MIND:

8. Thank you for watching!