Resources for Youth from Rural & Geographically Isolated Areas

Youth Work & Training Methods

The SALTO-YOUTH network of resource centres has developed a 'Toolbox' full of interesting methods for youth work and training, which can inspire your youth work > www.salto-youth.net/toolbox/

Besides these individual methods, there are also the following educational manuals specifically geared towards (international) rural youth work:

• the SALTO Inclusion for All booklets, about setting up international projects for specific target groups. Village International, is the booklet focussing specifically on Rural Youth Projects > www.salto-youth.net/InclusionForALL/
• Change the Village, Challenge Yourself! Analysis of youth participation in rural areas (final report) > www.change-the-village.org
• Training kit to work with rural youth: Youth Work in Rural Areas, an NYA training pack, 1994, Youth Work Press, Leicester, 1994 > www.nya.org.uk
• WHO SAYS NOTHING EVER HAPPENS AROUND HERE? Innovation in working with young people in rural areas, Ray Fabes, Bob Payne and Jason Wood, 2003, Nationaly Youth Agency, ISBN: 0 86155 303 9 > www.nya.org.uk

• Do you know other Rural Youth Work publications? You can add them below (just log in with your SALTO username or create one) - thanx a million!

International Rural Youth Organisations

There are 2 European umbrella organisations of rural youth organisations. They have a wide variety of member organisations in almost every country. You could contact them (or the member organisations) to get more information about rural youth projects, for finding rural partner groups in other countries etc.

• MIJARC Europe (International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth): international youth NGO, a training and education movement and a rural development organisation run by young people for young people, they have Info Europe newsletters about different topics related to rural youth > www.mijarc.org/europe/
• Rural Youth Europe (former European Committee for Young Farmers' and 4H Clubs): European umbrella organisation for youth organizations working voluntarily to promote and activate young people in countryside. They organise yearly seminars, a "rally" and edit a newsletter > www.ruralyoutheurope.com
• Together these organisations did a study on youth participation in rural areas: Change the Village, Challenge Yourself! It analyses the challenges young people in isolated areas face and collected good practice of how to deal with these obstacles, in the field of non-formal education (i.e. youth work), leisure time and employment > download the final report booklet at www.change-the-village.org (or at the bottom of this page)
• These Organisations also organised a series of study sessions and position papers about rural youth, of which you can find the reports at the bottom of this page.

International legislation

Different European Insititutions have made recommendations and charters to its member states to improve the situation of young people in geographically disadvantaged areas:

• Recommendation 1530 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2001) about the situation and prospects of young people in rural areas
• Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life: charter adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLARAE-2003) that contains guidelines about how to conduct policies affecting young people in rural areas and it provides tools for furthering the participation of young people > Exists also in a youth-friendly version (below)
• There is also a manual for youth workers about how to work with this Charter on Participation (download it below)
• INTERREG is a European initiative to support balanced economic and social development of the EU through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation (=wider than youth). Special emphasis has been placed on integrating remote regions.
• INTERACT is the online platform that encourages the exchange of experiences and know-how, generated in INTERREG before, with project examples, a toolbox, etc > www.interact-eu.net

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Information about Europe? for youth?

There are 2 networks of European & youth information organisations:

• Eurodesk is a European network of information services in 27 countries providing a unique access to European information (about funding, EU, Youth in Action,...) for young people and those who work with them > www.eurodesk.eu
• ERYICA (European Youth Information & Counselling Agency) is a network of generalist youth information points in Europe. They developed a European Youth Information Charter and the InfoMobil with handy information about travelling to different countries > www.eryica.org & www.infomobil.org

Trainers about Rural Youth Issues

Are you looking for a trainer for your inclusion training with and/or for rural youth? SALTO has developed the Trainers Online for Youth (TOY) database for this purpose. You can find a list of trainers specialized in rural youth topics, and you can also add search criteria (such as language skills, training background, gender, country, etc.)

• List all trainers working on rural youth issues
• Send a call for trainers to TOY
• Search a Trainer
• More about TOY

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