Slezská Diakonie (SD) is a non-governmental non-profit christian-based organization providing services in the social field since 1990. It provides the services in the Czech Republic. SD runs more than one hundred various social services, which includes families, children and youth, elderly people, people with disabilities etc. SD employs about one thousand people. Since 2005 SD has hosted more than 20 international volunteers a year.

The low threshold facility Klub On Line is intended for children and youth from age 14 to 22 from the town of Karviná, who are in unfavorable social situation or in risk surroundings. Three people work in our facility and they are all responsible for the youth work, usually we host one international volunteer per year.  We are closely associated with urban setting and communities in the town of Karviná.

We offer safe space for individual solutions to the current situation. We also offer support that motivates young people to change and to take responsibility in their lives.

Case work with youth – Focus on Motivational Interviewing

Human resources – youth workers need training in Motivational Interviewing, and should be qualified in social work (formal education).

Time – from 10 min (short intervention) to an hour.

Privacy – the interview between the client and the social worker should be held in a separate room or in a safe space by the client’s choice.

No special material resources needed.

Motivational Interviewing in case work is a therapeutical method widely used in social practice. The method is based on the work of W. R. Miller and S. Rollnick and also on C. Rogers’ client centered therapy (with elements of systemic therapy and CB therapy).

Basic ideas: collaboration, evocation, autonomy.

Basic principles: expression of empathy, developing contradictions, resistance, supporting the client’s own capabilities.

Scheme of change process (“wheel of change”) – six basic phases (by L. O. Prochaska, C. DiClemente: precontemplation, contemplation, decisions, actions, maintenance of changes, relapses)

Finding and supporting the client’s inner motivation to change and empowerment, close relationship (confidence, safety) between the client and the social worker.

It does not require any special arrangement and allows for operative decision making, flexibility and creativity, which can significantly contribute to the recognition and realization of exactly the procedure by which the client will step out of his unfavorable situation.

It is a demanding approach in terms of professional amenities and personality dispositions of the social worker – the art of interviews, effective listening, the youth worker must be well aware of the possibilities, offers and missions of various institutions, so that he or she can provide the necessary service to his / her client.

In order to create a good relationship with client, but also for the whole process of case work, it is essential to master the art of the interview. 

Interviewing techniques:

Simple Acceptance Technique: Explaining that we are listening to the client. Also known as active listening.

Technique of capture and clarification: Capturing the subtext and respondent’s feelings to what has just been said.

Paraphrasing Technique: It keeps the conversation at a lively and spontaneous level. The youth worker paraphrases (in his words) the respondent’s testimony. 

The technique of interpretation: It has its own time and place to choose carefully. A youth worker interprets the respondent’s testimony.

Assurance technique: Helps eliminate barriers, especially among precarious respondents and sensitive topics.

Individual planning with client: Setting goals – how to achieve them (what can the client do, how can the youth worker support him or her, mapping, tracking the process, evaluating.

Working with client’s own resources, inner motivation;

Wide use – from children and youth clients to seniors, parents, families, addicted people etc.;

Time variability – from 10 minutes (short intervention) to an hour (more than hour);

No special material resources needed;

No cultural, political, religion, race, gender or age borders;

Method open for your creativity, flexibility and operative decisions.

The organization has 500 employees located throughout Italy. The youth department works in two areas of the country: Florence (urban context) and Piedmont (urban context in Turin, and rural in the area bordering France). About 20 volunteers per year are involved in working with young people from European countries (France, Germany, and Spain) and from non-European countries (e.g. India). Volunteers carry out a general training plan, as well as a specific training plan within the services in which they work.

Giovani e Territorio

Giovani e Territorio, through participatory planning with public bodies, local administrations, training agencies, churches, associations and companies, carries out programs and activities aimed at children, adolescents, young people and families, thus meeting the needs of about 3000 beneficiaries a year. It is based in Villa Olanda, Luserna San Giovanni (TO) and operates in the territory of the Metropolitan City of Turin. The program consists of several projects, in particular:

1. Summer educational camps (0-13 years);
2. Youth centers with international youth mobility (13-29 years);
3. Youth hostel;
4. Employment service (with particular attention to NEET’s targets);
5. Learning support for students with difficulties;
6. Urban community center (Turin, in the multi-ethnic “Barriera di Milano” district).

The expected learning outcomes are:

1. Strengthening of life skills (in particular: Emotion management; Effective communication; Effective relationships; Empathy; Creative thinking; Critical thinking; Making decisions; Solving problems);
2. Prevention of violence (in particular: xenophobia, homophobia, gender violence);
3. Prevention of early school leaving;
4. Strengthening of active and European citizenship;
5. Work and family reconciliation;
6. Strengthening of multi-cultural and multi-religious society;
7. Fight against unemployment.

The creation of a network of places and opportunities in which the tools and methods of non-formal education aimed at children, young people and families, proves to be useful for strengthening social ties, citizenship competences, prevention of the risks of today’s life.

1. Bridging the gaps between specific services and places of support to the person, decreasing the phenomenon of social isolation, exclusion and the gap between rich and poor opportunities;
2. Support young people in the phases of growth most at risk;
3. Foster the development of a multicultural and inclusive society.

They must have the following skills:

1. Ability to analyze social contexts;
2. Design and innovation capacity of projects and activities;
3. Ability to communicate with people (children, young people, teachers, parents, local administrators);
4. Social media management;
5. Autonomy.

The method is based on the integration of different activities starting from some common general objectives. It provides the possibility to innovate continuously trying to anticipate the emerging needs of families and young people. It is replicable in any context with the following aspects present: complex thinking skills, case management and integration of resources.

The Church City Mission Oslo employs about 1200 people in Norway of which a team of 15 employees is responsible for youth work, supported by 10 volunteer especially working in urban areas.

The Stovner Volunteer Centre is part of the Church City Mission Oslo and is located in a multicultural neighborhood of Oslo. The staff is set-up by 8 employees, of which 1-2 are responsible for youth work, supported by further 3-5 volunteers. The work of the center focusses both on rural and urban areas being located 13km outside the city center of Oslo.

Forum Theater

Forum Theatre, as a method for youth work, have over the past five, six years been used in different ways at Stovner Volunteer Centre (and with other target groups in Church City Mission Oslo since 2008). In 2017/2018 it was used as a tool in our volunteer leadership program for youths between 17 – 20 years. This program has 8-10 workshops during a school year, and approx. 30-40 participants are attending. Forum Theatre and shorter Forum plays are used in order to strengthen the participants experiences due to the different topics. And in order to create a safe, open and creative space and sense of community. A comprehensive description of Forum Theatre can be found here.

Learn more about communication

Learn how to interact with other people in groups

Learn about own reactions

Learn how to share relevant experiences

Learn more about tolerance

Knowledge of Forum Theatre.

The method can be used in order to facilitate meetings between youths with different backgrounds, but facing the same challenges. For example oppressive situations. Focus on areas were young people are prevented from ‘taking action’ or were they have been forced to act despite their own convictions.

Our diocese brings together about 40 parishes over a big geographical area. In this toolkit, we’ll focus on the parish of Mora. It’s a rather rural area with three employees who work in this particular project.

Saint Michael and the Dragon

A group of 20-25 pupils requires 2-3 leaders/pedagogues. Some leaders need training on radicalization-prevention/ tolerance/social work. The project is a collaboration between the municipality, the local parish and the hockey club – so resources, venues and material can be shared in different ways. 

The groups meet 1-2 times a month within the school framework. The group gathers pupils from a school where many are new in Sweden and the local junior hockey team. Themes and issues around identity, tolerance, xenophobia and val- ues will be discussed within a safe space and with a common curiosity. The meth- od is based on a narrative approach, i.e. through “time travels” to historic events in the local town to frame the work in a creative way. 

On a society level: Increase resilience against xenophobia and address radicalisation towards violent extremism.

On a personal level: Be the best version of myself in a new context.

The trainers need to be aware of how radicalisation processes work. They also need to create a method that does not push persons in a defendant and powerless position.

It’s an attempt to approach radicalisation and xenophobia from a perspective of social inclusion. It tries to connect new groups and organizations to (better) work together. The project wants to address radicalisation starting from factors like populism in rural areas.

15 employees, 4 project officers in charge of integrated community development, capacity building, emergency preparedness and response, conflict transformation. 

20 youth workers in partner organizations.

The work of ART is focused on rural areas.

Capacity and resilience building

2 employees are engaged in conducting Project Cycle Management training and following-up with consultations for micro project design and implementation. Ma- terial and nancial resources are needed for vocational training for young people in rural settings. Vocational courses are run in 10 community development centers. Expertise is needed on design and pilot testing of ‘con ict transformation’ train- ings as a part of non-formal education in community development centers. Training of trainers for the method “Forum Theatre” as a participatory and aware- ness raising tool for youth work, inclusion and conflict transformation is needed. 

ART delivers trainings on project cycle and project management to start up NGOs, which are initiated and managed by young people, and to Church related community development centers.

The implementing partners of ART help young people to acquire skills required by the labour market and soft skills related to conflict transformation.

Improved employability among young people: young people gain skills required by labour market and secure living through service provision, self-employment or regular jobs.

Young people have skills to transform conflicts in their own settings in non-violent way.

• Be inspiring and role model for others to follow.
• Ability to apply participatory approach in design, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

ART acts as a platform for interaction between different church related and secular stakeholders. 

Income generation and employability activities assist people to overcome the feeling of helplessness and take a lead, resume control over their lives.

ART activities in peace are directed to building youth capacity in conflict transformation and sustaining the knowledge on institutional level. 

Diakonie Kosova in total have 95 employees, 7 social workers are dealing with youth work, 4 of them are especially trained youth workers. Diakonie Youth Center maintains a database of volunteers and a decision-making body for the youth center called Youth Forum. The Youth Forum has 15 members (from all the ethnicities living in Mitrovica such as Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo Serbs, Roma and Bosniak) and from this forum 7 regular volunteers are supporting the youth workers.

Diakonie Youth Center is located in the “border” between South Mitrovica (majority Albanians) and South Mitrovica (majority Serbs), and the Roma neighbourhood (Roma Mahalla) is 500 meters from the Youth Center. The majority of our clients are from rural areas. That’s because these youngsters are particularly vulnerable and the Diakonie Youth Center is the only place where they feel accepted and can profit from the free offers (courses and activities).

Interreligious Dialog activity:
One of the most successful activities on reconciliation, tolerance and conviviality-building (integration, reconciliation between Albanians and Serbs).

In this activity 2 youth workers and the Forum are engaged. Financial resources need to cover study visits, meetings, presentations and conferences. 

Once a month we organize a meeting with those who are involved in the activity.

Once a month we organize debates and presentations.

Once in 3 months we organize study visits.

Once a year we organize a conference about interreligious dialogue.

Interreligious Dialog is an activity where young people from deferent ethnicities (religions) have the possibility to learn more about other religions. Religion in Kosovo shapes big parts of the traditions and the customs, and this gives young people the chance to better know their neighbors coming from others cultures and practicing different customs. In Kosovo the majority is Muslim followed by Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants and Dervish (Sufi).

There are strong stereotypes between these religions and that is one of the reasons why young people hesitate to build healthy relationships between each other. 

The Interreligious Dialogue activity helps the youngsters to get directly in contact with the representatives from all the religions living in Kosovo and to have the possibility to directly ask and discuss the topic of religion in a tolerant and democratic spirit.

Once a month we organize a debate with clerics from all the religions. They give presentations about their religion and after we open the discussions to speak about and to clarify the doubts participants have about their religion.

Once in three moth we organize study visits with the Forum and other participants visiting the religions’ centers in Kosovo (Mosques, Catholic churches, Orthodox churches, Protestant churches, Dervish Centers etc.) where young people have the possibility to see and to learn about others religions first-hand.

The young people are more open and tolerant towards other religions, cultures and customs. Breaking down the stereotypes and the prejudices between them helps to fight radicalisation and can create new friendships.    

The youth trainer (youth worker) should have good storytelling skills in order to build meaningful relationships as a method of dialogue. He/She should be open without any stereotype and prejudice about others religions.

We consider this method innovative because it gives young people the possibility to be involved directly in this process of dialogue with the stakeholders and with the institutions. No other NGO or state-run facility runs similar initiatives.