GFCF hosts Global Peer Learning on Community Foundations and Youth Civic Engagement in Romania
06 Dec 2011
On the 16th and 17th November 2011, the GFCF held a peer learning in Cluj-Napoca, Romania focusing on Community Foundations and Youth Civic Engagement (YCE). The meeting, co-hosted by the Cluj Community Foundation, sought to bring together a global group of GFCF partners to share ideas and experiences and explore and debate challenges and good practice in working with youth in their respective countries and contexts. Not only was this a first opportunity for community foundations working on youth to meet on this dedicated topic, but it was also an opportunity for them to set the agenda based on their defined priorities. From providing effective mentoring and support to youth, to engaging youth in public policy, to involving youth in governing structures and effectively using social media, the peer learning agenda was structured around the issues and challenges the organizations identified as most important to them.
Participants from community foundations in Slovakia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Kenya discuss
With a few exceptions, most of the participating organizations have received grant support from the GFCF (with support from the Mott Foundation) for their work on youth civic engagement, and so the peer learning provided and ideal forum for these organizations to share practical experiences on what works and what does not in their respective contexts and to consider the strategies and ideas of others as they plan ahead with their own programmes. It was a melting pot indeed! 22 organizations from 18 countries, from Mexico to India and from South Africa to Latvia – came together to learn from each other and to connect both individually and as a collective. Going beyond the individual organizations, however, the peer learning also challenged participants to take a critical look at the broader role and impact of community foundations in working with youth, to discuss and reflect on the value that community foundations in particular add to work on youth civic engagement and to think about strategies to strengthen, expand and deepen the impact of the work and begin to build a more concrete knowledge base that could provide learning value beyond the immediate group on Cluj.
The Great Debate: community foundations vs NGOs on youth….
Despite the sometimes sub-zero temperatures in Cluj, the group left the meeting excited, energised and committed to taking the discussions and the practice further. They have already set up a Facebook page, made connections for possible one on one peer exchanges and are looking at connecting the youth they work with to each other. Ideas for tools and case studies are being explored and possibilities to turn what started as a meeting of minds into into a vibrant learning community are aplenty, so watch this space!
Halima Mahomed