YEPP EUROPE contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDGs are designed to bring the world to several life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.
YEPP EUROPE has committed to contribute to reaching these ambitious targets. We believe that creativity, knowhow, technology and resources are needed from all communities to achieve the SDGs in every context, and that it is possible to contribute at local and global level through multi-stakeholder involvement, including youth. With its holistic and inclusive empowerment approach YEPP EUROPE focuses in particular on civic engagement of young people with fewer opportunities as agents of change.
YEPP EUROPE’s work can be linked to the following SDGs: Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
Goal 1 – No Poverty
How do we contribute?
Our target groups are young people in communities with fewer opportunities. Many are struck by poverty, its causes and consequences. With our capacity building programmes and facilitation of participatory processes, as in Welcomeship, INCLUSION! etc. we reach out to marginalised young people and youth living in poverty or at risk of poverty. Through the programmes they gain life skills, competences and attitudes. They also become more resilient to external shocks or events in their lives. At the heart of our every learning activity is the trust in people’s strengths – not being victims or passive recipients of assistance but becoming active and empowered change makers.
To foster more equality in the field of human rights, YEPP EUROPE implements the Songs for Rights project for children, which is about claiming your rights through music and rights education workshops.
References:
WELCOMESHIP
INCLUSION!
Songs for Rights
Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being
How do we contribute?
Well-being and health-care issues, e.g. polluted rivers, lack of sports facilities, poor eating habits, drug addiction, etc. affect many young people in communities with fewer opportunities. Therefore, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, as well as creating awareness about health risks, eating and drinking habits, climate crisis, etc. is part of the work of YEPP EUROPE and all members in the YEPP Community Network.
In some YEPP member communities like in Dublin North Inner City, Ireland, or London,UK, prevention and treatment of substance abuse and harmful use of alcohol, in particular among young people, is a priority and focus of their work.
Information and education about sexual and reproductive health is important for most of our members working with young people. In Slovakia, for example, where YEPP Kecerovce-Olšava works with Roma youth, it is particularly important.
References:
YPAR
YEPP Kecerovce-Olšava
Goal 4 – Quality Education
How do we contribute?
LEARNING is a crucial part of YEPP EUROPE’s holistic empowerment approach. It is one of the 5 Goals and Principles and is implemented as part of YEPP EUROPE’s capacity-building programmes focusing mainly on non-formal learning.
The capacity-building programmes of YEPP EUROPE and the YEPP Community Network, such as Build Your Future, People Places Partnerships, Fake OFF!, Welcomeship, Songs for Rights, etc., are designed for young people with fewer opportunities. Our target group includes young people with disabilities, migrant background or from families with socio-economic difficulties. YEPP EUROPE capacity-building programmes promote diversity, gender equality and aim at building capacities, skills and competences as well as attitudes and confidence of young people in media literacy, communication, creative thinking, advocacy, project management, sustainable development, (social) entrepreneurship, pro-activism, inclusive education and human rights to become responsible active citizens contributing to positive change. At the same time, young people develop skills in a wide range of employability related fields.
References:
WELCOMESHIP
INCLUSION!
Songs for Rights
Fake Off!
People Places Partnerships
Build Your Future
Goal 5 – Gender Equality
How do we contribute?
The first Goal of YEPP EUROPE is Youth Empowerment. It includes equal opportunities for young people regardless of racial or ethnic origin, education, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Gender equality is promoted and monitored by YEPP EUROPE and the members of the YEPP Community in all activities, educational programmes and even governance structures. Advocating for the empowerment of young people and communities within the context of YEPP approach and methodology implies that young girls and women are being included in decision-making processes and structures. Equal opportunities are outlined in the YEPP Working Standards. These have been signed by all members of the YEPP Community Network.
References:
The YEPP Approach & 5 Goals and Principles
The YEPP Working Standards
Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
How do we contribute?
Community Empowerment is one of YEPP EUROPE’s Goals and Principles and is targeted at communities with fewer opportunities. This includes the promotion of development-oriented policies, fostering of creativity and innovation through community-based entrepreneurship and design and implementation of non-formal capacity-building programmes for young people and youth workers across Europe. Some examples include Build Your Future, People Places Partnerships and Welcomeship. These programmes also include influencing policy change and the engagement, mobilization and building of trans-sectoral partnerships of community stakeholders and policy makers. They aim at fostering economic growth, social justice, sustainable development, setting up of (social) businesses and the employment of young people.
References:
WELCOMESHIP
People Places Partnerships
Build Your Future
Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities
How do we contribute?
The first of YEPP EUROPE’s Goals and Principles is Youth Empowerment. It implies that all young people have equal opportunities regardless of racial or ethnic origin, education, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. The reduction of inequalities is promoted by all members of the YEPP Community Network in their local communities and is fostered throughout YEPP EUROPE activities at international level, as well as social media awareness raising campaigns and, in particular, support of young people and communities with fewer opportunities.
References:
The YEPP Community Network
Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
How do we contribute?
Positive environment is a key topic in youth-directed capacity-building programmes and activities in most communities across the YEPP Community Network. In the times of climate crisis and youth-led movements, such as Fridays for Future, reducing CO2 emissions and waste, changing consumption habits and reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities has become a priority in the advocacy work of YEPP Local Sites and Project Partners of YEPP EUROPE across the continent.
Goal 13 – Climate action
How do we contribute?
YEPP EUROPE seeks to create awareness for climate crisis and impact reduction by informing the YEPP Community and external audience of the latest news, developments and examples of good practice via website, Newsletter and social media channels, and also by promoting sustainable event management through our own example. In September 2019, the team of YEPP EUROPE has joined the global climate strike in solidarity with young people who demand urgent and more effective actions on that matter. An educational programme on changing habits for climate change mitigation, Community Challengers, has started in 2021.
References:
YEPP EUROPE Facebook page
YEPP EUROPE Instagram account
Goal 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
How do we contribute?
Responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making is at the core of the YEPP approach and methodology. It is a process-oriented bottom up approach which gives decision making power to all community stakeholders and young people in particular. The key targets of YEPP activities are the strengthening of civil society and the development and improvement of the communities at local and global levels.
References:
The YEPP Approach
