IJAB Management Board re-elected

One of the priorities for the Management Board is to guide the international youth work community through the continuing difficulties associated with the Coronavirus pandemic. “Despite the pandemic, over the last two years we have been successful in interacting closely with IJAB’s members and our international partners - an approach we wish to continue,” said Chairman Rolf Witte. “I would like to thank our members for the trust they have shown in us. We remain committed to working with our international partners, whose existence is increasingly threatened due to the pandemic and, for some, the restrictions imposed on civil society organisations, and providing them with robust support to the extent we are able.” In addition, he continued, IJAB will work with as many stakeholders as possible in order to analyse the impact of current social and political developments around the world on international youth work, as well as to verify whether IJAB’s structural and conceptual profile needs to be adapted accordingly.

A close working relationship

Already in 2019 IJAB had begun to work with its members and international partners to identify relevant youth policy issues, an exercise that resulted in the LEMOCC project (on climate-sensitive international youth exchange management) as well as a project to digitalise international youth work. Both projects were launched in 2021 and will continue in 2022.

IJAB’s approach towards pinpointing relevant issues and priorities together with its members and international partners will be further defined, following a unanimous decision by the Members’ Assembly.

IJAB’s Members’ Assembly hold two statutory meetings each year. Owing to the pandemic, this time the meeting was a purely virtual event, with its agenda limited to the formalities required by IJAB’s Articles of Association. The actions of the Management Board were approved, and IJAB’s work plan for 2022 and budget for 2023 adopted, amongst other items.