Young Voices for Youth Work

IJAB: You were both involved in drafting the policy paper “Young Voices for Youth Work”. When you look back at the process, what was the most important learning experience for you personally?

Emmanuel Bakowski: For me, it was the first time I had ever worked on something like a policy paper. So even the research phase, creating and sharing a survey for people active in youth work and collaborating with all these young people from all over Europe – that in itself was already a big learning experience. If I had to pinpoint one specific thing, it would be getting to know the other participants. It was very inspiring to see so many young people come together to support other young people, dedicating months of work, time and effort to creating this policy paper alongside all their other responsibilities. 

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: I could not agree more with Emmanuel, because I believe that people are always the best part of any project like this one. When you see what youth work can do, you understand that what you are doing is actually important and that you can make a real difference. I would say that intercultural learning, which happens in such projects, is most valuable for me personally.

IJAB: The paper describes youth work as a “training ground for democracy” and a “pillar of democratic societies”. What does youth work mean to you? 

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: I come from a country where politicians are usually unreachable and are treated like a separate ecosystem, which you can’t easily enter. After projects like this, which involve meetings with politicians and decision-makers, friends often say things like: “Wow, politicians, oh my God!” But that’s not how things should be in society. It should be normal to be able to freely communicate your needs or concerns to those who can influence things, right? And that is exactly what such youth initiatives give us. They train us and they show us that democracy isn’t just a fancy word on paper, but something we can shape. My perception of politicians has changed profoundly, and in a positive way, through my engagement in youth work. This is what should happen to as many people as possible.

Emmanuel Bakowski: For me, youth work means giving young people the chance to find themselves, but also to become more active European citizens. It means giving them the chance to get to know people from different cultures, challenge their own views, learn in a format that’s not formal, and also to learn how to say what they want to say. It also means experiencing a special environment that doesn’t put the pressure of grades on them, but instead offers the opportunity to learn freely, in their own way. Most importantly, youth work gives young people the chance to shape their own futures. When young people see that the EU actually cares about them, they are more likely to trust the EU and feel empowered to participate in society and in politics. 

IJAB: You worked together with 15 young people from nine countries. In what ways did you feel that your experiences were similar – and in what ways were they different? 

Emmanuel Bakowski: There were some differences. But all of us agreed that in our countries and our social environments, nobody really knew what youth work actually is. A lot of these things are now obvious to us, but only because we are already part of this “bubble”. On the one hand, in some countries, taking part in youth exchanges or doing European voluntary service is considered a waste of time. For others, like myself in Germany, it is considered normal to do voluntary service after leaving high school. This was also one of the things we highlighted in the paper: How seriously youth work and volunteering opportunities for young people are taken varies greatly across EU member states.

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: I would like to share one “aha” moment that I had during a Generation Europe Ambassador Conference. Before going to this conference, a friend asked me what I understand by the term mentality. I struggled for some time, but eventually came up with what I thought was a pretty satisfying definition: mentality means patterns of behaviour that people show in particular situations or towards particular people, which are typical of a specific region, country or culture. At that time, I was convinced that people from different countries and regions have different mentalities. After returning from this conference with participants from around 15 countries, I realised how wrong I was, because mentality can never be limited to any geographical boundaries or  specific country. It’s just a way of thinking, seeing the world, treating people. I felt a closeness to some of the people from all these countries and that made me realise that it’s ideas and beliefs that shape mentality.

IJAB: The paper links the future of youth work directly to the future of democracy in Europe. Why do you think decision-makers should care about youth work now more than ever? 

Emmanuel Bakowski: I think they should care about it at all times. Now, it just seems like we’re shifting our focus from concern about future generations to warfare and national interests. Of course, military preparedness has its relevance, but it shouldn’t be the reason to neglect other important areas such as youth work, which nurtures democracy. For me, democracy starts with understanding one another and being willing to tolerate different backgrounds. And it continues by nurturing this tradition of understanding and cultural, social and political exchange. This is exactly what youth work offers: it gives young people a platform to explore different cultures, backgrounds, to practice problem-solving through collaboration and to care about the other countries. When I have friends all over Europe, I care about what happens in the countries because it directly affects them. Youth work encourages active, experience-based reflection at a stage of life when personality, goals and ideological directions are still forming. In times where single nations are becoming more isolated, youth work is an important way to include these nations. Not just for now, but also for future generations. And this serves not only the young individuals participating in youth work, but democracy in Europe as a whole.

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: We live right now in a very unstable and vulnerable world. As a Ukrainian citizen, I have experienced this firsthand, to the fullest possible extent. Since 2022, I have been living in Germany and studying at university. Being part of a multicultural society, both in projects like these and at my university, made me realise that when you befriend a person from another culture, you’re not only broadening your own horizons by getting to know their customs or values and maybe breaking down stereotypes about the whole nation, you also form a connection with that person and their culture. That makes it much harder to be manipulated by propaganda from any government against that country or to feel hatred towards that nation. The more people get the chance to truly connect with other nations, the harder it will hopefully become to start a war or any other form of aggression, since the majority of people would not support aggression against the country of a friend. I truly believe that the level of hatred in today’s world can be reduced if we create safe spaces where young people can connect internationally. What we also see is that people in some countries remain silent, because they don’t believe they can change anything or influence the decisions their government makes, or because they are afraid of being attacked. That is the problem. That is exactly what we should fix everywhere in the whole world.

IJAB: You describe youth work as especially important for young people who face social or economic disadvantages. Can you share one concrete story from your own experience that illustrates this? 

Emmanuel Bakowski: The obvious benefit is that we are participating for free, meaning regardless of financial situation, accommodation, food and travel costs are covered. But it’s more than that: I once took part in a youth exchange where one of the organisations from Spain specifically encouraged and supported young people from difficult socio-economic backgrounds. This included refugees from other parts of the world, for example. Like all other participants, they had the opportunity to meet people from other European countries and build a network of friends from across the continent. Youth exchanges create a “safe space”, because most participants in youth exchanges are curious rather than judgmental. For those who may not feel part of a greater European society, it can give them a feeling of belonging. 

However, it’s not perfect. When I was with the Spanish participants, some of them couldn’t speak good English and this wasn’t handled well. That did exclude them in a way. Also, many of the NGOs associated with Erasmus+ organise projects in bigger cities instead of rural areas. That makes it harder for people in rural areas to access such projects. For NGOs to be based in rural areas, the necessary frameworks for funding and recognition and accessibility need to be in place. That’s why this was also a big subject in our paper, because there’s still a lot of work to be done in this area.

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: This is exactly what is truly amazing about youth initiatives: they have an impact on people from all backgrounds, from all social and economic environments. They show that it’s not about money, but about true connection. They break down barriers between people. In our group, there was a girl who didn’t speak good English, yet still she participated in our international youth exchange programme. At first, that seemed incredible, but somehow she managed to connect with people from Greece and Germany, even without a common language. Somehow. it’s not about the language, it’s about connection. That’s why there should be no exceptions or restrictions based on the idea that you’re only accepted if you meet a set of criteria. It’s not about criteria – it’s about connection, and connection happens when you are simply yourself. 

IJAB: Your paper is both a “statement of concern” and an offer of partnership to policymakers. During the roundtable, you asked the participating institutions how EU bodies can move from listening to actually sharing power? What would convince you that this partnership is being taken seriously? 

Emmanuel Bakowski: For me, it would mean a follow-up. The event in Brussels was great, and based on the discussion we had with the policymakers, it seemed like everyone there actually cared about what we had to say. But in the end, it was still just a discussion. We need further commitment from the institutions to continue working with the EU sector, whether through Generation Europe or another network. This partnership is meant to be one where Generation Europe and youth representatives contribute practical and experience-based knowledge of youth work, and the institutions contribute their connections, political influence and field-based expertise. So I need to see that they can offer us tangible help so that we can reach the right people, in the right places, at the right time, in the right way – making the best possible impact. I want to see more formats like this one, where experiences of young people and people active in youth work, youth organisations and youth workers are not only noticed, but are actually incorporated into the political decision-making.

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: I loved the atmosphere during the roundtable and all those small details, such as having lunch together and talking, almost without formalities. And that we sat next to each other, rather than in separate groups. All of this contributed to a relaxed atmosphere, where we had a discussion about our shared future well-being. I loved being listened to, and the engagement in the room was genuine and tangible. I’m excited about formats like this, and I think it’s a very good beginning.

IJAB: What are your personal next steps to keep this paper alive? 

Emmanuel Bakowski: During the roundtable, we discussed how important it is to encourage national governments and administrations to focus more on youth work. I connected with people from IBB and the National Agency in Germany to discuss with them, how I personally, as a representative for Generation Europe and this paper, can help bring it to the local level, including the German government. I was advised to get in contact with the German Federal Youth Council to explore how we can integrate the paper into German policy. Also, my university, Leuphana in Lüneburg, is always eager to encourage students to take initiative. They have already worked with the National Agency in Germany, and once the paper is published, I want to bring it to my university and, of course, see if we can collaborate in order to make it more accessible to students there.

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko: Our work on this paper continues. We will finalise it, publish it, of course, and then share it as widely as we can. Apart from the roundtable, I also work in my local group and with youth leaders in Generation Europe, and we’ve discussed how to spread these ideas at our local level. Whenever we have the opportunity to talk to decision-makers, politicians or any initiatives, we always mention that this proposal exists. I think we must just keep trying, and maybe one day it will receive a positive response and make a difference.

IJAB: Thank you for the interview! 

The policy paper “Young Voices for Youth Work: A Youth Vision for a Sustainable, Well-Funded and Inclusive Ecosystem of Empowerment on Local and European Level”, which includes 28 recommendations for resilient youth work in Europe, was published on 21 January 2026 and can be accessed via the following link: Young Voices for Youth Work.

About the interview partners: 

Anastasiia Kryvoruchko is 20 years old. She was born in Ukraine, but has been living in Munich since 2022. She is currently studying Information Systems (Wirtschaftsinformatik) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Her journey into youth work started back in 2022, when she participated in her first youth exchange and joined the network of Generation Europe – The Academy.

Emmanuel Bakowski is 21 years old and lives in Lüneburg, Germany. He is studying Cultural Studies at Leuphana University. He was born in Kiel, but spent most of his life in Worms, before moving to Lüneburg to study. His journey into interculturality and advocacy started when he was 18 years old, when he spent a year in California as a Young Ambassador (“Junger Botschafter”) of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar).