International Programs

Welcome to Youth Network Council's International Programs page. Youth Network Council's mission is to help young people and their families by building the capcacity of community agencies. Internationally, the community is the world and the agencies are those partners working to protect and support youth and their families around the world.

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NASW, ILLINOIS CHAPTER
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES EXCHANGE NETWORK
Durban/ Casablanca Exchange Program
July 24, 2007 – August 3, 2007

Continuing its involvement with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Illinois Chapter and the Chicago Sister Cities International Program, YNC staff and ICOY members participated in an exchange program with Durban, South Africa and Casablanca, Morocco. From July 24, 2007 – August 3, 2007, eight delegates from Durban and three delegates from Casablanca were hosted by NASW IL Chapter International Activities Network members in Chicago to examine the exchange’s theme: ‘The Impact of Diversity on Social Work’.
The exchange consisted of discussions on current issues the relevant state of affairs in each Sister City; a workshop on diversity; site visits to social service organizations; and the option to explore social work in four distinct track areas: community practice, child welfare, medical issues and schools. The exchange concluded with a seminar focusing on the exchange’s theme of diversity entitled, ‘What Can We Learn from Each Other?’ Delegation and community seminar participants explored the following questions:
(1) What are the similarities in the ways we respond to common problems?
(2) What are the differences in the ways we respond to common problems? and
(3) What new approaches can we take to address common problems?
Five ICOY member organizations hosted international delegates at their organizations. During their visit, youth service providers from Chicago, Durban and Casablanca shared the mission and purpose of their organizations, current issues in youth services, best practices and lessons learned. Thank you to Alternatives, Inc., Chicago Area Project, Chicago Youth Centers, Teen Living Programs, and Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, who hosted international delegates.

Exchange Participant Photos:

Chicago Area Project

Alternatives

South African Consulate

For More Information on NASW in Illinois: www.naswil.org - - NASW – Illinois Chapter
http://www.sister-cities.org/sci/sciprograms/projectsin2002 - - Sister Cities International

History of YNC's Involvement in the International Program

Youth Network Council has been actively involved in the international arena since the early 1980’s.

International Youth Conference

In 1985, YNC Sponsored the International Youth Conference, in commemoration of International Youth Year. This conference, held in Chicago, was attended by more than one thousand participants, representing forty states and thirty-eight countries. In addition to plenary session featuring international speakers, the International Youth Conference offered approximately one hundred skill-building sessions across the substantive track areas of community-based youth services, child welfare, youth development, juvenile justice, mental health, substance abuse prevention, and youth employment and economic development.

In 1988, YNC reconvened a Second International Youth Conference, which, similar to the 1985 event, also attracted youth workers from thirty states and forty countries. Assisted with funding from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission and the World Health Organization, the confrence focused on community-based approaches to substance abuse prevention.

World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)

The World Association of Nongovernmental Organizations (WANGO) is a global organization whose mission is to serve its member organizations, strengthen and encourage the nongovernmental sector as a whole, increase public understanding of the nongovernmental community, and provide the mechanism and support needed for NGOs to connect, partner, and multiply their contributions to solve humanity's basic problems. Youth Network Council/Illinois Collaboration on Youth is currently a subscriber.

In November 2005, YNC sent a representative to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for WANGO's Annual Conference. The theme was "The Role of NGOs in Creating a World Fit for Children". Gathered were 265 leaders of nongovernmental organizations from 37 nations, charged with the task of examining the state of today's world, imagining the future, and setting about the means to implement that future.

For more information on WANGO, and the work they are doing to effect change, please visit http://www.wango.org/

2006 Global Social Service Exchange Program

Upon invitation from the Hamburg Youth Authority in Hamburg, Germany and the NASW Illinois Chapter, in partnership with the Sister City International program in Chicago, Youth Network Council staff participated in the 2006 Global Social Service Exchange Program. The exchange brought together delegations from Hamburg’s Sister Cities: Chicago, St. Petersburg, Prague and Birmingham. The exchange focused on child protection and family support. The nine day exchange program was aimed at social workers and those involved with managing child protection and family support projects in different fields of social work. The Global Exchange Program was designed to support intercultural dialog between the sister cities and achieve the following objectives:

Identify the major social issues relevant to individuals, families and societies, worldwide
Promote an international exchange of professionals to share practice experiences
Increase an international exchange of theoretical and conceptual knowledge
Educate and promote interest in the significance of global collaboration at university and professional levels (i.e.; curriculum enhancement, presentations, journal articles, etc.)
Develop creative partnerships which will increase international activities (i.e. resource building, professional linkages, funding opportunities, etc).

The program included a work shadowing placement, where participants spent two days with a social worker from Hamburg. Additionally, participants were divided into small work groups from different cities, focusing on the following topics: child protection, schools and social work, community organization, migration, international adoption, early child care, training programs, and youth and politics. The exchange concluded with a two-day European Union Conference on best practices and policy for supporting families and protecting children.

Helpful International Links