Social inclusion

High unemployment rates, particularly for the young, inequality of opportunities in education and training, social exclusion from quality services (housing, health, culture and justice), discrimination, poverty and risk of marginalization are declared unacceptable by various political institutions and stakeholders; nevertheless they are still relevant in European societies. According to young people, one of the main objectives of governments and European institutions must be to fight unemployment and social exclusion and to make the European social model real.

Support is especially needed for disadvantaged young people and those with fewer opportunities. Without inclusion and access young people can not experience youth as a transition period between child and adulthood and as a phase of social experimentation, developing creativity, personality, own opinions, responsibility etc.  And they are at risk to be permanently socially excluded.

The promotion of human rights and social cohesion, as defined in the European Convention on Human Rights and in the European Social Charter is a core element of the mission of the Council of Europe. The main issues with regards to social cohesion are social protection, employment, education and vocational training, workers rights, health, housing, equal opportunities, non-discrimination and immigration.

These issues are the reason for the Council of Europe's Directorate of Youth and Sport to launch a 3-year youth program on Human Rights Education in 2000 and to enlarge the scope of the program to include social cohesion issues in the period 2003-2005.

The Lisbon strategy of the European Union called for a renewed and modernized European social model covering the following issues: investing in people, building an active and dynamic welfare state and strengthening actions against unemployment, social exclusion and poverty. As a result the Commission presented a proposal for a Community Action program to combat social exclusion, which runs after its adoption by the Council and the European Parliament 2002 to 2006.

The objectives of combating poverty and exclusion are as well relevant to young people:

In the White Paper on Youth social integration is identified as one of the five key priorities in horizontal policy fields where youth aspects should be taken more into account. The European Youth Pact confirms the relevance of employment, integration and social advancement and agrees that relevant actions in these areas are to be drawn up in particular in the European Employment Strategy and the Social Inclusion Strategy. Particularly the Social Inclusion Strategy will incorporate a youth dimension and will take into account the Council Resolution on the social integration of young people.

The European Commissions’ youth unit is implementing a specific strategy for the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in the context of the Youth Programme. The partnership on youth between the European Commission and Council of Europe published a T-Kit on Social Inclusion in order to provide an important tool for youth workers in their work to create  a more inclusive Europe.

Related Documents:

 Recommendation on fighting severe poverty in towns: the role of local authorities Rec 154(2004)
approved by the Congress of Local and regional Authorities on 26 May 2004 and adopted by the Standing Committee of the Congress on 27 May 2004

Recommendation Towards full social inclusion of people with disabilities Rec 1592(2003)
adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 29 January 2003

Social inclusion and young people, by Helen Colley, Bryony Hoskins, Teodora Parveva, and Philipp Boetzelen
Research seminar 31 October - 2 November 2005, European Youth Centre Budapest
Explore the challenge of promoting social inclusion for young people throughout Europe

Report on the consultative meeting on social cohesion and social inclusion of young people (17.-18. October 2006, European Youth Centre Budapest ), by Nathalie Mc Donnell

The Social inclusion process
European Commission. Employment and Social Affairs

“Social inclusion and young people: breaking down the barriers”; Helen Colley, Philipp Boetzelen, Bryony Hoskins and Teodora Parveva
Social exclusion, the polarisation of the types of chances life offers to different groups of young people, is increasing. It is spatially concentrated in some regions and neighbourhoods and is arguably linked to social class.
Race and gender can also contribute to this phenomenon, as can other inequalities such as disability.
Social inclusion is therefore one of the central goals of European policies towards young people, especially in relation to employment, lifelong learning and vocational guidance.
This book presents key findings from a research seminar organised by the European Youth Partnership on the theme of “Social Inclusion and Young People”. The articles included give a picture of the forms of social exclusion affecting young people nowadays and provide evidence of the progress of strategies to promote social inclusion.
As part of the framework partnership agreement on youth between the Council of Europe and the European Commission, the research seminar and this publication support efforts in the fields of youth policy, education and training to build a more inclusive society for all.
Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2007 ; ISBN 978-92-871-6100-0
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