The importance of empowerment and equality in ethical work with young Essay

The importance of empowerment and equality in ethical work with young people in youth work and community work - Essay Example This is the reason that whenever we talk about youth now, the first thing that strikes our mind is fun loving and carefree community. But then people began to realize that youth or teenagers have a different mindset and they need to be dealt accordingly. They need to be treated in a way where there get full freedom of speech, liberty of expression and a platform for the implementation of their plans and ideas. Therefore to increase youth’s participation in the economy and to encourage them youth work was initiated in Britain and Northern Ireland. "Like parenting, we all think we can do it. Unlike parenting you can gain professional qualifications in youth and community work." Tracie Trimmer-Platman The National Youth Agency presented a statement of values and principles in the form of ethical conduct in youth work. According to that conduct the behavior of all the individuals involved in the youth work should be based on some norms and must ensure effective delivery of service s, modeling proper behavior to young people, trust between workers, parents of the young people and the youth itself. Youth work aims to contribute to the personal, professional and social development of the young generation. Like religion, work and employment cannot be imposed on anyone. One can never do the work he or she is not interested in doing. And even in case of enforcement the productivity and learning both are zilch. One needs to have the love, passion and at least some level of interest in the work he is doing. Youth work helps the individuals to build their confidence, to develop self awareness, to evaluate alternatives and make independent judgments and decisions. There are some core principles like Empowerment, Equality, Informal Education and also Participation that play a very important role in youth work. With these principles youth work helps the individuals to take control over their own lives. It actually adds to their overall formal, academic and vocational edu cation too. â€Å"Age does not yield superiority; passion and love put everyone on an equal playing field.† Lisa Silverman, 17, Centennial High School, Ellicott City, Maryland To have a successful youth work, it is very important for a youth worker to have a fair idea of equality , empowerment and all ethical values that are important to be followed at a workplace. Power, leadership and authority is loved by all but when it comes to dominance or the feeling of being ruled by someone at work or even in our routine life, people start hating it. Same is the case with youth. They feel as they are born leaders and authoritarians and no one can dominate or rule them. That is why in youth work, power is delegated to youth for expressing, decision making and taking action whenever required. Research shows that empowerment plays a very important role and is the fostering tool for youth development and citizenship. According to a consolidated research by World Health Organization and O ttawa Charter for Health Promotion, empowerment is a transactional partnering process between adults and youth. It also said, â€Å"Let’s let them try. Let’s let them experience this. Let’s give them an opportunity. You have to create those opportunities in order for it to happen. I think that is the first part†