Sometimes we wonder though why we have the comments function enabled here, if — in the end — our email inbox explodes instead anyway. But anyhow! Commmunication is always appreciated!

Welcome back to the Podcast series co-produced by Nonformality and Youth Debate.

As you know, we recorded the inputs of the keynote speakers at the most recent research seminar of the institutional partnership on youth work, youth research and youth policy development. One by one, we publish these recordings as podcasts throughout the coming weeks.

Today is the time to make the recording of Peter Lauritzen available to you. Peter gave an input on the role of research and its triangular relation to youth work practice and youth policy at the research seminar. He does have a couple of surprises for you — including a powerful proof of his inclination to work visually.

Many of our readers are not very familiar with podcasts and the like, so we re-publish for your convenience the introductory text of the last article. If you are looking for the audio files, they are right at the end of the post, just scroll down! Or read on:

Now, a podcast is nothing else than a digital recording of a radio broadcast or a similar programme which is then made available on the Internet. While the name is coming from both broadcasting and iPod, a podcast is not restricted to an iPod or any other media player, in fact. You can listen to it easily, using one of many different ways.

If you wanna know more about podcasting, head over to Wikipedia.

The only thing that you need is a computer which can play mp3-files. Millions of programmes do that for you – Windows Media Player (or Jetaudio if you are on the outlook for a better and free alternative) on PC computers or Quicktime on MAC machines or iTunes on both.

Normally your computer knows very well what to do anyway, so just go ahead and download the mp3 file — your machine will take it from there, most likely. If not, ask a geeky character in your vicinity.

Just be aware that audio podcasts are usually not the smallest files (also true for ours: 32 Megabytes), so download might take a moment or two. The good news: It happens in the background, so you can continue to work away!

For you iTunes users out there, we have also included the iTunes link. For you nerdy friends of ours, we also have a more modern version of the soundfile available. And for all friends of RSS and feed readers, we also have a link especially for our podcasts.

Enjoy listening, and stay tuned!

take Nonformality, Youth Debate, Research Seminars, 130 applications, 30 participants, excellent speakers and interesting topics and spice this mixture up with a geek, a microphone and a macbook. Throw it all into a large-enough pot and stir well. What do you get?

Exactly.

Welcome to the Podcast series co-produced by Nonformality and Youth Debate.

At the most recent research seminar of the institutional partnership on youth work, youth research and youth policy development, we recorded the inputs of the keynote speakers. One by one, we publish these recordings as podcasts throughout the coming weeks.

Now, a podcast is nothing else than a digital recording of a radio broadcast or a similar programme which is then made available on the Internet. While the name is coming from both broadcasting and iPod, a podcast is not restricted to an iPod or any other media player, in fact. You can listen to it easily, using one of many different ways.

If you wanna know more about podcasting, head over to Wikipedia.

This first podcast is the input of Gavan Titley ‘Resituating Culture – Situating Diversity’. The lecture was given to the participants of the research seminar ‘Human Rights – Diversity – Participation’.

The only thing that you need is a computer which can play mp3-files. Millions of programmes do that for you – Windows Media Player (or Jetaudio if you are on the outlook for a better and free alternative) on PC computers or Quicktime on MAC machines or iTunes on both.

Normally your computer knows very well what to do anyway, so just go ahead and download the mp3 file — your machine will take it from there, most likely. If not, ask a geeky character in your vicinity.

Just be aware that audio podcasts are usually not the smallest files (also true for ours: 45 Megabytes), so download might take a moment or two. The good news: It happens in the background, so you can continue to work away!

For you iTunes users out there, we have also included the iTunes link. For you nerdy friends of ours, we also have a more modern version of the soundfile available. And for all friends of RSS and feed readers, we also have a link especially for our podcasts.

Enjoy listening!

Will it exist in a corresponding line to their participation in voting at all sort of levels, local, national, European? Or is there a very different pattern of participation preparing itself; efficient, real but not reflected in voting procedures? What is the key to understand the power aspect of participation of young people in public policies?

Looking at this, a reflection on the changing nature of public policy in the youth field comes to mind – from government to governance, from purely state action to a negotiated co-production of public policies in co-operation with the civil society, i.e. non-profit organisations, including youth associations. The role of the state might become less and less visible in the future and what a country can mobilise in terms of voluntary energy can become crucial for fields such as social services, health care, ecology and education. All this has to do with being able to associate young people to public affairs and to do this with the clear intention to also give them roles and responsibility very early. Someone who can develop a computer company in the garage can also have his or her voice heard in the city council; who understands complex computer programmes at young age can also contribute to the teaching of mathematics and informatics at school and trendsetters in modern lifestyle sports can also say a lot about the organisation of urban space. Everybody in politics claims the participation of the young – in what exactly? In what they think young people should participate in? Or could they also engage in some risky co-operation project? It is true that youth participation is crucial to overcome apathy in the political process – but honest policy, close to the people, can do this job even better and if there is none or not enough of it, there is no need to spread moral panics about the young and their distance to public policies instead. Youth participation cannot be had cheaply any more; it has to come over as a real offer to share the power and it is time that this happens.

For the Council of Europe and the European Commission to work on the participation of young people in public affairs is part of their youth policy mandate, be it in the new policy following the publication of the White Paper on youth for the Commission or in the daily practice of co-management of funds and programmes between public youth authorities and NGOs in the Council of Europe.

But this is not enough; the institutional practice needs to communicate with research findings. This way the couple public authority – civil society enlarges into the triangle public authority – civil society – research community and intentions are confronted with evidence. It is for you to judge whether recent research enlarges the quality of the discourse on participation.