Youth Policy Cooperation between Turkey and Sweden

The principal goals of the project Youth Policy Cooperation between Turkey and Sweden were to find out about the living conditions of young people in both countries, as well as to demonstrate the potential that young people have and increase their participation in society.

The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs and the Department of Youth Services at the Directorate for Youth and Sports in Turkey worked together in the project Youth Policy Cooperation between Turkey and Sweden between 2008 and 2010.

The intention of the project was to let actors within the youth policy field of one country reflect on their ideas and knowledge through meetings and discussions with partners from the other country. The target groups and participants of the project included: young people, civil servants, youth leaders, decision-makers, youth NGO’s, researchers, other professionals and project partners.

Four compendiums have been published within the project (download them using the links on the right):

Introduction to Youth Policy – Swedish and Turkish Perspectives

This compendium defines various concepts that are used when discussing youth policy or young people as a group. The text is not an in-depth analysis; rather, it is intended to serve as an introduction to youth policy.

You get what you ask for – Using surveys to learn about young people

This compendium presents a suggested methodology and important starting points for gathering information about the living conditions of young people, as well as two case studies that serve as examples of how the methodology could be employed (this particular project conducted surveys on a local level in both Turkey and Sweden). The compendium describes why and how surveys are conducted, with special emphasis on how to follow up results.

Possibilities and opportunities – Best practices for young people on the labour market from Turkey and Sweden

This compendium contains an overview of the labour market situation for young people in Turkey and Sweden. It also contains proposals, ideas and discussions of strategies that young people can use to go from school to employment, and also concern entrepreneurship and the accessibility of the labour market to young people with disabilities.

Strengthen the rights of young people! – Summaries from three seminars on the theme Awareness of provided social services and rights for young people

At the seminars, the participants identified current problems facing youth participation in Sweden and Turkey and what could be done in order to change the situation. The participants also compared the situation in both countries and discussed ways to increase youth participation in their respective societies.