Benefits of International Cooperation

Municipalities that have focused their international youth projects on young people who are unemployed and do not attend school, notice that these projects help the young people to affect changes in their own lives.

The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs conducted the evaluation »Luxury or Necessity« about the benefits of international cooperation, in particular focusing on the efforts of some successful municipalities and what their projects have in common.

The results of the evaluation demonstrate that international youth projects enrich those involved. Examples of positive results include young people who gain new insights and youth leaders who develop in their professional role. Self-confidence is strengthened and social engagement increased.

Young people that have previously taken part in international youth projects explain that they have developed new international networks of contacts which make it easier to get a job abroad, and that they have become more comfortable with using a foreign language. Lastly, pupils who have taken part in international projects become more committed and perform better at school.

Breaking destructive behaviour

International experiences are a good way to get young people to break ingrained and sometimes destructive behaviours which they have established in their home community. Municipalities that have focused their international youth projects on young people who neither attend school nor work, notice that participants’ motivation to affect changes in their lives increases.

Moreover, the project leaders participate in international projects because they allow the organisation to both attract new competence and keeping that which it already has by providing an exciting working environment, in addition to providing the organizations with the opportunity for development, raising competence and increasing their competitiveness. They also see that international youth projects can lead the municipality to look at young people as a resource.

Politicians and civil servants see international projects as an opportunity to attract new businesses, increase inhabitants’ competence, draw new manpower to the municipality, stem the tide of emigration, promote integration and combat racism as well as to advertise the municipality and increase tourism.