What is youth in the Red Cross Red Crescent?

The terms "youth" and "young people" are taken to cover the broad age range of 5 to 30 years. This includes:
Children: 5 to 10 years old approximately.
Adolescents: 11 to 15 years old approximately.
Young adults: 16 to 30 years old approximately.

Traditionally, children and younger adolescents have been considered the beneficiaries of the Movement. However, adolescents and young adults have to be provided with the opportunity to serve as active volunteers and acquire the skills to be active partners in the governance and management of the Federation of today and tomorrow by working side by side the older members.

More information (on FedNet):
- Presentation on IFRC and Youth
- Presentation on Organisational Development for RC/RC Youth

How can I get involved in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement?
First of all, thank you for your interest in our efforts "to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity".

The International Federation does not take on volunteers directly for its international operations. This is due to the nature of the Federation's international programmes, which are always run in cooperation with its National Societies. To become a volunteer contact your National Society or the closest branch!

The International Federation does not run exchange programmes between National Societies either. However, it is possible that individual National Societies may run exchange programmes for people wishing to volunteer to work in another country. Please contact your own National Society to see if it is involved in such a programme.

If you do not have an address for your National Society, please look in our directory for the national contact details in your country.

Good luck, please do not hesitate to contact us at youth@ifrc.org if you have questions or need help!

Why do we need to work with and for youth?

It is important to take a particular interest in developing youth. Very often the needs of youth are different from those of women, men and the elderly. Through a better understanding of youth, one can provide them with support that is more consistent with their needs and expectations as developing individuals and members of the civil society.

In the RC/RC, there is a need of developing Youth to:

• Increase the Federation’s impact on improving the lives of vulnerable people
• Enable National Societies at national and branch levels to receive the benefits of creativity, energy and commitment from Youth
• Sensitize young people to the voluntary service and the Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values of the RC/RC Movement
• Better identify the needs of young people and find an effective way to respond to these needs through the peer-to-peer approach (peer education)
• Provide young people the opportunity to acquire the skills to be involved in the leadership and management of the Movement of today and tomorrow by working side by side the older members.

More information:
- Presentation on Organisational Development for RC/RC Youth (on FedNet)
- The education of young people - the importance of non-formal education (PDF)

What is the secretariat focus for youth development?

The objective is to have National Societies Youth programmes and structures developed in line with IFRC overall organisational development. The Secretariat approach for RC/RC Youth development follows three directions:

1. Focused programmes responsive to local vulnerabilities;
2. To recruit, train and retain youth volunteers, to develop policy and strengthen structures to involve youth in decision-making bodies;
3. Working together, establishing partnership and mobilising resources

Youth Development Expected Results:

• All National Societies have youth policy, management and plans of action
• All National Societies measure and value the impact of youth volunteers in National Society work and improve capacity to attract, recruit, train, retain and recognise them
• All National Societies involve youth elected by youth in structures and decision making bodies at all levels

The General Assembly 2005 supported the need:

• To establish and strengthen Regional Youth networks
• To share resources, learn from one another and plan and implement effective programmes
• To ensure youth involvement at international level
• To implement national Youth Policy and Strategy
• For a stronger mandate for the Youth Commission

It also asked the Secretary General

• to facilitate and support National Societies to plan and start Youth networks as well as strengthen the existing ones,
• to ensure effective support, from Geneva and the field offices, by providing technical advice and expertise,
• to report to the General Assembly 2007 on the achievements made since the General Assembly 2005, with proposed plans for the regions where Youth networks are not yet up and running,
• to involve Youth Commission members where relevant in international representation functions

More information:
- Youth Development Plan 06-09 (FedNet)
- Presentation on IFRC and Youth (FedNet)
- A Step by Step approach: Youth Policy and Strategy Guidelines (PDF)

What are the youth components in the general International Federation framework?

A Youth in the constitution
Art. 3 Functions
To encourage and coordinate between National Societies the exchange of ideas for the education of children and young people in humanitarian ideals and for the development of friendly relations between young people of all countries

B Youth Policy and Strategy
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has regularly recognised the importance of Youth.
This Policy helps both National Societies and the Federation to plan for the development of Red Cross and Red Crescent youth.
It also describes the role of each of the partners involved in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in ensuring that this important group of people is recognised and supported.

C Youth in the Characteristics for a Well-Functioning National Society
Foundation / 1.3 Constituency
A well-functioning Society makes special efforts to attract and involve the youth of the country
Capacity / 2.1 Leadership
Leadership training as well as leadership opportunities are provided at all levels, especially for women and youth

D Youth in Strategy 2010
2nd Strategic direction - Well-functioning National Societies
Well-functioning National Societies which can mobilize support and carry out their humanitarian mission, contributing to the building of civil society
Expected results
National Societies work with different models of volunteer engagement. Decision-making bodies better reflect the make-up of the population, particularly better gender, ethnic and youth representation.

E Youth representation in the International Federation governance through the Youth Commission
It is an advisory body to the International Federation Governing Board. In accordance with its mandate, it shall:

• Promote and assess the progress of the implement of the Youth policy worldwide;
• Report to each meeting of the General Assembly on its progress;
• Seek youth opinions worldwide on the implementation of the Federation's policies and programmes and ensure that these opinions are considered in the Statutory Bodies of the Movement;
• Propose priorities for work in the Youth programme, e.g. young women's issues, young people with disabilities, out-of-school youth, etc.;
• Identify National Societies where help is needed in the development of their Youth services and structures;
• Propose priority areas of work for the Federation Secretariat, and in particular the Youth department of the Federation, in line with the content of the Youth Policy, and taking into account all other policies and priorities of the Movement.

F The Tarragona agreement and recommendations
27 National Societies Youth representatives met with the IFRC President and Youth Commission in Tarragona, Spain, to discuss greater participation of young people; not just as representatives of a vulnerable group but as partners who have the capacity to bring added value to the work of the entire Federation.

More information:
- International Federation Youth Policy and Strategy
- Tarragona statement and recommendations

What kind of programmes are youth involved in?

Youth programmes aim at developing young people as an integral part of the community within an environment of respect, solidarity and coexistence. Here are some examples of Youth activities that can be developed within humanitarian values, health and care in the community, disaster management and response programmes:

• Peer education programmes to raise awareness and influence behaviour on HIV/AIDS prevention, addictions, community health, reducing discrimination
• Advocacy campaigns to reduce violence, stigma, discrimination
• Activities to instruct the general public in life-saving techniques, children about safety at home
• Involvement in large-scale relief operations
• Protection of the environment
• Dissemination and promotion of the Movement Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values as well as International Humanitarian Law
• Promotion of international friendship and intercultural dialogue

More information:
- Examples of established youth activities are available on the IFRC website
- Case studies on youth successful programmes

Why are good youth structures and policies so important?

In order to benefit from the active contribution of youth in the National Society work, it is important to involve them at all the stages on the decision-making process, both in policy and strategy development and programme planning.

A good structure to be chosen for the Youth section should realise the following principles:

• Programme based on prioritised local needs
• Activities developed by and with young people
• Integration of (recognized) young representatives in the NS decision-making

To date, we can distinguish three alternative main structures of the RC/RC Youth in different National Societies:

• a quite independent Youth organization
• an autonomous youth section, department, unit, focal point… in charge of youth activities, integrated in the National Society
• youth programmes, with no explicit responsibilities

Following the three principles of a good structure, the second option shows to work best because allow the young volunteers to develop responsive programmes with and by youth, keeping high their involvement, motivation and satisfaction. At the same time, the National Society benefits from the Youth spirit, skills and knowledge through the full integration, at all levels, of the elected Youth leaders in their overall programmes and decision making bodies.

A Youth Policy should enable the National Society and young people to remove barriers to, and facilitate young people's participation. National Societies need to develop a structure for young people, and support this with a policy that outlines how both young people and others within the Society can benefit from this integrated structure.

The International Federation Youth Policy and Strategy
This Policy outlines the principles of youth participation within a National Society. It describes its responsibilities, and the ones of the young people themselves in making these principles a reality.

Every National Societies should use the Federation Youth Policy as a basis to develop a national one and, in general, to support the RC/RC Youth development.

More information:
- Examples of established youth structures are available on the IFRC website
- International Federation Youth Policy and Strategy
- A Step by Step approach: Youth Policy and Strategy Guidelines
- Children & Young people participating in decision-making

What are Red Cross Red Crescent youth networks, and how do they function?

A RC/RC Youth network is an interconnected support system for youth who interact, meet and remain in communication for mutual assistance to achieve its overall goal (see box below). The Red Cross and Red Crescent Youth Policy states that National Societies need to establish contact with sister Societies to share resources, learn from one another, and to provide a structure whereby young people can meet their counterparts from other countries, and experience true international friendship in the spirit of the Movement.

Overall goal of Youth networks
To strengthen the National Societies Youth programmes and structures by establishing a (sub)regional youth network in order to share relevant knowledge and experience among RC/RC Youth leaders who can ensure a multiplier effect by empowering NSs youth volunteers and implementing responsive programmes to improve the lives of vulnerable people in their community.

Experience shows that where youth networks have been established and are working, youth in National Societies have a great opportunity to meet and exchange knowledge, ideas and experiences in program implementation. At this level, National Societies of a same region share common realities, vulnerabilities, challenges, languages, culture and capacities which characterize their work. The sharing of these commonalities and the experiences they afford, adds value to the work of the National Societies in improving the lives of the vulnerable people.

Concrete elements to succeed in this process are:

• ownership, willingness, motivation and commitment of the Youth of the National Societies involved
• internal and external support, i.e. leadership of the National Societies and IFRC delegation or other partners
• an informal and "light" structure, BUT with recognised goal, strategy, objectives, roles and responsibilities of Youth leaders involved in the network
• plan for the network to become progressively financially independent from external support by sharing resources available within the network and/or building capacity to attract external funds and contributions.

More information:
- Examples of established youth networks are available on the IFRC web site.

What are the main reference documents for Youth Development?

• International Federation Youth Policy and Strategy
• A Step by Step approach: Youth Policy and Strategy Guidelines
• National Youth Policies
• Tarragona statement and recommendations
• The education of young people - the importance of non-formal education
• Youth Development Plan 06-09
• Presentation on IFRC and Youth
• Presentation on Organisational Development for RC/RC Youth
• Children & Young people participating in decision-making
• IFRC quarterly newsletter “Youth in Action”
• Case studies:
  Australia: “Save-A-Mate” programme
  Cameroon: protecting street children
  Germany: “Poverty: don’t look away!” campaign
  Palestine: “Explosive Remnants of War” awareness programme
  Saint Lucia: “Breaking the Silence” media literacy and HIV education programme

• YMCA (World Alliance of YMCAs)
• YWCA (World Young Women's Christian Association)
• WOSM (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
• WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
• IAA (International Award Association)
• IYF (International Youth Foundation)

How can I learn more about the youth within the Red Cross and Red Crescent?

In this youth section of the Federation web site, it is possible to find more on youth activities, networks, publications, policy and strategy as well as a youth directory to facilitate communication between National Society Youth sections.

For any further information, you can contact the Youth Focal Point at the Federation Secretariat: youth@ifrc.org.