Experts learn from each other Strategies to work with difficult young people in Hungary and Germany

Átírás

1 Experts learn from each other Strategies to work with difficult young people IFJÚSÁGI, CSALÁDÜGYI, SZOCIÁLIS ÉS ESÉLYEGYENLÕSÉGI MINISZTÉRIUM Fachkräfte lernen voneinander Strategien im Umgang mit schwierigen Jugendlichen in Ungarn und Deutschland Szakemberek, akik egymástól tanulnak A problémás fiatalokkal foglalkozó stratégiák ISBN:

2 CONTENT INHALT TARTALOM Written by: Ulrich BRÜGGEMANN (DJI- Entimon) Michael GABRIEL (KOS Fanprojekte) Volker GOLL (KOS Fanprojekte) Andrea MÜLLER (LidiceHaus Bremen) NÉMETH Zita (Mobilitás) Ulrike PAULMANN (ijab.e.v.) Heiner SCHÄFER (DJI - Arbeitsstelle Jugendkriminalitätsprävention) ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION THE PROJECTS PROJECT 1 DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY IN DETENTION CENTRES FOR EDUCATIVE TRAINING EINLEITUNG...38 DIE PROJEKTE...42 PROJEKT 1 FREIHEITSENTZUG IN PÄDAGOGISCH ORIENTIERTEN EINRICHTUNGEN...42 BEVEZETÉS A PROJEKTEK PROJEKT 1 SZABADSÁGELVONÁS A PEDAGÓGIAI JELLEGÛ INTÉZMÉNYEKBEN Project coordination and final editing: NÉMETH Zita, Mobilitás Design: PEPO2000BT PROJECT 2 PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN FOOTBALL PROJEKT 2 GEWALTPRÄVENTION BEIM FUßBALL...45 PROJEKT 2 ERÕSZAKPREVENCIÓ A LABDARÚGÁS TERÜLETÉN Photos: Brücke e.v. Augsburg The Fan Project Coordination Centre at the German Sport Youth ijab e.v. Mobilitás Service Centre for The Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency of the German Youth Institute PROJECT 3 YOUTH WORK TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AND RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM PROJEKT 3 JUGENDARBEIT GEGEN GEWALT UND RECHTSEXTREMISMUS...50 PROJEKT 3 IFJÚSÁGSEGÍTÕ MUNKA AZ ERÕSZAK ÉS A SZÉLSÕJOBB ELLEN ISBN: Entimon - together against violence and right-wing extremism - Service Centre of the German Youth Institute The Fan Project Coordination Centre at the German Sport Youth ijab e.v. LidiceHaus Bremen Mobilitás Service Centre for The Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency of the German Youth Institute CONCLUSION THE PROJECTPARTNERS ABSCHLUSSBEMERKUNGEN...54 DIE PROJEKTPARTNER...56 ZÁRÓ GONDOLATOK A PROJEKTPARTNEREK Printed in Hungary 2005 Sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the Hungarian Ministry of Youth, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities (ICSSZEM) 2 3

3 ABSTRACT Our publication provides an outline of the highlighted professional programmes realized in the framework of the German-Hungarian bilateral co-operation on youth of the past four years. Each of the common educational and exchange programmes worked with the question of the social intergration of difficult and violent children and young people. Our documentation is based on three main issues: the confinement of adolescents and the educational possibilites, violence among young people in the field of sports and football in particular and the right-wing extremism and violence. The professional framework and guidelines of the co-operation, the discussions concerning the adaptation of certain seemingly successful national methods were defined by joint learning, reflection and selfreflection. Besides the committed, highly qualified professional participants, the basic condition of the success of the certain programmes, was the long-term and reliable cooperation of the project partners. The results achieved, may complete the debates of the European desicion-makers and professionals, working in the field of youth policy, on this complex question of high concern. Experts learn from each other Strategies to work with difficult young people

4 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other 6 Introduction There is an intense public debate in all European countries on the issue of difficult children and adolescents and their integration into society. Although these debates vary according to the different historical, cultural and social contexts, there are similarities regarding a number of problems. One of which is the violent tendencies of young males throughout Europe. Institutions such as youth work and youth welfare services, schools, the police and legal authorities are employing a variety of preventative and repressive strategies. This is also true. Both countries suffer from a general increase in violence among adolescents and young adults. This is true not only in schools, but also in sports. Another challenge is right-wing extremism, which puts institutions and professional youth workers under enormous pressure. They are expected to react quickly and to provide effective help. The issue affects not only schools, youth work and youth welfare services, police and the legal authorities, but also youth policy, youth organizations and youth research. Closer scrutiny reveals, however, that in spite of many comprehensive programmes and different projects, there exists more doubt than certainty concerning the effective response to youth violence. Sufficient evaluations regarding the effectiveness of the measures employed do not yet exist. Reports such as "What works, what doesn't work" 1 raise expectations which, however, are difficult to fulfil. The transfer from one country to another poses a number of difficulties. The approach used in one country has to account for the different historical, social and cultural framework in another country. And this is precisely an issue for the bi-national exchange of professional youth workers, which by its very nature is already dealing intensively with the different idiosyncrasies. Hopes connected with the standard of "best practise" 2, implying that any practise certified in this manner may be universally employed, also turn out to be illusive upon closer examination. 1 Lawrence W. Sherman: Preventing Crime: what works, what doesn't, what's promising. A Report to the United States Congress. Prepared for the National Institute of Justice. Maryland (last download ) 2 The search for the "best practise" is at present very much in vogue, especially in the American and European context, without there being, however, sufficient verified criteria. Nevertheless, isolated measures on a national level have become a thing of the past in a Europe that is growing together. Instead cooperations and networks such as the "European Union Crime Prevention Network" (EUCPN) are gaining momentum. Discussions of the transferability of experiences and the demand for evidence based policies set new standards, even if these expectations cannot be fulfilled. But the common problems and the interest to overcome them have promoted the necessity to establish contacts and cooperations. That said, it becomes clear that it is necessary to conscientiously "learn from each other". Given the complexity of the circumstances and the differences between the countries 3, it seems advisable to conceive a manageable and transparent exchange - that is, to start by ascertaining what the parties have in common and where their differences lie. In this context the exchange between two countries is a basic and promising step forward. Cooperation between Hungary and Germany Although since the end of World War II these two countries have developed differently on the political, social and cultural levels, there are some similarities as to how to approach the issue of young people who have a tendency to violent behaviour and/or violent young people. Both countries prefer preventative educational strategies to repression. This gave way for the Hungarian Ministry for Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (ICSSZEM) and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) to promote three areas of cooperation: the exchange of information in the prevention of violence; the discussion of their scope and limitations; and the development of joint learning processes and strategies. The parties involved in these decisions were the Hungarian Mobilitás and the service agency of the Hungarian Ministry for Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and the International Youth Exchange and Visitor Service of the Federal Republic of Germany (IJAB), the German Youth Institute (DJI) and the Coordination Centre for Fan Projects of the German Sport Youth (KOS). The German-Hungarian expert committee established the basic guidelines of the cooperation on the basis of the respective national patterns of youth policy. The expert committee also emphasized the importance of the national youth policy in both countries. 3 School systems for example are so widely different from one country to another that they cannot be compared unless these differences are known. 7

5 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other The Agreement In this context the decisive question was whether the Hungarian-German cooperation is actually useful for the prevention of violence. It soon became evident that both sides had quite different ideas of the concepts of usefulness and cognitive interest. It therefore became necessary to reach a consensus that ensured that all participants of the exchange were of equal importance. Scope Initially the opportunities and boundaries of the limited exchange required definition. The objectives could not be either too ambitious or too modest; it was, after all, desirable to explore new ground. Thus the next step was to agree on the issues that might be addressed and to determine the influence that the outcome of the exchange might have on the complex web of national systems and institutions. It was helpful that the participating institutions and persons had previous experience in international exchanges. Methods After having jointly defined the requirements for the exchange, the next step was to select the appropriate methods and then jointly adapt and develop them further. In the past, the process of getting to know each other was frequently a central issue of international exchange programs, and the question of whether or not the experience was relevant to one's professional work could only be answered individually. This time, however, the main focus of the exchange was on common working units, instead of scattered projects. These units were jointly planned and carried through. Tackling problems together, with the objective of transferring the results to professional debates in the respective countries, played a dominant role. This allowed the debates to become a means of qualified analysis of not only the "other's" reality, but also of one's "own", seen through the other's impartial perspective from the outside. While the participation of multipliers was basically necessary for dissemination, the publication of the results for the national debate goes one step further. What's more, there was an endeavour to introduce this systematic contribution to the debates across Europe, be it via individual countries or via networks. achieve the intended level of professionalism of the exchange. On the other, it was fundamental for the dissemination of the results in the relevant areas of action in practise, research and politics. According to the working method, the participants had to do additional preparatory work - research in between the various phases of the exchange programme and analysis at the end of the programme. Target groups The target groups in the two countries varied depending on the focus of the exchange. That means that activities needed to be developed for heterogeneous target groups because of the different systems and responsibilities, and the different participants were of varied relevance. Judgement and prejudice In order to get involved in other systems in any meaningful manner and to be able to analyse them, we need to look at "the other" (the unknown) without prejudice and as thoroughly as possible. If we want to learn from each other, we need to be open-minded and make an effort to question what we take for granted and to search for ideas off the beaten track. This was achieved because the focus of the content never shifted from the issue of "tendency to violence" and because there was continuity among the participating organizations and individuals. Summary The issues of this successful bilateral exchange resulted from current problems in both countries. There was a joint search for solutions, bringing forth structures which provided a reliable working environment and sustainable results. The aim was to find general terms for effective publicity and dissemination and to intensify the exchange in the area of youth policy: in practise, politics and research. At the same time the results of the exchange were meant to be included in the international networks or discussions, in order to receive feedback on the cooperation between Hungary and Germany on the one hand and to enhance the quality of international debates on the other. The Participants The issue of identifying and involving relevant cooperation partners turned out to be a matter of some concern in both countries. This was the only way of assuring the participation of qualified individuals and institutions. On the one hand, it was necessary to 8 9

6 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other 10 "Crime prevention is not only a matter of financial means. For me, the exchange with Hungary was helpful and interesting for two reasons: on the one hand we could look at our own work from the outside and on the other because we could look at the outside, at the work of our colleagues who are dealing with the same target group under completely different circumstances. Our circumstances are different, our problems are similar, and our target groups are the same, so we can learn from each other." Erwin SCHLETTERER, Managing Director of Brücke e.v. Augsburg THE PROJECTS PROJECT 1 DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY IN DETENTION CENTRES FOR EDUCATIVE TRAINING Goals of the exchange Although the treatment of difficult children and adolescents/young adults may vary according to the national background and context in Hungary or Germany, the underlying issues are still comparable. At the hub lies the search for the effectiveness of any educative intervention on a scale between prevention and repression. Finding the balance between what is necessary from an educative point of view, and what is necessary to fulfil the public's safety interest, is not always easy. Thus both countries are debating the necessity of the deprivation of liberty in youth detention and reformative training centres. This raises the controversial relationship between locking young people away and/or educating them. Incidentally, the exchange programme focussed on exactly this issue. The issue Even though the phrasing "Deprivation of Liberty in Detention Centres for Educative Training" was meant to pinpoint the issue, relevant differences regarding the content and understanding of terms arose immediately. This quickly became clear in the discussions on "deprivation of liberty" (Freiheitsentzug) and "secure custody" (Geschlossene Unterbringung). For practical reasons the German term "geschlossen" (secure) was explained, and the discussion centred on Hungarian reformatories and German secure detention centres 4. A definition of these terms was necessary in order to compare educational strategies. In both countries the secure custody of minors is seen as the last resort in educative intervention after ambulant or stationary measures. In both countries the facilities 4 Hungarian reformatories are part of the government programme for the Protection of Adolescents in Public. German secure detention centres are part of the government Youth Work and Youth Welfare Services. responsible are in close contact with the justice system, the expectations of which they have to fulfil. The courts' main interest often is the establishment of secure custody to prevent further offences. The exchange programme started with the definition of the question "What does 'secure' (geschlossen) mean?", followed by a debate and a comparison of the legal bases for admission to the facilities. Then came the question, "Which target groups are the recipients of the services?" The ensuing discussion focused on the comparison between the programmes and the concepts of the facilities, dealing especially with the institutional rules, the relationship between group and individual, the range of options available to the institutions and the significance of running away (or escaping). Also discussed was the participation of the adolescents, the duration of their custody, the sustenance of the facilities and the qualification of the staff. Due to time constraints and a lack of information, issues concerning cooperations, evaluations, effectiveness and the perspectives of the adolescents were not discussed. The participants The Hungarian participants were staff members from two reformatories, the National Agency for Crime Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior and the Mobilitás. The German participants came from research centres and universities that continually work on the issues of juvenile crime, secure custody, participation of juveniles and help schedule processes. Working methods The working group met for one week in Budapest. The group visited two reformatories, one for girls in Rákospalota and one for boys in Debrecen. They also drafted a paper, following a previously established pattern. At the end of the seminar, the structure of the paper and the writing tasks were agreed on. In the meantime the paper has been published 5. 5 Team of authors: Erziehung hinter Schloss und Riegel. (Education behind bars.) In: Zeitschrift für Jugendkriminalrecht und Jugendhilfe (The Journal for Juvenile Criminal Law and Youth Work and Youth Welfare Services) 16/2005/1, P In Hungary the paper will be published this autumn in the Review for Interior Policy, in the Journal of the Ministry of the Interior. The text is also available in German and Hungarian on the website of the Ministry ( and on the Mobilitás website at 11

7 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other "There are enough NGOs for crime prevention in Hungarian municipalities, especially in the cities. There are also many associations and foundations for children and adolescents, which are dedicated to prevention and/or rehabilitation. The relations between the NGOs and the municipal administrations, however, vary in intensity and quality. The immediate future of the NGOs is most interesting in the area of cooperation - the task sharing between NGOs and municipalities, that is: how and under which circumstances the NGOs can participate in public tasks. Democratic cooperation is not as yet very deeply rooted; hence the German experiences are very interesting to us." BARANYI Éva, Staff member of the National Agency for Crime Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior Cooperation partners The following groups participated: the reformatory for boys in Debrecen, the reformatory for girls in Rákospalota, the National Agency for Crime Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior, the Mobilitás, the service agency of the Hungarian Ministry for Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Koblenz University, the Catholic Foundation Technical College of Higher Education, the German Youth Institute and the IJAB. Results In Hungary as well as in Germany, the target groups for secure custody include young people who have frequently run away from families or from juvenile facilities. In most cases they have what one might call a "run-away career". They are confined to secure correctional or detention centres to minimize the risk of escape. There they receive educational help. In Hungary this form of custody is connected with an offence, whereas the relevant criterion in Germany is whether or not the young person is in need of help. At present there is a strong tendency to this approach in Hungary also. The German delegates could not help noticing that the reformatory in Debrecen, for example, was a dream come true for the advocates of secure custody. Since the facility is very similar to a penal institution, the escape risk is minimized. In Rákospalota, on the contrary, run-aways are tolerated, thus demonstrating that most young people still need to learn how to stay in any given place. In Hungary, sanctions within the facilities are centrally regulated, allowing a uniform procedure which is more or less the same for everyone involved. In Germany the sanctions in the different facilities are handled on a discretionary basis, according to each individual case. This provides opportunities to react on an individual level and to be able to work specifically, for example, with "returnees" after their escape. In principle there are central regulations which create a formal equality, but the educative range of options of facilities and educators is limited. In Hungary the legal authorities decide on the duration of secure custody and therefore also determine the date of release. Hence the adolescents know from the start how long they will stay in the facility. In Germany on the other hand the juveniles do know the maximum amount of time they might be locked up, but they can reduce this period through good conduct. That means the sooner they start acquiring concessions, the sooner they can leave the secure area. They are never sure how long they will remain in confinement. Everyday life in the facilities is very different in the two countries. While in Hungary the emphasis lies on a strictly structured day, the German system provides for phases of self-determined activities. Education can achieve many things, but not everything. And in this context, even hanging out is considered an opportunity for learning. This is not so in the Hungarian approach, in which the facility is precisely scheduled around the clock. In both countries the participation of the young people in the development of help schedules is minimal. PROJECT 2 PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN FOOTBALL Initial situation - violence and racism in football Unfortunately, hooliganism and racist and anti-semitic slogans still pose an incalculable problem in European football stadiums. In Germany, the establishment of the National Concept on Sport and Security's (NKSS) fan coaching projects targeting behavioural prevention based on social education are a means of intervention to avoid repression. Still, this does not seem to prevent clashes between the different fan groups or between them and security, and it does not stop spectators from behaving in a racist or extreme right-wing manner. However, the network consisting of 32 local fan projects, coordinated by the Coordination Centre for Fan Projects (KOS), has managed to control the outbreak of violence and racism very successfully on a number of occasions. Those involved in the fan projects view the fans and their particular forms of cultural expression with curiosity, rather than from a stigmatising perspective. The projects, acting as intermediaries, want to bring all participants involved in football to interact together. That's why constructive and dependable channels of communication were established between supporters, clubs and the police, to "translate" behaviour and the needs of the mainly juvenile fans for the institutions, and to incite some understanding of juvenile fan behaviour among the parties involved. This type of communication helps support all those involved by giving them the confidence of knowing that their behaviour is correct, thus aiding conflict mitigation. Moreover, the social workers encourage "From a professional point of view, the most interesting aspect was how prudently the workshop participants had been selected, enabling us to consider the issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. In the field of fan work, this is the most important precondition for success. The structure of the workshop was intentionally kept open, therefore admitting an intensive integration of the German participants and adapting the form to the requirements. The Hungarian participants were certainly satisfied, but this guaranteed that the Germans could learn a lot about the specific Hungarian situation." Michael GABRIEL, Staff member of the Coordination Centre for German Fan Projects 12 13

8 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other "I expect both organizations to consistently follow up on the approaches developed so far. Through its membership in the international network, Football Supporters International (FSI), the KOS will make sure that a Hungarian fan coaching project will be established for international tasks (through Mobilitás?). (World Cup 2006, European Championship 2008). This way institutions such as the - so far - rather non-committal Hungarian Football Association, as well as politicians, will be exposed to some pressure to become active Secondly the co-operations established between German and Hungarian projects could be accompanied and supported. This could mean counselling on a practical level, further vocational training on a theoretical level and exploring terrains outside the narrow framework of fan work, such as detached social work, i.e. street work, gender-specific work or special concepts against far-right extremism, anti-semitism and racism in youth work." the opinion leaders in the stands to create internal instruments of self-control to keep down racist and violent behaviour. The KOS was so successful in its work, that it was instrumental in transmitting the approach to other European countries through their involvement on the Handbook on the Prevention of Violence in Sport 6, published by the Council of Europe. In Hungary, football and society are facing a phenomenon of structural similarity. Recently, numerous fan groups cultivated negative headlines, especially when it was a Hungarian team that participated in a European international competition. They instigated riots and chanted racist slogans and extreme right-wing symbolism graced fan banners. Anti-Semitism and the widespread discrimination of the Roma are habitual in all divisions. An increase in contact between German and Hungarian right-wing extremists has been established. That many juvenile fans have a strong propensity towards violence is a source of deep concern for football club decision-makers and security agencies. To make matters worse, the overall attendance at football games is rather low, which can obviously be attributed to the fact that those who would want to come to football games fear for their safety. The UEFA has frequently imposed fines on clubs such as Ferencváros Budapest for the behaviour of their fans. Goals of the exchange - Can fan projects serve as a model? The Hungarian participants in the bilateral exchange programme were especially interested in finding out whether the German fan project model, which is unprecedented in Europe mostly due to its widespread political support, would be an option for Hungary, or if specific modules could be adapted to the Hungarian situation. Since repressive police intervention employed up until now had not been able to sustainably improve the situation in the stadiums, there had been an interest in learning more about the German National Concept on Sport and Security. In view of the upcoming international football tournaments in Germany (WC 2006) and Austria (EC 2008), the matter of establishing German-Hungarian contacts becomes all the more pressing. The FIFA World Cup 2006 Organization Committee entrusted the KOS with the implementation of a comprehensive programme to look after fans and visitors. At the core of this project lies the integration of international partner organizations. Since Hungary is one of the biggest European football (and fan) nations, there was an interest on both sides to intensify its involvement in the international fan coaching network. The exchange Violent outbreaks at football games cannot be curbed effectively unless all implicated institutions and groups - clubs, fans, police, science, media, politics, civil society, etc. - cooperate on a reliable basis. Therefore, both delegations consisted of members of all these groups. The first Hungarian delegation in 2003 involved representatives of the Mobilitás, the Hungarian Ministry for Children, Youth and Sport, the director of the ad hoc committee on fan violence, a member of parliament and a sport sociologist. Attending a first division game, the German football league, visiting a fan project in Frankfurt, the police, the club Eintracht Frankfurt and the German Soccer Federation (DSF) gave them a comprehensive overview of the professional football situation in Germany. The visit in Hungary in 2004 incorporated the different working approaches of German fan projects, which is why the German delegation was made up of fan projects from the first, second and fourth league. The Hungarian participants were the Mobilitás, the Ministry for Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the National Agency for Crime Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior, the police, The National Sport Office, fans and several organizations of the youth work and youth welfare services. "From a professional point of view, the most interesting thing was how similar the circumstances were. I was astonished that I was not very puzzled by the Hungarian situation. It was professionally rewarding because when we are obliged to pinpoint our own issues, it is easier to notice quickly how and what to communicate in order to get our message across. And I wouldn't have thought it possible to concentrate during a mammoth meeting of nearly four days in this manner, in two languages on top of that. Without the vivid and lively translation it would not have worked!" Volker GOLL, Staff member of the Coordination Centre for German Fan Projects Michael GABRIEL, Staff member of the Coordination Centre for German Fan Projects The German participants wanted an overview of all aspects of the Hungarian football situation due to the past conflicts between German and Hungarian fans during European games. One of the results was that a part of the German fan community started to imitate problematic behavioural patterns of Eastern European fans, and this specific interpretation of violence became a model in Germany. The visiting programme in Germany 2003 had served basically to gather information and to share experiences and knowledge about the character of the fan projects and how they work and become effective. The week involved observational visits to fan projects and talks with all partners. The programme focussed on the structural framework of the activity in the fan projects. Based on this programme, the 2004 workshop-styled meeting in Budapest tried to outline the different options available to answer these questions in the Hungarian context:

9 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other "There was nothing missing in the programme. It was not good, however, that the responsible agencies and organizations (principally the Hungarian Football Association and the security services) were not present all the time. It would have been very good if they had listened to the German and Hungarian experiences, adding on to them with their own thoughts. As was said in one of the presentations, "This concerns many actors." That includes those in Germany!" Mónika Timea BALOGH-MARADA, Staff member of Mobilitás How can we react to the violent behaviour of juvenile fans? Which educative measures can be employed against racism and xenophobia in the stands? What can be done to achieve a better understanding of this fan culture with a mostly juvenile following in institutions dominated by adults? The delegation attended two games and club managers offered an insight into the organization of home and away games and security and other measures to deal with the fans on location. The issue of racism and right-wing extremism was also entered into because the clubs are under considerable pressure to act, since these types of incidents were the cause of several UEFA fines. The German delegation was astonished to discover that it was not necessary to speak Hungarian to understand most of the overall process in the stadium and the issue at stake; reciprocal fan group provocation and the security situation. Attending the games complemented the rigorous theoretical discussions of the four-day workshop. Experiences and perspectives The mutual basis for this bi-national exchange is the situation with circumstances as explained above regarding the spectator sport of football. On a local level, the problems professional football is facing may vary according to cultural differences, but on an international level this spectator sport is subjected to such strong networking and commercialization forces that the sharing of best-practise approaches immediately comes to mind as a possible strategy to curb the negative consequences of this development. At national and international tournaments, the different participants of the game, be it fans or players or security forces, are facing similar problems. For this reason cooperations, in which experience and knowledge is exchanged and discussed to arrive at a common solution, are first priority. The Hungarian-German meetings so far demonstrate that the multilevel (practise, politics and research) exchange on juvenile-political issues and the interconnection of the projects widen (qualify) the perception of these problems. All participants agreed with this statement. Taken from both those "questioned" and those "answered", insights reveal that the exchange enabled a joint discussion which, isolated from the workaday world, were not only personally enriching, but also enabled the basis for a common constructive contribution to the modified requirements requested from politics and practice. The learning processes, the mutual motivation and the development of common projects also served other institutions and groups. Initial contacts between fan projects in Germany and Hungary (Armenia Bielefeld and Loki Debrecen) are just one example for future long-term cooperations. The exchange of results of each national symposium offers an excellent opportunity for reflection. On the whole, the Hungarian-German exchange on "educative measures for the prevention of violence among football fans" is exemplary for European cooperation. Unfortunately a meeting of this type is not as frequent as the occurrence of a European championship football game. PROJECT 3 YOUTH WORK TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AND RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM Starting point and objectives of the Hungarian-German cooperation All over Europe, right-wing extremism, xenophobia, racism, anti-semitism and violence are the focus of research, science and (social) educative practise. Symposiums reveal several preconditions for international cooperation when a comparison of the issues and the approaches for their interpretation are examined. If the different phenomena and the reactionary measures in practise (repressive and preventative) are to be characterized and understood, then the historical, cultural, social, political and economic backgrounds in each country must be accounted for. We can take these existent and evident similarities and use them to develop approaches to learn from each other. Hungary and Germany have a problem with xenophobic, ethnocentric and racist phenomena. In both countries these developments are perceived and treated as a specifically juvenile problem, despite contrary evidence in the scientific community and in practise. Politically motivated crime has increased, and the level of right-wing extremist organization is rising in Germany and Hungary. At the same time there is an active scientific and practise-oriented debate in both countries on how preventative social-pedagogic strategies can be implemented. The main objectives in the German-Hungarian cooperation were the following: to offer the participating experts an opportunity to exchange experiences and to "In Hungary the only response to the negative - and in some clubs even brutal - behaviour of football fans is the response of the security guards. They, the police and the security firms react to offences; they do not do preventative work, which incidentally is not their task. Although the affected clubs have recognized the problem and their responsibility, they have not yet found a professional solution for it. The presentation of an operative working practice offered very useful experiences. The most important experience was that all the affected actors can only be successful through cooperation and commitment, and that it is indispensable for this cooperation to secure the necessary financial resources and to be open-minded. It is also essential to have at least one highlyqualified person who does not flinch when difficulties arise." BARANYI Éva, Staff member of the National Agency for Crime Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior 16 17

10 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other "The whole programme and learning about the different projects was very important. We have learned a lot this week. It was a unique opportunity to look at the whole spectrum of detailed, well-structured and matured youth work on an issue as important as farright extremism, racism, antisemitism and xenophobia. It was very insightful to see how the different elements, society, youth politics, youth research, matters of finance and administration, independent providers of services, government youth work and the commitment of citizens fit together like pieces of a puzzle." SZABÓ Ildikó, Youth Sociologist learn about their respective practical approaches on location; to reflect on one's own work in the bilateral comparison; and to develop thematic priorities of a co-operative learning. It was a priority from the beginning to not only find explanations and specific intervention strategies, but also to assess their quality, effectiveness and sustainability. Aside from that, associated possibilities and evaluation approaches were examined. In this respect Hungary and Germany could fall back on past experiences and potentials, even if up until now there hasn't been much experience made in the evaluation of the effectiveness of educative interventions in this area. The exchange of professional youth workers 2003 and 2004 In Hungary and Germany, (social) educative and non-formal work with adolescents and young adults has been established as a generally accepted means of preventative measures aside from repression as a way of fighting right-wing extremism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and violent tendencies. For this reason the first meeting in 2003 emphasized the presentation of theoretical and practical approaches in Germany for the prevention of right-wing extremism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and violence. Of further importance was the issue of finding appropriate forms of evaluation in order to be able to make accurate statements about the scope and effectiveness of such approaches. The second meeting in 2004 continued the discussion - the presentation of Hungarian and German scientific papers and prevention projects allowed the participants to learn about and compare (social) educative and non-formal approaches of education which had been developed in both countries. The cooperation partners participating in this exchange It was a priority to interest professionals for this programme with prior experience in the very diverse area of the prevention of right-wing extremism, xenophobia, racism, anti-semitism and violence. They were also asked to present different working approaches and cognizance. The Hungarian participants were representatives of research establishments, foundations, practise projects, the ministry responsible for the co-ordination and Mobilitás and the service agency of the ministry. The German participants came from research establishments, agencies for the implementation of federal pilot projects and practise projects. IJAB was responsible for the organization on the German side. Methodical implementation The participants of the exchange programme met twice in one week. Participants attended alternating lectures, seminars and projects. Apart from the preparation of their own presentations, the cooperation partners had to beforehand study the other country's situation and its current system of youth work and youth welfare services in order to start the debate as soon and as competently as possible. Results The participants in the exchange compared the spread and quality of right-wing extremism, racism and anti-semitism, their causes, the governmental and educational counter strategies and the opportunities and limits of their evaluation. The objectives of the comparison were: a) To pool the gathered information on the knowledge and information level in a structured way and prepare it for a documentation that will be put to the disposal of professionals in both countries. b) To promote contacts, interchange and the possible cooperation of professionals on the level of action concerning specific relevant and/or practical work. The comparison revealed that both countries have very different traditions, especially concerning cooperation between educative counselling, research and practise and its evaluation. These "differences" were a challenge to the exchange. The subject area of presenting and comparing the different approaches in the work against right-wing extremism, racism, anti-semitism and violence is now concluded, and in the future the exchange programme will concentrate instead on specific subjects to be further developed in symposiums. This way both sides will define the possibilities and limits of evaluations and the development, introduction and control of quality standards in the area of Prevention of right-wing extremism, xenophobia, racism, anti- Semitism and violence as important subjects. Work in right-wing extremism and xenophobia/ethnocentrism by institutionalised youth work and youth welfare services and political intervention by the respective ministry (for example in the form of pilot projects) is being established in Hungary currently. But there is a wide range of experience available from the educative practise the different organizations have gathered. That means there are extensive possibilities for coopera

11 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other "Right-wing extremism, racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia are global phenomena, even if there are some differences regarding the country, culture, intensity and target groups. Therefore international cooperation is indeed necessary. There is a variety of ways to cooperate in the area of youth work, from getting to know one another to conceptional cooperation. It is all virgin territory - the comparative studies, the system of expert consultations, the multilingual websites and the complex local or regional co-operations all working for the social integration of right-wing issues in the municipalities or regions, aiming at their resources, learning about them and fighting against them." SZABÓ Ildikó, Youth Sociologist tion between Hungary and Germany. In this context it is helpful to be able to draw on the existing youth and evaluation research in both countries, offering a differentiated transfer between theory and practice concerning Right-wing extremism and xenophobia. It is desirable to concentrate more on gender-related differentiations and participative practice approaches than they have been so far. This exchange established contact among participants in different Hungarian and German projects, which in turn incited new cooperation projects, for example a programme for professionals dealing with Models of approaches for the participation of children and adolescents. This project is to be part of the bilateral treaty and will take place in The cooperation partners will be Mobilitás and LidiceHaus, a residential training centre for youths in Bremen. The work of LidiceHaus focuses on dealing with the right-wing mentality and youth work on the right-wing extremist scene. LidiceHaus is one of the authors of "accepting youth work" and is an establishment of national prestige for practical dialogue and further education in this field. The most constructive work against right-wing extremism is the development of democratic spaces of life and experiences. Educative and cultural fields of work concentrate on different approaches for work preventing right-wing extremism. This work needs to be supplemented by a programme of equal importance for the promotion of a democratic culture. The work addresses young people who are actively committed to democratic issues and are against right-wing extremism. They need the support of adults to help develop their commitment and make it consistent. But youth work is also dedicated to those who consider right-wing ideology to be attractive and reasonable. LidiceHaus organizes international events for the exchange of information and events for professionals within the context of the bilateral treaty, such as moderator training for participation projects with children and adolescents. CONCLUSION The starting point for the exchange between Hungary and Germany was the question of how to deal with difficult children and adolescents or those who face difficulties. In both countries these are problems - like in many other countries - in which professionals and institutions reach the limits of their knowledge. This is why exchanging information and learning from each other has become all the more important. This becomes particularly clear on conferences and projects, in the search for evaluation approaches, in the building of networks and in the many attempts to identify the "best practises" and apply them on an international level. This is especially true when the implementation of projects are considered successful in one country (for example projects dealing with the complex significance of violence) is often considered the silver bullet in another. In addition they are expected to find solutions for national strategies that do not work as required by the public, the media and politics. Many attempts to implement approaches, however, have shown that this is not easy and that many different conditions need to be allowed for. For example the complex historical, social and cultural contexts of the respective countries need to be taken into account. If this is not done in sufficient detail, the strategies remain superficial, and there is a danger that they will fail because of the respective realities. This is why the reference systems 7 or the basic conditions, within which the approaches have been put into practise and were successful, need to be clearly identified. These have a decided influence on, for instance, the objectives of the approaches, the target groups, the methods and the qualifications of the professionals at work on the projects. All this transforms the exchange of information, concepts and measures into processes which have to be carefully planned and carried out. And it is necessary to jointly clarify many factors in order to establish the necessary basis for the exchange of information and ideas. This prevents the implementation of unqualified approaches based on false contexts and therefore not adapted to the new conditions. 7 The school system, for example, is very different in European countries. In Germany children only go to school in the morning, and in other countries they are away the whole day, so that it is not necessary - like in Germany - to offer alternatives for the afternoon

12 Experts learn from each other Experts learn from each other Apart from the numerous attempts on national, European or other international levels to gather information on best practises and to attach projects with a kind of "seal of approval" and to offer them as a reservoir for the solution of problems, only an exchange restricted to a few or even only two countries can make a solid difference. This is further improved if the cooperation is long-term, so that time and space can be allowed for mutual explanation and understanding. Discussions based on these principles do more justice to the approaches and take the conditions, possibilities and limits of implementation into consideration. It is only after the adaptation of approaches and strategies to local conditions that we can make sure that an opportunity for successful implementation exists. Between Hungary and Germany, the intense exchange within the three continuously working cooperations has proven successful. Common learning and the transfer and adaptation of approaches do require a greater effort and are more complex and time consuming, but the results have made a positive impact on the respective national reality. Apart from acquiring a position of equality with each other, seeing one's own reality through the eyes of another was also an important contribution to the development of politics, practise and research. This does not mean that in the future conferences and discussions among several countries as practised within the networks will not have their place, but according to experience, it seems important to allow space, time and means for a bi-national exchange. Because, after all, this experience is an important and indispensable basis for continuative perspectives of the exchange. THE PROJECTPARTNERS IJAB E. V. The International Youth Exchange and Visitors' Service of the Federal Republic of Germany (IJAB) was founded in 1967 with the support of representatives of central youth organisations and agencies involved in youth work. Following a resolution passed by the German Bundestag, it was set up by the former Federal Minister for Family and Youth (now Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth). In 1971 it received the legal status of a registered association. IJAB is the central specialist agency for international youth policy, youth work and youth information and acts on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, its member associations and other central bodies responsible for youth work. Its task is to promote international youth work, cooperation in the field of youth policy, mutual understanding between young people from different countries and cultural backgrounds, the consolidation of relationships, the overcoming of prejudice and, to an increasing extend, to work out the benefit of international expertise for the further development of the national child and youth policy. In order to meet these demands, IJAB carries out qualified exchange programmes for professionals within the framework of the bi- and multilateral relations of the Federal Republic of Germany. It also actively provides advice and information and is involved in further education and vocational training jointly organised by several bodies and organisations. IJAB provides the following services for both youth work professionals and young people: Programmes and language courses for professionals IJAB offers specialist programmes as well as language courses for both full-time and voluntary professionals from youth services and associations. These programmes are organised on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth within the framework of the bilateral agreements concluded with countries of the European Union, Eastern Europe, Latin America, North Africa, the Middle East and Japan. There is a wide range of specialist programmes and conferences on current subjects of child and youth services, observation visits in specific working fields of the youth ser-vices, exchange partner fairs, conferences youth services, exchange partner fairs, conferences for voluntary organisations and statutory bodies as well as language courses. In addition, IJAB supports and advises the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth on how to achieve its objectives in youth policy in partner countries. It advises its members and foreign partners on international cooperation. Training and information IJAB offers jointly organised further education courses as well as qualifying measures for professional youth workers in international youth policy. The seminars are directed 22 23