Today I spent the day at a conference of the above title held at Earls Court. The conference was sponsored by NYA, NCVYS, Princes Trust, APYCO, and Citizenship Foundation.

The conference was called a few months ago, with the main aim of looking at the long awaited youth green paper which was to come out in October. No-one thought it would be over 6 months late!

The day was not lost as Tom Wylie and others spoke. A highlight of the day was hearing from some young people from Youth Act. 9 young people decided they had had enough of gun crime in their Tottenham neighbourhood and so they organised a peace march. A couple of hundred supported it. They are holding a second later this month. 9 young people have had a dramtic positive effect on their violent community – this was covered in the press, but this, and many other, positive examples of young people do not seem to be as newsworthy to the tabloids of this nation.

Our children and young people are up for sacrifice and we just sit back and let it happen!

There was a lot of condemnation today of yobbish labels and laughter at hoodie bans – and rightly so. We still need to campaign and speak out as the situations not getting any better. We need to challenge and condemn youth predujice at every opportnity – evil happens when good people do nothing!

An interesting observation I made today that I think concerns me. I was the only representative there from a Christian organisation out of nearly 300 delegates. The cost of the day may have put people off, but I still feel concerned that other Christian organisations were not here, not just because I felt lonely but because this was an event where we were to be discussing what will be quite a major opportunity to put youth work at the centre of government policy and how we should respond to suggestions. With Transforming |Youth Work we had a window to make a change and a difference and we took it. These opportunities come now an again, like little windows, and I think the green paper will be one such opportunity we need to take.

The more I reflect the more I wonder why I was the only Christian youth worker here and I hope this is not an indication that we are starting to withdraw from interaction now that funding is becoming more targeted. I am sure I am wrong, but I still find myself concerned.

Saying that though, my evaluation was not very flattering as 50% of speakers did the classic read out your powerpoint – they should have sent them and I could have read them to people in a more interesting and, I guess, much cheaper way!