Empowerment of young migrants in Italy through nonformal education: putting equality into practice

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to describe how the engagement of so-defined second-generation migrants in nonformal education projects can play a key role in their upward mobility and in their participation in present-day Italian society. This happens also because the simplistic intercultural approach towards young migrants, underpinned in the EU youth policy for many years, has been problematized by the intersectional approach. The paper challenges the definition ‘second-generation youth’, which exacerbates differences among young people, in contraposition to Italian young people without migration background. Finally, it describes a best practice that took place in Italy some years ago, concluding that relations and patterns of participation are much more complicated than traditional dichotomies based on different discrimination grounds.

Keywords:

• EU youth policy
• nonformal education
• empowerment
• gender
• young immigrants'
• participation
• intersectionality

Notes

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning.

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The Youth in Action Program 2007–2013 was adopted on 15 November 2006 with the Decision n. 1719/2006 /EC of the European Parliament and the Council. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/doc74_en.htm (last accessed 11 May 2010).

Available online at: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/doc74_en.htm (last accessed 11 May 2010).

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions – An EU Strategy for Youth – Investing and Empowering. A renewed open method of coordination to address youth challenges and opportunities. Available online at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0200:FIN:EN:PDF (last accessed 11 May 2010).

Hart's model is made up of eight degrees of youth participation, where degree number 8 corresponds to the highest level of participation and degree number 1 to the lowest.

More information on this technique is available online at: http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/en/index.php (last accessed 11 May 2010).

See also the insightful book El Masrar, S. (2010) Muslim Girls: Wer wir sind, wie wer leben, Frankfurt am Main: Eichborn AG; p. 198.