WORK OF YOUTH IN UKRAINIAN THIRD

SECTOR

Maksymenko Olena

Issues relating to youth policy and young people rests with the Ministry of Family, Youth and

Sport.

The current youth law is from 1993. The current efforts of the government focus on

improving opportunities for young people’s meaningful leisure time, and the development and adoption of a programme for orphaned children.

There is also a youth policy project under development with the support of the UNDP Country Office in Ukraine, called the National Doctrine of Youth.

T h e r e g i s t r a t i o n r a t e o f N G O s

1995 1996 1997 1998 19990

2

4

6

8

10

12

Location of ngo’s

Kiev14% Dniepropetrovsk

9%

Donetsk9%

Lviv region7%

Autonomous Republic of

Crimea7%

Other region55%

Percent of NGOs

Decreasing Participation

Membership in civic organizations decreased

17 % in 1991-96.

In 1999 7.8 % of the population considered

themselves members of civic organizations.

4.6 % being members of 90 registered political

parties (in 1999)

59 % of population had never participated in

civic activities.

Decreasing Participation 26 % of the population was ready to join

consumer advocacy organizations,

12 % was ready to join youth organizations,

5 % was ready to join political organizations,

Only 5% of youth are involved in NGO activities. This last figure is even more dramatic in compared with European data, according to which 30%-60% of young people are involved in civil society activities.

The reasons respondents identified for not participating in NGO

activities are :

19%

17%

8%8%7%

41%

Percent of respondents

no free-timeno interestmistrust of public organizationsabsence of desired NGOslack of information concerning NGOsother reasons

Legal Status The activities of civic and charitable

organizations according to Ukrainian law are

considered to be non-profit only if they are

legally registered as other types of

organizations: state agencies, local civil

government, creative artists associations,

political parties, pension funds, credit

societies, unions, construction cooperatives

and religious organizations. NGOs constitute

16 % of the organizations using the status

"non-profit".

Peculiarity of youth policy in Ukraine

Youth policy in Ukraine has traditionally

been rather problem-oriented, and focuses

primarily on the needs of especially

talented young people and those with

special needs. There is no specific focus on

providing young people in general with

resources and opportunities to ensure a

quality upbringing, or a strategy of support

to the non-governmental youth sector.

Since 1998 the Ukrainian Youth Forum (UYF) – has become a member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ).

Young people’s participation as equal partners in the development of youth policy and in society in general is a central priority for YFJ

Youth policy should be a cross-sectoral policy

The organization works on promoting

Such partnerships at all levels

All government policies affecting young people are of relevance to them (from employment to health and discrimination)

Program of youth governance “Uzhhorod City Hall 2025” is started.

Ukrainian children took part in the YouthParliament in Poland and held such programs in Uzhhorod (Ukraine)

Children 12-15 years old took positions of leaders of the City and managed the City together with adult officials

The best proposal from children was discussed at the regional experts WG and included into the operational plans of the Regional Strategy 2007 - 2015

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!