Global youth work can sound exotic. But the world is a small place and international perspectives are no longer a matter of choice. They are unavoidable.
That's why some people say global youth work is just good youth work - and vice versa. Widen your horizons with the quick guide.
1. Don't spend too much time on definitions. It saps energy and frustrates people. Since the 1970s, devotees of development education, as it was mysteriously called then, have tried to thrash out precisely what they mean by all the terms. While theory is useful and there are some interesting ideas, it is still better to concentrate on the practical aspect of the work. Otherwise you go nuts.
2. If you are helping young people become the adults they want to be, you need to help them understand the world they live in. That world is no longer - if it ever was - limited by national boundaries. Global forces affect their lives.
The issues that matter to them - whether racism, sexism, sport, money, clothes, drugs or whatever - have international elements. The global angle is not just useful in shedding extra light. Without it, it is impossible to make sense of the world. You cannot begin to discuss racism or terrorism without a global perspective. But there are global aspects even to topics like football that enrich any discussion.
3. Many youth workers feel blocked because they think they don't know enough about other parts of the world. It is OK. You are not meant to be an expert on every country of the United Nations.
4. A lot of the thinking and action in global youth work is powered by aid agencies. They are charities and sometimes have difficulty making a clear distinction between fundraising and their education work. But they know a lot about the world and are enthusiastic sharers of their knowledge. In no particular order, ActionAid, Oxfam, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Save the Children and the British Red Cross have good resources and helpful staff.
5. The Development Education Association runs events and publishes materials supporting and promoting global youth work. There are also a number of development education centres, sometimes with names like One World Centre, in towns and cities around the UK. Contact the Development Education Association at 33 Corsham Street, London, N1 6DR, telephone 020 7490 8108 or see www.dea.org.uk.
6. A stereotype persists that global youth work is somehow for high-achieving young people. Worrying about overseas issues seems a middle-class, even paternalistic, concern. It would seem a distraction for young people who are themselves struggling on the edge of society. But this is not so in reality. All the evidence suggests that socially excluded young people respond well to finding out about the lives of those in poorer countries.