Philosophical view
on the youth
unemployment
Jonas G. PUNYS, PhD
[email protected],
Association “Lithuanian Rural Communities Union” ;
Antalieptės Rural Community, Zarasai region
The Rural Parliament. Blekinge,
Sweden. September 6-9, 2012
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The main references
• The author of this presentation adapted the
philosophical thoughts of Lithuanian
philosophers:
– Antanas Maceina
– Juozas Girnius
• Both of them emigrated to the West after the
2nd World War
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Philosophical terms
• Democracy is when a community governs a
state (or a rural region).
• Democracy claims for a high level of culture,
based on material or spiritual values.
• There is a lot of freedom in democratic
community, though every member of the
community has to fulfill his obligations.
– In simple words: the democratic community is
similar to an empty space, though every member of
the community has to contribute for enhancement of
the community life
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Philosophical terms [cont.]
• It is significant for every member of the
community (including the government
members!) to understand the importance of the
culture
• The culture includes all forms of human creativity in:
– Science,
– Art,
– Technical and technological progress
– etc.
• The creation of the culture lasts in time and
forms the human history
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Culture and community
• Every member of the community
makes meaning of our lives acting:
– in politics (the way in it is rather clear)
– or/and in culture (the way in it is rather
vague and even more vague are the
results we strive for )
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Youth contribution to progress of
culture (in common sense)
• Organizing movements on solving acute
problems of some areas,
• Creating organizational structures for
promoting their ideas,
• Taking part in gatherings for discussing
and communicating on special subjects,
debating on solutions and its realization.
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Youth unemployment and
government policy
• The growth in the knowledge economy,
globalisation and technological change has
led to a fall in the demand for low skilled
workers.
• Structural change in the economy has
disadvantaged young people, particularly
those who leave school with few formal
qualifications.
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Youth unemployment and
government policy related to culture
• The education system should provide
clear ‘pathways’ for those individuals
that are bound for university, though
some (or many) graduates can not get
job
• The pathways are much less clear for
less educated young people.
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Unemployment Consequences
• Trapped and discouraged by bleak job
prospects, some turn to the sex, criminality
and drug industries
• Youth joblessness also implies missed
opportunities in the human resources to
produce goods and services
• “Evidence shows that when young people
fall into unemployment that it holds them
back for the rest of their lives"
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Government measures
• The priority should be given to
young people:
– by equiping them with the right
skills
– by improving the transition of them
into further education
– by the transition into work for those
not headed to university
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Government measures [cont.]
• the promotion of income generating activities among
the youth by supporting appropriate micro-credit
financial institutions that extend credit facilities to the
youth,
• the creation of a Youth Trust Bank
• policy looks at education, training and capacity
building
• problem of solving the mismatch between the skills
and knowledge schools is under investigation
• the analysis of existing needs of the labour market
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Government measures [cont.]
• to support vocational training in order to
enable the youth to acquire a range of skills
and essential tools,
• to give tax subsidies ,
• extend credit facilities to the youth,
• have access to small interest loans to start
up and also maintain their businesses,
• to encourage the adoption of modern
agriculture knowledge,
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Government measures [cont.]
• Representatives of youth NGOs should
also spread out to a select number of
NGOs involved in community work.
• the policy advocates for youth
involvement in the leadership and
management at all levels of Government
and in the civil society.
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Government measures [cont.]
• To understand the general society
challenges and to develop strategy and
offer mechanism to reduce the
unemployment.
• To apply modest tax incentives for
enterprises that provide internship
placements and also create jobs for young
people in the country.
• To foster education, training and capacity
building.
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The Youth unemployment in Lithuania
• From 8.5 % in 2007
• Up to 33.2 % in 2011 (Eurostat)
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The Youth Unemployment in the EU
• The youth under 25 (EUROSTAT data for September 2011)
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The Youth Unemployment in the EU [cont.]
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The Lithuanian Government Attempts
• February 10, 2012 :
– Working group to solve problems of the
youth unemployment (Decision of the Prime
Minister)
• Members of the group:
– All the ministries and social partners including the
Lithuanian Youth Council (LIJOT)
• March 19, 2012 :
– Proposals of the Group were approved at the
meeting of the Government [many of the
above mentioned theoretical proposals]
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The Lithuanian Government Attempts [cont.]
• However, the Lithuanian government will
be changed after the Parliament election in
October, 2012.
• There is no guarantee, that adopted
proposals will be implemented by a new
government beginning from 2013.
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Some examples of the Youth NGOs activities
• Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT):
– LiJOT – the biggest non-governmental, non-profit
umbrella structure for Lithuanian national youth
organizations and regional unions of youth
organizations
– LiJOT was founded on the 19th of September 1992
– Currently LiJOT has 64 members (non-governmental
youth organizations)
– LiJOT represents more than 200 000 young people in
Lithuania
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Some examples of the Youth NGOs activities [cont.]
– LiJOT is a full member of the European Youth Forum,
one of the biggest non-governmental organizations in
Europe
– LiJOT is a full member and founder of the Baltic Youth
Forum and National Agency the International Youth
Co-operation, which coordinates the European Union
program “Youth in Action”
– LiJOT is coordinating EURODESK Lithuania – an
European information services network, which works in
33 Europe countries and provides exclusive European
information for young people and youth workers
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Some examples of the Youth NGOs activities [cont.]
– MISSION: LiJOT seeks favorable
changes for young people by serving as a
platform for dialogue, Lithuanian youth
organization interests and initiatives
– VISION: LiJOT as the main partner for
society, authorities, business and
educational institutions in order to
empower young people in creation of
theirs and the state welfare.
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Some examples of the Youth NGOs activities [cont.]
• “Round Table” network at the LiJOT:
– http://www.lijot.lt/Page.aspx?pageID=23
– There are 28 “Round Tables” in Lithuania
(one of them,- Zarasai district “Round
table”.
– NOTE. In spite of the LiJOT efforts, the
youth continues emigrating…
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Initiatives of Antalieptė Rural Community.
The House of Community before and now
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pastato išorės atnaujinimas- pagrindinai iš Leader+ programos (~20000 Lt)
Talkininkų savanoriškas darbas ( 29500 Lt; iš jų- stogo dengimas- 27000 Lt)
Pamato nuvalymas smėliasrove kainavo 6000 Lt. (iš jų 4500 Lt sumokėjo parapija)
Naujų langų pusrūsiui gamyba ir įdėjimas kainavo 7000 Lt (Zarasų savivaldybės
parama kaimo bendruomenei)
Duonkepė krosnis (XIX a.) yra pusrūsio kairėje (Už pusrūsio durų kairėje)
Pastato I-ojo aukšto dešinėje (kur matosi du platūs langai) yra rengiama tekstilės
rankdarbių ekspozicijos- pardavimo patalpa
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Initiatives of Antalieptė Rural Community
• A room has been given for the youth of
Antalieptė
• They installed there exercise equipment
• A basket-ball court has been renovated for
the youth of Antalieptė
• They are willingly going in for sports. That
is good!
• However, they do not show any initiative to
do something for society
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Initiatives of National Institute of Social
Integration: http://zmogui.lt
• The project in Antalieptė “Honey Bee for people”
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Initiatives of National Institute of Social
Integration [cont.]
• Renovation of the hostel in Antalieptė
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Initiatives of the National Institute of
Social Integration [cont.]
• The institute organized a meeting of young
people in Antalieptė at the end of August, 2012
(discussions on “Social business”)
• 70 persons took part in the meeting
• 68 young intellectuals came to Antalieptė from
Vilnius
• Only 2 young fellows from Antalieptė village
registered for the meeting at the beginning! …
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An exelent example
• I met Paulius at the meeting (23 years old)
• He (together with his friend) established a
company in England (for making
advertisements)
• He was not willing to live in England
• He lives in Vilnius working for their own
company
• Thus, they created jobs for themselves!
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Conclusions
• There is a gap between rural and urban
educational levels
• Young educated people are able to
create jobs for themselves
• Childen have to be taught loyalty to
native rural places in family and at
school
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Thank you for attention
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