Schleswig-Holstein Youth Council

The Regional Youth Council (Landesjugendring) of Schleswig-Holstein was founded in 1949 and it presently has 24 member organisations and numerous observers with about 500,000 members. More than 20,000 voluntary youth workers are active in the member youth organisations of the Landesjugendring Schleswig-Holstein, which are the main organizers of leisure time and educational activities for youth in Schleswig-Holstein. Besides youth organisations, the youth councils in the 15 counties of Schleswig-Holstein are also associated with the Landesjugendring.

The Landesjugendring represents the interests of all young people in Schleswig-Holstein. The goals of the Landesjugendring are stated in its statutes. Above all, the Landesjugendring has the task:

1. to promote mutual understanding, exchange of experiences and the willingness for cooperation between youth organisations;
2. to further develop non-school youth work with respect to contents and methods and in so doing to cooperate with scientific institutions;
3. to secure and improve the living conditions of youth and future generations together with young people by its engagement for peace and the realization of human rights, by supporting the right of all young people to have education, job training and work, by preservation and renewal of the natural living conditions of human beings and nature;
4. to promote among youth conscious and responsible engage- ment for free and social democracy by rule of law, such that the pledge to democracy in the German Basic Law might be fulfilled;
5. to encourage, promote and cultivate youth work devoted to the goal of gender equality;
6. to state its opinion with respect to youth policies and youth law and, at the same time, to develop its own ideas;
7. to represent the interests and rights of youth organisations towards the public, the state parliament, the state government and the administrations in consideration of the social and cultural interests of all young people;
8. to encourage and organize mutual activites and events, to promote common institutions for youth or, if needed, to create and preserve such institutions;
9. to encourage, promote and cultivate international encounters, understanding and cooperation with youth of all countries – especially with youth in the Baltic Sea region and in the Nordic countries. The highest governing body of the Landesjugendring is the General Assembly, which meets once a year. Between General Assemblies, the Main Committee discusses and decides on all important matters of the Landesjugendring. The Board is responsible for business and executive affairs and prepares consultations and motions for the other bodies. The Landesjugendring works on the state level as the representation of the interests of young people and youth organisations. The Landesjugendring aims to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions for all children and youth in Schleswig-Holstein through its representation in numerous state and social bodies, by various forms of influencing important institutions and organisations and by way of providing information for the press and public.

To this purpose and to secure the information flow among its member organisations, the Landesjugendring publishes position papers, expertises and resolutions. The “Optimist”, a publication of the Landesjugendring for its members, is published three times a year.

The Landesjugendring organises seminars, conferences and projects to support information, discussion and further education of professional and voluntary youth workers.

In the framework of its international activities, the Landesjugendring maintains regular contacts to organisations doing youth work in the Baltic Sea region, in France and in Spain. These activities include numerous encounters in Germany and abroad. The Baltic Youth Office was established at the Landesjugendring in 1990. This service office can be used by all persons and organisations involved in youth work in Germany and other countries looking for contacts in and information about states around the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Youth Office publishes the “Baltic Youth Information”, a magazine in English and German, on a regular basis. Since 1999, the Landesjugendring serves as administrating body of the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs. It is responsible for co-ordinating the youth policy co-operation between ministries and other governmental and non-governmental actors in the Baltic Sea region. The Landesjugendring also operates the Youth Server Schleswig-Holstein since 2002. The Youth Server is a platform for information and contacts for children, youth and youth group leaders. It offers fast and comprehensive access to information in the area of youth work. Internet: www.jugendserver-sh.de

The Landesjugendring is financed by membership fees, allocations from the state of Schleswig-Holstein, by a youth collection, by a youth lottery and donations.

The Landesjugendring runs a youth educational and encounter centre “Haus Rothfos” in Mözen close to Bad Segeberg.