Neil's diary: A human rights youth worker in Albania - Day 2

I sit with new people today and we discuss the situation of youth work in Romania, France, Scotland and Albania and found common practices and issues. We shared some ideas about changes to practice that we all found useful.

Diary of a human rights youth worker - Day 1

Neil Wotherspoon is a Scottish youth worker who successfully applied to the Council of Europe for human rights training. 

 I woke up today and headed down to breakfast for 8h. Lovely! I had some salad, meat and an omelette was made fresh before me.

Official Opening

The session began in the plenary room and it was translated into Albanian and English. Aldo Bumçi (Albanian Minister for Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sport) addressed the meeting and spoke about democracy being part of the new society in Albanian. He made clear that with democracy comes rights and responsibilities and that as citizens, we must involve ourselves in debates about youth work, health, education and other issues. He said that there is a moral crisis due to a movement of values and that this can be seen in former Communist countries and also in countries with debt crises.

Diary of a human rights youth worker

Neil Wotherspoon is a Scottish youth worker who successfully applied to the Council of Europe for human rights training.

20 November: Day of Arrival

Today, I set off for a Council of Europe training course in the Albanian capital of Tirana. The course will cover youth participation and policy and I am quite excited.

Last night was my engagement party so I am very tired as I head towards Glasgow Airport. A 29 year old Scotsman in Albania… this is going to be so much fun.

Europe's migration debate needs facts not emotion

In a speech at Leiden University earlier today, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland called for the debate on immigration in Europe to move from emotion to facts.

“The challenge for politicians and leaders in all walks of life is to move the debate on migration from emotions to facts,” Jagland declared during his visit to the Netherlands.

“We cannot escape demography,” he added. “As the stabilisation of the Euro is surely the most acute short-term challenge in Europe right now, our biggest long-term challenge is how to manage migration, not only from a legal viewpoint, but especially from a political and cultural viewpoint."

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