Priority Themes
The Network has identified the following five themes that significantly shape the resilience of young people and their communities. Our work is oriented towards investigating, innovating and reflecting on critical issues aligned with these themes.
Place and Perceptions
A place is a particular position, point, or area in space. It is a location but it is also a site for identity and belonging. Perceptions refer to the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. Negative or positive perceptions of a place can impact upon one’s own identity or understanding of self and undermine resilience – the sense that one can transform the conditions of their existence.
Current Project: Marina de Valencia Activation project
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Intergenerational Relations and Transitions
A place is a particular position, point, or area in space. It is a location but it is also a site for identity and belonging. Perceptions refer to the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. Negative or positive perceptions of a place can impact upon one’s own identity or understanding of self and undermine resilience – the sense that one can transform the conditions of their existence.
Current Project: Smart, Skilled, Hired AND Diverse
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Sustainability and Climate Change
Sustainability refers to “meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” and is a key condition for resilience. It also includes wider dimensions of political, economic, cultural and social life. These are all affected by - and affect - Climate Change which is any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity. Today, Climate Change usually refers to human-induced change, due to industrial activity, globalisation, rising standards of living, increased consumption and carbon and other by-product emissions.
Current Project: Invisible City
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Health and Wellbeing
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1946). Relatedly, mental health can be understood as a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her/his community. Health and mental health changes over time for individual and groups and is closely linked to social justice and inequality. These all affect resilience.
Current Project: Ethics and Engagement with Young People in Health
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Youth Participation and Engagement
Youth is a culturally and historically specific social process, with no universal experience. Young people are usually defined as 12 - 25 year olds but now often refers to those up to the age of 30 yrs old. Participation refers to acts that aim to shape the kind of society people want to live in (Vromen, 2007). They can be individual and collective, formal (e.g. official governance) and informal (e.g. social media), online or offline (Bell et al, 2008). We think of engagement as the values, cultures and processes for working with diverse individuals and groups to leverage opportunities and actively transform a problem or context, communities and institutions.
Current Project: Children's Rights in the Digital Age
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