The AGYI-Benin network set up is convinced that volunteering, particularly at the international level, is not only a way of involving young people, but above all an immense opportunity to reveal to the society the full potential of young people. This is only possible if programmes are implemented in ways that encourage the inclusion of all potential young beneficiaries. For the network, it is essential to make volunteering a tool for the social inclusion of young people. There can be no question of continuing to encourage the development of exclusive and selective exchange and voluntary programmes that do not offer young people the same opportunities, without discrimination on grounds categories as e.g. gender, social and economic class, level of education or geographical background.
It is within this framework that the AGYI Benin network is organizing a conference in Benin from 2nd to 4th of October on the theme "Inclusion in youth exchanges and volunteering".
The conference, which will bring together Beninese, African and German civil society actors, aims to enable participants to exchange views and raise awareness on the broad theme of inclusion in the context of working with youth and to specifically apply those thoughts and ideas emerging from these exchanges to the areas of volunteering and youth exchanges.
The concept of the conference understands inclusion in a broad sense that is not limited to a particular social group but seeks to promote the inclusion of all social categories, taking into account the intersectionality of the different social hierarchies and power structures through which marginalized groups are excluded. Through this, the conference organizers encourage the participation of self-representatives in order to give space to the relevant actors and to make inclusion not only the theme but the core of the activity.
As organizational team of this international conference on Inclusion, the AGYI Benin network is launching a call for participation for the benefit of national and continental CSOs.
