LEARNING TO LIVEAbout EdgerydersEdgeryders is a distributed think tank advising European institutions on youth policy reform It was launched by the Council of Europe in October 2011 as a ldquosocial gamerdquo and ldquopeer-to-peer learning environmentrdquo with three main aims The first of these has been to provide inspiration information encouragement and support to a generation of young Europeans who are striving to build futures based on meaningful work and political participation in the most challenging socio-economic climate in several decades The second aim has been to explore the stories of project participants in order to better understand the specific challenges they feel they face as well as their goals and aspirations and the resources they draw on to support their pursuit of a satisfying and successful life The third and overriding aim has been to use the information generated by the ldquothink tankrdquo approach adopted by this project to inform policy initiatives around young peoplersquos transitions to adulthood

Participants in Edgeryders are self-selected join without permission and coordinate through the Edgeryders online platform and various social media channels To date there are over 1000 participants and thousands of pages of ethnographic data that are currently being analyzed by the community in collaboration with a small team of researchers well versed in contemporary youth policy Final results are to be published at the end of 2012

About this paperWhen we raised the prospect of contributing to Ms Kovacs report with input on how education can contribute to lowering rates of acts of self-harm such as drug abuse and suicide several members of the Edgeryders community voiced skepticism about the context for two reasons The first was that doubt was cast about the value of addressing symptoms of complex social issues in isolation as opposed to targeting the root causes Secondly it was questioned whether positive or negative correlation between education and self-harm prevention really are indicative of causation

ldquoperhaps learning and education are not an immediate factor in preventing that (young) people expend their energies in d s s h b u andor m d That it is rather the case that education etc can for a select few(er) allow for entry into a tribe of the hopeful If you are too wise you might think that this hopefulness is delusional and that any tribe that excludes the non-hopeful is asking for troublerdquo [Bembo]

Community Paper

The paper aims to make a contribution towards surfacing some approaches initiatives and resources from which we can learn how to better help our young to lead active meaningful lives without feeling the need to resort to self-harm While a detailed discussion is out of scope we acknowledge and accommodate the voiced points of concern regarding how the call is framed by exploring the topic from a different perspective Our point of departure is that it is not necessarily specific initiatives or approaches that explicitly have the aim of combatting self harm or any other expression of complex interdependent issues that are the most effective in lowering the number of incidents Rather the members of the Edgeryders community who collaboratively drafted these recommendations propose that it is more appropriate to explore a plurality of initiatives that taken together make a positive contribution towards creating and sustaining environments which encourage young people to develop healthy relationships with themselves More specifically these are spaces initiatives projects people communities etc that directly or indirectly contribute to providing one or more of the following

1 Recognition Why because the need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying

2 Connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities encouragement toward personal communication Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancyrdquo

3 Having a voice channels for self-expression and the opportunity to be heard and noticed4 Responses well grounded in understanding of psychology of self-harm Why Because the

psychology of self harm shows the act as an inwardly directed response to injustice experienced outside a person and beyond their control the needs to effect the appropriate response is fulfilled against the self

The paper was heavily contributed to by Ksenia SerovaEimhin DavidJorge CouchetLuke DevlinBembo DaviesOla Moumlller

The summary of the state of education and learning policy in Europe heavily referenced an unpublished report produced by researchers Prudencia Gutieacuterrez-Esteban and Piotr Mikiewicz for the Edgeryders project

This paper was curated by Nadia EL-Imam

Where Are We LookingOn Developing a Sense of PurposeldquoInterruption incoherence surprise are the ordinary conditions of our life They have even become real needs for many people whose minds are no longer fed by anything but sudden changes and constantly renewed stimuli We can no longer bear anything that lasts We no longer know how to make boredom bear fruit So the whole question comes down to this can the human mind master what the human mind has maderdquo

Those are the Paul Valery s words with which Zygmunt Bauman begins his book ldquoLiquid Modernityrdquo A book where him is using the metaphor of liquidity in an attempt to explain the precariousness of human relationships in a privatized and individualistic society A society marked by transient and volatile relationships where the endless race of consumerism has become our eacutelan vital In this senseless race in competition with everyone and with no chance of winning because there is always more to consume and where the fundamental rule is everyone looking out for their own the feeling of belonging to a project that transcends individuality evaporated and thus leaving us purposeless Dismissing mental problems bulling and other stressing factors this lack of sense of purpose is one of the root causes of hopelessness and subsequent detachment from life And the question is whether or not formal education is not actively contributing to the problem due to its perceived purpose Below the argument to support this claim in the form of a short overview of the state of Education policy

Formal Education as an ObstacleIn the 20th century we have seen increased access to primary secondary and tertiary education in Europe The effect of this is a consistent increase in the numbers of people with higher educational credentials - as well as prolonged periods of education which in turn means a longer of transition period ie the period of ldquoyouthrdquo or ldquonot yet adulthoodrdquo is stretching far into peoplersquos 30s This has been driven by

1 logic of the market the need to adapt the workforce to changes in the labour market2 Different strands of ideology pulling in different directions

bull classical functional vision education is a sorting machine It exists to effectively organize the training selection and allocation of individuals into set positions in society via different professional identities

bull theory of human capital more educated people = more effective economybull discourse of equal opportunities and open access equal access to education at all levels

for larger number of people eliminates inequalities resulting from social origins It is compatible with theory of human capital in that if everyone has educational credentials efficiency of the economy will be maximized and social awards will be distributed on the basis of professional and personal competence and not social characteristics

Consequences education has held and still holds the promise of a good life being better educated than your parents has implied that you could expect for a better life than the one they had But since the 1980s the role of education has shifted from ticket to a better life to necessity without which you are excluded from the labour market However recent developments with regards to availability of student loans reducing grants and increasing tuition fees are making it increasingly difficult for young people to continue or access higher studies This is set against a background with record unemployment rates amongst young graduates who are frustrated because the promise of a good future for those who worked hard at school was not fulfilled

The policy makers perception of why we have unemployed graduates falls into two categories

bull the fault lies with the education system it is not working well as sorting machinebull the fault lies with unemployed individuals there is no problem with the sorting machine

but individuals lack of competence makes them incompatible with the professional (social) structure and so they are out of it

Education policy therefore aims to

1 improve the efficiency of operation of the sorting machinery2 provide support for people who ldquodo not fitrdquo the market by providing them a proper type

of training (again in the machine of preparation and sorting them)

Where much education policy thinking fails is that the underlying premise is false There is no rigid occupational structure due to

bull prevalence of short term employmentbull precarity uncertainty escalated by a worldwide economic crisis and the fluctuations of

the global economy affecting all social layersbull variability of working conditionsbull lack of transparency

The assumption that some social actor manages the above processes is also false

Education as sorting has another problem It fails to recognize that some young people dont necessarily want to follow in the path of the previous generations but are considering new ways and in fact new goals Some of them are freedom self-actualization satisfaction in work and personal lives - even though young people - at least from the vantage point of Edgeryders - dont know how to achieve them or if it is even possible

But to escape from the consumerist race in which we all are participating and be able to develop that kind of self-fulfillment that comes from a sense of purpose based on the relationship with others and with oneself education is essential but not in the sense of ldquonormalrdquo education () but education in charge of teaching healthy habits (eating exercise etc) discipline reflection introspection (meditation) solidarity etc Precisely the kind of education that nowadays is hardly taught anywhere and the kind of education that enables the individual to seek and enjoy ldquodoing

activities which help center herhimrdquo as it is also pointed out by eg this suicide hotline councelor

On Developing Healthy RelationshipsldquoSuicide is not just an individual act and cannot be explained by individual traits alone but the characteristics of the society affect the probability of suicide in its members with the key determinant being the extent to which individuals are integrated or bonded into social groupsrdquo (Durkheim E Suicide A Study in Sociology London Routledge amp Kegan Paul 1952)

These statements shows us that the social structure to which a person belongs is a key determinant in their attachment to life and sense in it The lack of stable and valuable relationships with others makes almost impossible to embark them on projects that transcend their own individuality and thus feeding this feeling of purposeless discussed above One of the best ways to create lasting relationships with positive emotional values is through the service to others ie ldquohelping othersrdquo as is mentioned by the counselor That helps to embark on projects that transcend individuality a key step to get an enduring and satisfactory sense of purpose where the person feels that ldquoare not alone anymorerdquo as is saying another counselor (httpwwwyourlifeyourvoiceorgAskItListsHotline20Discusion20SuicideOnlineaspxRootFolder=2FAskIt2FLists2FHotline20Discusion20Suicide2FCan27t20Take20Life20AnymoreampFolderCTID=0x0120020065912FC47D755548926B24AE569C2B53)

ldquoThe need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying (violence being the fast track to significance) A connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities coupled with encouragement toward personal communication can make a world of difference Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancy [Involute Conduit]

An example of an initiative that offers the above is one run by Edgeryders community member James Wallbank Access Space a Sheffield based initiative was set up in response to unemployment urban decline and the transformation of the job market It provides a free open access digital lab where people are doing all sorts of things from computer analysis repair and recycling to art exhibitions workshops peer-learning activities enterprise incubation social support and more The space attracts young participants (under 25) with a range of economic and social disadvantages and enables them to make social progress - by helping each other and by working together people learn crucial soft skills and develop more useful networks Theyrsquove managed to create a space where a diverse range of participants are helped to make creative technical and social progress through helping each other and by working togetherwhich also helps them develop more useful networks You can read more about it here httpedgerydersppacoeintspotlight-social-innovationmission_caseaccess-space-new-model-individual-and-community-development

The paper aims to make a contribution towards surfacing some approaches initiatives and resources from which we can learn how to better help our young to lead active meaningful lives without feeling the need to resort to self-harm While a detailed discussion is out of scope we acknowledge and accommodate the voiced points of concern regarding how the call is framed by exploring the topic from a different perspective Our point of departure is that it is not necessarily specific initiatives or approaches that explicitly have the aim of combatting self harm or any other expression of complex interdependent issues that are the most effective in lowering the number of incidents Rather the members of the Edgeryders community who collaboratively drafted these recommendations propose that it is more appropriate to explore a plurality of initiatives that taken together make a positive contribution towards creating and sustaining environments which encourage young people to develop healthy relationships with themselves More specifically these are spaces initiatives projects people communities etc that directly or indirectly contribute to providing one or more of the following

1 Recognition Why because the need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying

2 Connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities encouragement toward personal communication Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancyrdquo

3 Having a voice channels for self-expression and the opportunity to be heard and noticed4 Responses well grounded in understanding of psychology of self-harm Why Because the

psychology of self harm shows the act as an inwardly directed response to injustice experienced outside a person and beyond their control the needs to effect the appropriate response is fulfilled against the self

The paper was heavily contributed to by Ksenia SerovaEimhin DavidJorge CouchetLuke DevlinBembo DaviesOla Moumlller

The summary of the state of education and learning policy in Europe heavily referenced an unpublished report produced by researchers Prudencia Gutieacuterrez-Esteban and Piotr Mikiewicz for the Edgeryders project

This paper was curated by Nadia EL-Imam

Where Are We LookingOn Developing a Sense of PurposeldquoInterruption incoherence surprise are the ordinary conditions of our life They have even become real needs for many people whose minds are no longer fed by anything but sudden changes and constantly renewed stimuli We can no longer bear anything that lasts We no longer know how to make boredom bear fruit So the whole question comes down to this can the human mind master what the human mind has maderdquo

Those are the Paul Valery s words with which Zygmunt Bauman begins his book ldquoLiquid Modernityrdquo A book where him is using the metaphor of liquidity in an attempt to explain the precariousness of human relationships in a privatized and individualistic society A society marked by transient and volatile relationships where the endless race of consumerism has become our eacutelan vital In this senseless race in competition with everyone and with no chance of winning because there is always more to consume and where the fundamental rule is everyone looking out for their own the feeling of belonging to a project that transcends individuality evaporated and thus leaving us purposeless Dismissing mental problems bulling and other stressing factors this lack of sense of purpose is one of the root causes of hopelessness and subsequent detachment from life And the question is whether or not formal education is not actively contributing to the problem due to its perceived purpose Below the argument to support this claim in the form of a short overview of the state of Education policy

Formal Education as an ObstacleIn the 20th century we have seen increased access to primary secondary and tertiary education in Europe The effect of this is a consistent increase in the numbers of people with higher educational credentials - as well as prolonged periods of education which in turn means a longer of transition period ie the period of ldquoyouthrdquo or ldquonot yet adulthoodrdquo is stretching far into peoplersquos 30s This has been driven by

1 logic of the market the need to adapt the workforce to changes in the labour market2 Different strands of ideology pulling in different directions

bull classical functional vision education is a sorting machine It exists to effectively organize the training selection and allocation of individuals into set positions in society via different professional identities

bull theory of human capital more educated people = more effective economybull discourse of equal opportunities and open access equal access to education at all levels

for larger number of people eliminates inequalities resulting from social origins It is compatible with theory of human capital in that if everyone has educational credentials efficiency of the economy will be maximized and social awards will be distributed on the basis of professional and personal competence and not social characteristics

Consequences education has held and still holds the promise of a good life being better educated than your parents has implied that you could expect for a better life than the one they had But since the 1980s the role of education has shifted from ticket to a better life to necessity without which you are excluded from the labour market However recent developments with regards to availability of student loans reducing grants and increasing tuition fees are making it increasingly difficult for young people to continue or access higher studies This is set against a background with record unemployment rates amongst young graduates who are frustrated because the promise of a good future for those who worked hard at school was not fulfilled

The policy makers perception of why we have unemployed graduates falls into two categories

bull the fault lies with the education system it is not working well as sorting machinebull the fault lies with unemployed individuals there is no problem with the sorting machine

but individuals lack of competence makes them incompatible with the professional (social) structure and so they are out of it

Education policy therefore aims to

1 improve the efficiency of operation of the sorting machinery2 provide support for people who ldquodo not fitrdquo the market by providing them a proper type

of training (again in the machine of preparation and sorting them)

Where much education policy thinking fails is that the underlying premise is false There is no rigid occupational structure due to

bull prevalence of short term employmentbull precarity uncertainty escalated by a worldwide economic crisis and the fluctuations of

the global economy affecting all social layersbull variability of working conditionsbull lack of transparency

The assumption that some social actor manages the above processes is also false

Education as sorting has another problem It fails to recognize that some young people dont necessarily want to follow in the path of the previous generations but are considering new ways and in fact new goals Some of them are freedom self-actualization satisfaction in work and personal lives - even though young people - at least from the vantage point of Edgeryders - dont know how to achieve them or if it is even possible

But to escape from the consumerist race in which we all are participating and be able to develop that kind of self-fulfillment that comes from a sense of purpose based on the relationship with others and with oneself education is essential but not in the sense of ldquonormalrdquo education () but education in charge of teaching healthy habits (eating exercise etc) discipline reflection introspection (meditation) solidarity etc Precisely the kind of education that nowadays is hardly taught anywhere and the kind of education that enables the individual to seek and enjoy ldquodoing

activities which help center herhimrdquo as it is also pointed out by eg this suicide hotline councelor

On Developing Healthy RelationshipsldquoSuicide is not just an individual act and cannot be explained by individual traits alone but the characteristics of the society affect the probability of suicide in its members with the key determinant being the extent to which individuals are integrated or bonded into social groupsrdquo (Durkheim E Suicide A Study in Sociology London Routledge amp Kegan Paul 1952)

These statements shows us that the social structure to which a person belongs is a key determinant in their attachment to life and sense in it The lack of stable and valuable relationships with others makes almost impossible to embark them on projects that transcend their own individuality and thus feeding this feeling of purposeless discussed above One of the best ways to create lasting relationships with positive emotional values is through the service to others ie ldquohelping othersrdquo as is mentioned by the counselor That helps to embark on projects that transcend individuality a key step to get an enduring and satisfactory sense of purpose where the person feels that ldquoare not alone anymorerdquo as is saying another counselor (httpwwwyourlifeyourvoiceorgAskItListsHotline20Discusion20SuicideOnlineaspxRootFolder=2FAskIt2FLists2FHotline20Discusion20Suicide2FCan27t20Take20Life20AnymoreampFolderCTID=0x0120020065912FC47D755548926B24AE569C2B53)

ldquoThe need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying (violence being the fast track to significance) A connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities coupled with encouragement toward personal communication can make a world of difference Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancy [Involute Conduit]

An example of an initiative that offers the above is one run by Edgeryders community member James Wallbank Access Space a Sheffield based initiative was set up in response to unemployment urban decline and the transformation of the job market It provides a free open access digital lab where people are doing all sorts of things from computer analysis repair and recycling to art exhibitions workshops peer-learning activities enterprise incubation social support and more The space attracts young participants (under 25) with a range of economic and social disadvantages and enables them to make social progress - by helping each other and by working together people learn crucial soft skills and develop more useful networks Theyrsquove managed to create a space where a diverse range of participants are helped to make creative technical and social progress through helping each other and by working togetherwhich also helps them develop more useful networks You can read more about it here httpedgerydersppacoeintspotlight-social-innovationmission_caseaccess-space-new-model-individual-and-community-development

Where Are We LookingOn Developing a Sense of PurposeldquoInterruption incoherence surprise are the ordinary conditions of our life They have even become real needs for many people whose minds are no longer fed by anything but sudden changes and constantly renewed stimuli We can no longer bear anything that lasts We no longer know how to make boredom bear fruit So the whole question comes down to this can the human mind master what the human mind has maderdquo

Those are the Paul Valery s words with which Zygmunt Bauman begins his book ldquoLiquid Modernityrdquo A book where him is using the metaphor of liquidity in an attempt to explain the precariousness of human relationships in a privatized and individualistic society A society marked by transient and volatile relationships where the endless race of consumerism has become our eacutelan vital In this senseless race in competition with everyone and with no chance of winning because there is always more to consume and where the fundamental rule is everyone looking out for their own the feeling of belonging to a project that transcends individuality evaporated and thus leaving us purposeless Dismissing mental problems bulling and other stressing factors this lack of sense of purpose is one of the root causes of hopelessness and subsequent detachment from life And the question is whether or not formal education is not actively contributing to the problem due to its perceived purpose Below the argument to support this claim in the form of a short overview of the state of Education policy

Formal Education as an ObstacleIn the 20th century we have seen increased access to primary secondary and tertiary education in Europe The effect of this is a consistent increase in the numbers of people with higher educational credentials - as well as prolonged periods of education which in turn means a longer of transition period ie the period of ldquoyouthrdquo or ldquonot yet adulthoodrdquo is stretching far into peoplersquos 30s This has been driven by

1 logic of the market the need to adapt the workforce to changes in the labour market2 Different strands of ideology pulling in different directions

bull classical functional vision education is a sorting machine It exists to effectively organize the training selection and allocation of individuals into set positions in society via different professional identities

bull theory of human capital more educated people = more effective economybull discourse of equal opportunities and open access equal access to education at all levels

for larger number of people eliminates inequalities resulting from social origins It is compatible with theory of human capital in that if everyone has educational credentials efficiency of the economy will be maximized and social awards will be distributed on the basis of professional and personal competence and not social characteristics

Consequences education has held and still holds the promise of a good life being better educated than your parents has implied that you could expect for a better life than the one they had But since the 1980s the role of education has shifted from ticket to a better life to necessity without which you are excluded from the labour market However recent developments with regards to availability of student loans reducing grants and increasing tuition fees are making it increasingly difficult for young people to continue or access higher studies This is set against a background with record unemployment rates amongst young graduates who are frustrated because the promise of a good future for those who worked hard at school was not fulfilled

The policy makers perception of why we have unemployed graduates falls into two categories

bull the fault lies with the education system it is not working well as sorting machinebull the fault lies with unemployed individuals there is no problem with the sorting machine

but individuals lack of competence makes them incompatible with the professional (social) structure and so they are out of it

Education policy therefore aims to

1 improve the efficiency of operation of the sorting machinery2 provide support for people who ldquodo not fitrdquo the market by providing them a proper type

of training (again in the machine of preparation and sorting them)

Where much education policy thinking fails is that the underlying premise is false There is no rigid occupational structure due to

bull prevalence of short term employmentbull precarity uncertainty escalated by a worldwide economic crisis and the fluctuations of

the global economy affecting all social layersbull variability of working conditionsbull lack of transparency

The assumption that some social actor manages the above processes is also false

Education as sorting has another problem It fails to recognize that some young people dont necessarily want to follow in the path of the previous generations but are considering new ways and in fact new goals Some of them are freedom self-actualization satisfaction in work and personal lives - even though young people - at least from the vantage point of Edgeryders - dont know how to achieve them or if it is even possible

But to escape from the consumerist race in which we all are participating and be able to develop that kind of self-fulfillment that comes from a sense of purpose based on the relationship with others and with oneself education is essential but not in the sense of ldquonormalrdquo education () but education in charge of teaching healthy habits (eating exercise etc) discipline reflection introspection (meditation) solidarity etc Precisely the kind of education that nowadays is hardly taught anywhere and the kind of education that enables the individual to seek and enjoy ldquodoing

activities which help center herhimrdquo as it is also pointed out by eg this suicide hotline councelor

On Developing Healthy RelationshipsldquoSuicide is not just an individual act and cannot be explained by individual traits alone but the characteristics of the society affect the probability of suicide in its members with the key determinant being the extent to which individuals are integrated or bonded into social groupsrdquo (Durkheim E Suicide A Study in Sociology London Routledge amp Kegan Paul 1952)

These statements shows us that the social structure to which a person belongs is a key determinant in their attachment to life and sense in it The lack of stable and valuable relationships with others makes almost impossible to embark them on projects that transcend their own individuality and thus feeding this feeling of purposeless discussed above One of the best ways to create lasting relationships with positive emotional values is through the service to others ie ldquohelping othersrdquo as is mentioned by the counselor That helps to embark on projects that transcend individuality a key step to get an enduring and satisfactory sense of purpose where the person feels that ldquoare not alone anymorerdquo as is saying another counselor (httpwwwyourlifeyourvoiceorgAskItListsHotline20Discusion20SuicideOnlineaspxRootFolder=2FAskIt2FLists2FHotline20Discusion20Suicide2FCan27t20Take20Life20AnymoreampFolderCTID=0x0120020065912FC47D755548926B24AE569C2B53)

ldquoThe need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying (violence being the fast track to significance) A connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities coupled with encouragement toward personal communication can make a world of difference Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancy [Involute Conduit]

An example of an initiative that offers the above is one run by Edgeryders community member James Wallbank Access Space a Sheffield based initiative was set up in response to unemployment urban decline and the transformation of the job market It provides a free open access digital lab where people are doing all sorts of things from computer analysis repair and recycling to art exhibitions workshops peer-learning activities enterprise incubation social support and more The space attracts young participants (under 25) with a range of economic and social disadvantages and enables them to make social progress - by helping each other and by working together people learn crucial soft skills and develop more useful networks Theyrsquove managed to create a space where a diverse range of participants are helped to make creative technical and social progress through helping each other and by working togetherwhich also helps them develop more useful networks You can read more about it here httpedgerydersppacoeintspotlight-social-innovationmission_caseaccess-space-new-model-individual-and-community-development

Consequences education has held and still holds the promise of a good life being better educated than your parents has implied that you could expect for a better life than the one they had But since the 1980s the role of education has shifted from ticket to a better life to necessity without which you are excluded from the labour market However recent developments with regards to availability of student loans reducing grants and increasing tuition fees are making it increasingly difficult for young people to continue or access higher studies This is set against a background with record unemployment rates amongst young graduates who are frustrated because the promise of a good future for those who worked hard at school was not fulfilled

The policy makers perception of why we have unemployed graduates falls into two categories

bull the fault lies with the education system it is not working well as sorting machinebull the fault lies with unemployed individuals there is no problem with the sorting machine

but individuals lack of competence makes them incompatible with the professional (social) structure and so they are out of it

Education policy therefore aims to

1 improve the efficiency of operation of the sorting machinery2 provide support for people who ldquodo not fitrdquo the market by providing them a proper type

of training (again in the machine of preparation and sorting them)

Where much education policy thinking fails is that the underlying premise is false There is no rigid occupational structure due to

bull prevalence of short term employmentbull precarity uncertainty escalated by a worldwide economic crisis and the fluctuations of

the global economy affecting all social layersbull variability of working conditionsbull lack of transparency

The assumption that some social actor manages the above processes is also false

Education as sorting has another problem It fails to recognize that some young people dont necessarily want to follow in the path of the previous generations but are considering new ways and in fact new goals Some of them are freedom self-actualization satisfaction in work and personal lives - even though young people - at least from the vantage point of Edgeryders - dont know how to achieve them or if it is even possible

But to escape from the consumerist race in which we all are participating and be able to develop that kind of self-fulfillment that comes from a sense of purpose based on the relationship with others and with oneself education is essential but not in the sense of ldquonormalrdquo education () but education in charge of teaching healthy habits (eating exercise etc) discipline reflection introspection (meditation) solidarity etc Precisely the kind of education that nowadays is hardly taught anywhere and the kind of education that enables the individual to seek and enjoy ldquodoing

activities which help center herhimrdquo as it is also pointed out by eg this suicide hotline councelor

On Developing Healthy RelationshipsldquoSuicide is not just an individual act and cannot be explained by individual traits alone but the characteristics of the society affect the probability of suicide in its members with the key determinant being the extent to which individuals are integrated or bonded into social groupsrdquo (Durkheim E Suicide A Study in Sociology London Routledge amp Kegan Paul 1952)

These statements shows us that the social structure to which a person belongs is a key determinant in their attachment to life and sense in it The lack of stable and valuable relationships with others makes almost impossible to embark them on projects that transcend their own individuality and thus feeding this feeling of purposeless discussed above One of the best ways to create lasting relationships with positive emotional values is through the service to others ie ldquohelping othersrdquo as is mentioned by the counselor That helps to embark on projects that transcend individuality a key step to get an enduring and satisfactory sense of purpose where the person feels that ldquoare not alone anymorerdquo as is saying another counselor (httpwwwyourlifeyourvoiceorgAskItListsHotline20Discusion20SuicideOnlineaspxRootFolder=2FAskIt2FLists2FHotline20Discusion20Suicide2FCan27t20Take20Life20AnymoreampFolderCTID=0x0120020065912FC47D755548926B24AE569C2B53)

ldquoThe need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying (violence being the fast track to significance) A connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities coupled with encouragement toward personal communication can make a world of difference Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancy [Involute Conduit]

An example of an initiative that offers the above is one run by Edgeryders community member James Wallbank Access Space a Sheffield based initiative was set up in response to unemployment urban decline and the transformation of the job market It provides a free open access digital lab where people are doing all sorts of things from computer analysis repair and recycling to art exhibitions workshops peer-learning activities enterprise incubation social support and more The space attracts young participants (under 25) with a range of economic and social disadvantages and enables them to make social progress - by helping each other and by working together people learn crucial soft skills and develop more useful networks Theyrsquove managed to create a space where a diverse range of participants are helped to make creative technical and social progress through helping each other and by working togetherwhich also helps them develop more useful networks You can read more about it here httpedgerydersppacoeintspotlight-social-innovationmission_caseaccess-space-new-model-individual-and-community-development

activities which help center herhimrdquo as it is also pointed out by eg this suicide hotline councelor

On Developing Healthy RelationshipsldquoSuicide is not just an individual act and cannot be explained by individual traits alone but the characteristics of the society affect the probability of suicide in its members with the key determinant being the extent to which individuals are integrated or bonded into social groupsrdquo (Durkheim E Suicide A Study in Sociology London Routledge amp Kegan Paul 1952)

These statements shows us that the social structure to which a person belongs is a key determinant in their attachment to life and sense in it The lack of stable and valuable relationships with others makes almost impossible to embark them on projects that transcend their own individuality and thus feeding this feeling of purposeless discussed above One of the best ways to create lasting relationships with positive emotional values is through the service to others ie ldquohelping othersrdquo as is mentioned by the counselor That helps to embark on projects that transcend individuality a key step to get an enduring and satisfactory sense of purpose where the person feels that ldquoare not alone anymorerdquo as is saying another counselor (httpwwwyourlifeyourvoiceorgAskItListsHotline20Discusion20SuicideOnlineaspxRootFolder=2FAskIt2FLists2FHotline20Discusion20Suicide2FCan27t20Take20Life20AnymoreampFolderCTID=0x0120020065912FC47D755548926B24AE569C2B53)

ldquoThe need for significance in the face on non-recognition can lead to bullying (violence being the fast track to significance) A connection to welcoming amp mutually involved communities coupled with encouragement toward personal communication can make a world of difference Why Because it seems isolation and despair and no encouragement toward personal communication lead to empathic shut down and suicide in worst case scenarios lack of connection to welcoming and mutually involved communities leads to drug abuse (false sense of union) and youth pregnancy [Involute Conduit]

An example of an initiative that offers the above is one run by Edgeryders community member James Wallbank Access Space a Sheffield based initiative was set up in response to unemployment urban decline and the transformation of the job market It provides a free open access digital lab where people are doing all sorts of things from computer analysis repair and recycling to art exhibitions workshops peer-learning activities enterprise incubation social support and more The space attracts young participants (under 25) with a range of economic and social disadvantages and enables them to make social progress - by helping each other and by working together people learn crucial soft skills and develop more useful networks Theyrsquove managed to create a space where a diverse range of participants are helped to make creative technical and social progress through helping each other and by working togetherwhich also helps them develop more useful networks You can read more about it here httpedgerydersppacoeintspotlight-social-innovationmission_caseaccess-space-new-model-individual-and-community-development

On Being Seen Heard and NoticedOne might think that the web already provides a space for self-expression but the more the web evolved the more difficult it becomes to be heard seen and noticed A member of the Edgeryders community described their project ldquoDont Ask Me Where Im From Ask Me Where Im Heading (Project Work for Designing Processes For Social Change Courserdquo1 which is based on participatory communication and ethnographic action research accomplished at Malmouml Houmlgskola has explored how young people randomly involved in it ldquolive or DOacute such buzz-words as Diversity Identity Stereotype etc This piece of research underlines a striking difference between on the one hand the idea of asking people ldquowhere they are fromrdquo as a category of identity and on the other hand ldquowhere they are headingrdquo The project explores how people feel about being asked where they are from and all about self- identificationldquoOur project is about is about focusing on the future and creating the identities according to the future It seems obvious that identities are created in the past but why not adding a bit more of future to itrdquo 2

To bridge the past and the future when dealing with young peopleacutes identity suggests that these very young people gain power on their own lives and life projects They are empowered to describe and recast their stories instead of being described just on the basis of their biography They perform their own identities and they can decide to change their own trajectories and identities whenever they want The recognition of this fluidity is missing in policies fostering social inclusion which are often based on predetermined and fixed categories [Barabara Giovanna Bello]

Another example from the Edgeryders community could be put forward as a prototype of a channel for self-expression and the opportunity to be heard and noticed The Photo Book about Sweden is a Citizen Photojournalism Project which resulted in a book and exhibitions where 44 young photographer depicted Sweden in a contrast to a Sweden which normally is depicted in a static and romanticized way with red cottages ABBA midsummer dark forests and blondes Instead of letting journalists depict young people and their lives They created a space where young people could take back their right to interpret their own reality Depicting themselves and putting emphasis on the things that they felt was interesting or important It is valuable because the outcome is a story about contemporary Sweden presented in a photo book which travels around and outside Europe The global scale here is important because contemporary youth is more global-minded than the generations before and an exhibition in a local library or a pub just would not give the participants same motivation

1 See kacutes Report ldquoDont Ask Me Where Im From Ask Me Where Im Heading (Project Work for Designing Processes For Social Change Course) available at httpedgerydersppacoeintwe-mix-culturemission_casedont-ask-me-where-im-ask-me-where-im-heading-project-work-designing-procThe project is also retrievable from httpaskmewhereimheadingwordpresscom20111004interviewsmultiple-identity-stories

2 See at httpaskmewhereimheadingwordpresscomcategoryhow-is-it-going

How Can Policymakers Help

Provision of Spaces where learning does not reproduce flawed learningAs mentioned briefly in the introduction it was questioned whether education per se really does make a positive positive contribution towards addressing self harm or if eg the educational environments used as a basis for drawing the conclusions tend to draw to them people less pre-disposed to self harmPursuing an in depth discussion around this is outside the scope of the paper What is however clear is that formal educational environments are perceived as failing to equip young people with the skills necessary to make successful transitions to meaningful active adult lives

ldquoon dealing with the problem of goal based learning in outmoded one way stagnant educational environments I assert that we can introduce self selected education in these spaces utilizing the communitys own populations along with tech enabled learning resources and by engaging certain technical and cultural networks Again this would require knowing what is available locally in terms of knowledge skills and abilities as well as linking these to national networks of practitioners in various fields and involves a step beyond the SCIM concept to a more personally applicable resourcerdquo [Involute Conduit]

ldquoWere here for you and we want you to get to a place where you can be safe and happyrdquo

This statement also coming from another counselor in the help hotline is also telling us something more that education cultivating relationships and developing a sense of purpose do not occur in the air they need a space where to be seeded and grow There should be specific spaces where youth all youth are able to attend to start learning these old but new skills and help them to develop meaningful and lasting relationships those that enable them to transcend themselves and become involved in something bigger than them something that gives them a purpose to their life and therefore a reason to be attached to it because they are having hope and joy in their life

Combining the above stated insights with the ideas that are being carried out in other projects already running (httpwwwlarcheorg) or projects currently at the proposal phase (httpmanifest-europaeulang=en) an idea that arises is to establish a network of facilities that may be urban or rural houses (in order to establish different types of contexts) to which young people (in special young at risk) can find a space to which attend for a while so that they can learn those skills mentioned above (reflection meditation etc) and can participate simultaneously (in parallel and complementary) in volunteer activities coordinated by the houses itself or related organizations (such the UnMonastery idea and serving also as base-camps for the UnMonastery missions ) These houses may be abandoned facilities which are recycled by the young people themselves and thus in addition to providing this much needed space the process of recycling and conversion the place into a social center also helps to rehabilitate the area This process could be done with the help of another projects already running as for example [im]possible

How Can Policymakers Help

Provision of Spaces where learning does not reproduce flawed learningAs mentioned briefly in the introduction it was questioned whether education per se really does make a positive positive contribution towards addressing self harm or if eg the educational environments used as a basis for drawing the conclusions tend to draw to them people less pre-disposed to self harmPursuing an in depth discussion around this is outside the scope of the paper What is however clear is that formal educational environments are perceived as failing to equip young people with the skills necessary to make successful transitions to meaningful active adult lives

ldquoon dealing with the problem of goal based learning in outmoded one way stagnant educational environments I assert that we can introduce self selected education in these spaces utilizing the communitys own populations along with tech enabled learning resources and by engaging certain technical and cultural networks Again this would require knowing what is available locally in terms of knowledge skills and abilities as well as linking these to national networks of practitioners in various fields and involves a step beyond the SCIM concept to a more personally applicable resourcerdquo [Involute Conduit]

ldquoWere here for you and we want you to get to a place where you can be safe and happyrdquo

This statement also coming from another counselor in the help hotline is also telling us something more that education cultivating relationships and developing a sense of purpose do not occur in the air they need a space where to be seeded and grow There should be specific spaces where youth all youth are able to attend to start learning these old but new skills and help them to develop meaningful and lasting relationships those that enable them to transcend themselves and become involved in something bigger than them something that gives them a purpose to their life and therefore a reason to be attached to it because they are having hope and joy in their life

Combining the above stated insights with the ideas that are being carried out in other projects already running (httpwwwlarcheorg) or projects currently at the proposal phase (httpmanifest-europaeulang=en) an idea that arises is to establish a network of facilities that may be urban or rural houses (in order to establish different types of contexts) to which young people (in special young at risk) can find a space to which attend for a while so that they can learn those skills mentioned above (reflection meditation etc) and can participate simultaneously (in parallel and complementary) in volunteer activities coordinated by the houses itself or related organizations (such the UnMonastery idea and serving also as base-camps for the UnMonastery missions ) These houses may be abandoned facilities which are recycled by the young people themselves and thus in addition to providing this much needed space the process of recycling and conversion the place into a social center also helps to rehabilitate the area This process could be done with the help of another projects already running as for example [im]possible

living (httpwwwimpossiblelivingcom) and and also making use of the idea of co-housing and co-working

ldquoThe number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combinedrdquo (httpwwwiaspinfo rarr at the ldquoMessage from the Presidentrdquo) Imagine now the substantial benefits human and material that would be generated if we could save even a small percentage of that horrible waste of human life that we are suffering right now All that is needed is an abandoned place and the will of a few not more

Reducing the gap between funders and local initiativesThis requires devising processes and mechanisms for providing resources to initiatives run by individuals and small groups of people without requiring them to be affiliated with organisations including NGOs to be able to access funding and other forms of non-monetary support [ link to demsoc report] Even Access Space they make use of recycled computers have a proven methodology with results to show and have low running costs the only way they could gain access to European Grants allocated to support their kind of initiative was by putting themselves under a regional development organization which shielded them from a frightening level of bureaucracy ldquothere was no way we could have accessed ERDF funding with our levels of experience We came in as a minor delivery partner insulated from the frightening bureaucracy of the project by more experienced lead partnersrdquo

While in the case of Access Space the arrangement worked well the experience was shared by involuteconduit (his twitter handle) serves as an example as to why it may be worthwhile to explore alternatives The person and a friend started a suicide awareness and prevention initiative after a series of suicides in the village where they live They are both from the territory so have personal experience and relevant knowledge about teachers lifestyles and spaces that contribute positively or negatively to suicide rates They managed to get a hold of a physical space where they wanted to run some activities and raised over 12000 euros locally to cover the costs of renovating it and were awarded 38000 euros from OCounty Enterprise board on the basis of the 12000 For reasons tied to the requirements of funding bodies this funding was pursued in collaboration with or under the organizational umbrella of an NGO which is now organization within which their initiative lives To the initiators the situation is problematic because they feel that the organizationrsquos policies and direction are unproductive Also judging from the participants account people from the organization with whom they have to deal are abusing their administrative power and undermining the two initiatorrsquos ability to deliver a successful project

ldquo just to mention an explanatory quote from the Foroige chief we work with he said directly to L Basically L its like this you have paid for our new sitting room and now we have to let you sit in it sometimes this is what we are dealing with Also I aligned a project to make an online resource connecting youth cafes nationwide to facilitate connective self organization among the youth themselves via group specifically designed social media and it would have been free and this guys response was as follows We wouldnt want to give the wrong kind of people access to children to late for that apparently it serves to mention here that Foroige are the left hand of the RCC in Irish youth organizations typical ldquo

Obviously we are aware that two examples do not a proof make but they are examples from two initiatives in two different countries that were deemed to be credible projects They seemed to resonate with the experiences of more participants from other parts of Europe when shared on and of the Edgeryders platform It may be worthwhile investigating the matter further Individual initiatives are difficult to fund for administrative and economy of scale (processing applications same cost regardless of size) reasons If it turns out that there is a basis for it a concrete actionable would be to put in place appropriate administrative processes that remove some obstacles from the ability to support smaller initiatives The Edgeryders organisation which community members are discussing in a separate document [link here] is currently at the early stages of devising an international bridging interface between funders and local small initiatives

ldquoThe local activities mentioned above are encouraged by local government as a social innovation but the international exchange for participants doesnrsquot seem to be thereEuropean programmes for youth exchange exist but in many cases they are difficult to join for individuals or small non-profits driving promising initiatives due to the lack of information specific training and time Someone has know how and have the resources to write and submit a project description to participate in a youth exchange programme ldquo[k]

ldquoSmall unknown non-profits usually donrsquot have an opportunity to attract interns so all the work is done by the limited amount of staff and if lucky a volunteer while international well established NGOrsquos receive a massive amount of applications for internship and volunteering because their name looks good on a CV Though developing a framework for connecting initiatives across Europe might create a new level of engagement and motivationrdquo [k]

Learning to listenOn a final note it was suggested that emphasis should be placed on devising ways of continuously listening to what is happening at a grassroots level outside formal institutional contexts (including NGOs)

This would better enable policy-makers to discover novel approaches and initiatives that do not rely on institutions to implement them but are initiated and driven by individuals outside formal institutions as well as devise more effective ways of supporting and replicating the ones that seem promising The main reason for this being that there is little incentive for eg NGOs to put forward novel low cost approaches that they cannot take credit for Online engagement on the other hand has an ability to talk to people far out in the frequency distribution The first recorded attempt at online participation in 1989 gathered both affluent technologists and homeless people who could only access the internet through library cards in a conversation that precipitated novel solutions initiated by the citizenry and later adopted by the municipality

We encourage policymakers use the Edgeryders project as a prototype of an successful online space and methodology In addition to serving as a source of first hand knowledge about experiences of young people coming into maturity offering almost real time information about

how policy is being perceived by and contributed to to by individual citizens projects using the Edgeryders methodology offer

bull opportunities to cross paths with people from a broad range of backgrounds to discuss relevant issues develop critical thinking skills and develop personal frames of enquiry

bull while creating new contacts and building new networksbull enhancing development of pre-existing or gaining new communication skills (including

improving language skills)bull stimulating use of online resources and developing personal social media presence