Vilnius in May : Meeting of the European Pilot Group

Gathered in the city once known as the Jerusalem of the North, representatives from seventeen platforms came together to share the many challenges facing street social work. Between field visits, working groups, and a conference at the Parliament, the programme was rich and varied.

Lithuania : Street Workers’ Union

From May 19 to 23, the Baltic country became the hub of street social work with young people. For a few days, more than forty street workers from seventeen countries and many young people from six countries gathered in Vilnius. This meeting of the European pilot group and DISWN Europe was notably marked by an international conference at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania : “Strengthening Connections : street work with Young People.”

All the initiatives were led by the Lithuanian Association of Street Social Work, in cooperation with the Youth Affairs Agency. These events represented an important step towards greater unification of the street work community with young people, as well as improved recognition and visibility of street work in Lithuania. These actions were organized in collaboration with our global street workers’ network.

Participants engaged in collective learning, reflection sessions, discussions on sector challenges, knowledge sharing, and planning of future activities. The program included methodological sessions and five study visits to street work organizations: Vilnius Social Club, Blessed J. Matulaitis Social Center, the NGO DUKU, Social Action’s street work programs, and Caritas Vilnius’ Betanija Social Center.

A highlight of the gathering was the election of Cédric Raffier as the new coordinator of Dynamo International’s European region. Over the next four years, Cédric Raffier will oversee the network’s activities across Europe.