Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

IARS' Vision, Mission and Aims

1. IARS' Vision of society

Young people living in an inclusive and equal society founded upon the ‘FRED’ human rights principles: Freedom, Respect, Equality and Dignity.

2. IARS' Mission

To be a youth-led organisation that will enable and empower young people to take leadership and develop ownership over their lives and future, champion and pioneer world-class practices, and support their peers and other youth-led groups to inform policy, practice and the law, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, human rights, restorative justice, youth services and equality.

IARS will achieve this by working directly with young people, the voluntary sector, Government and national, regional and international organisations, carrying out research and by disseminating its findings to decision makers, academia, other young people and the general public. 

3. Strategic Aims of IARS

IARS has identified strategic aims for future activities. These relate to the function and role of IARS as a youth-led charity working directly with young people and youth-led organisations, groups and networks to help them deliver their charitable objects. These strategies help to determine the focus and desired outcomes of all IARS' project activities, and the emphasis of any future plans:

  1. Empower and enable young people and the youth-led sector, particularly those from disadvantaged groups, to influence, shape and inform policy and practices that affect them, the media and other stakeholders in the youth field at a European level.
  2. Provide youth-led policy development, research and voice to the youth-led sector and young people at local, national, European and international level.
  3. Work with government and statutory bodies (nationally, European and internationally) to ensure that youth issues and views of the youth-led sector are heard and disseminated.
  4. Pilot new ideas in order to demonstrate new youth-led models, opportunities and emerging good practice for the benefit of young people and the youth-led sector.
  5. Act as a European network that enables young people and the youth-led sector to communicate with each other, work together and share best practice with the ultimate goal of encouraging debates on youth policies affecting local, national and European matters and practices..
  6. Build bridges between young people from different communities and countries, and encourage them to find out what unites rather than divides them. Promote intercultural learning and understanding and encourage youth exchanges and voluntary services.
  7. Engage disadvantaged young people at risk of exclusion into educational and skills development through non-formal education, tailored training and support programmes, provide accreditation options, the work-based IARS Certificate in Youth Policy and Youth Awards.

 

3. Values of IARS

IARS is founded upon the four core human rights values that we aim to promote through our work: Freedom - Respect - Equality - Dignity.  IARS is youth-led and believes in Youth Empowerment and Youth Leadership.