In June 2023, a group of youth researchers from Finland, France, and Algeria travelled to Morocco for the Youth Inclusion: what works? seminar and field trip. The excursion brought together international research on young people’s pathways to adulthood and integration into working life in countries in the North Africa and the Middle East, and in Finland. This is a pressing global issue. It is particularly so in MENA (Middle East and North Africa), where youth unemployment is among the highest in the world.
In their blog, researchers share their findings, reflections, and learning experiences. They highlight the need to strengthen the wellbeing perspective in working life and to recognize and acknowledge the interdependence between young people and the natural environment in the current context where many intertwined crises threaten our existence. The blog stresses the importance of researching issues related to young people’s lives as a global phenomenon and in different parts of the world. This will create a new kind of global understanding that can help to identify and address the difficult problems in young people’s lives.
The excursion was part of Tampere University’s What works? Youth transitions from education to employment in the Middle East and North Africa research project, funded by the Research Council of Finland. Researchers from the Finnish Youth Research Network also participated in the trip. The blog features photos and videos from the field trip.
The blog published by the Finnish Youth Research Network can be read here.