Mladinski svet Slovenije
(MSS)
National youth council of Slovenia
www.mss.si
April 2014
WHAT IS MSS?
Youth council of Slovenia (MSS),
established in April 1990, is a national
association of voluntary youth
organisations.
It is a coordinative structure, composed
by youth organisations (16 members) with
different political, ideological or interest
orientations.
THE PURPOSE OF MSS
Since its foundation MSS has made
significant contribution to cooperation
among youth organizations on the
national, local and international level.
MSS wants to enable young people to
participate in policies that influence their
life and work.
LEGAL BASIS:
MSS was established in 1990, but is since 2002
registered on the basis of the Youth Councils Act.
This act imposes on the Government, ministries and
other state authorities the requirement to inform MSS
about the drafting of laws and regulations that have an
immediate impact on the life and work of young people.
Being a part of the Youth Sector MSS is also defined by
Act on the Public Interest in Youth Sector as crucial
organisation in the Youth Sector and as such a subject of
public interest.
STATUTORY BODIES OF MSS
∙ ASSEMBLY is the highest body, responsible for
adopting the Statute and its changes, electing the
members of Board and the Monitoring committee,
deciding on membership and setting the
programme guidelines.
∙ BOARD (President + 5 Vice Presidents) is
responsible for executing the programme.
POLICY AREAS OF MSS
∙ Youth Autonomy
∙ International cooperation
∙ Youth Work
∙ Participation and Yout Association
∙ Youth Information
Each area is managed by one of the vice presidents.
In projects two or more areas often work together.
Other working areas / activities: Youth Work Trainings,
Promotion of Voluntarism, Publications on Youth Work,
EVS Support Activities, Info and Promo Activities,
Campaigning etc.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
- Commission on Youth Policies: Policy Papers on
Youth-related Issues
- Cooperation with authorities (Ministries, Parliament,
President) on Youth Policies
- Campaigning on Youth Related Issues
- Youth Work Trainings and Seminars
- Pool of Trainers & Development of NFE
- Manuals & Books on Youth work
- Promotion of Voluntarism
- Coordination of Local Youth Councils
- Structured Dialogue Activities
- International Activities
- Information and Promo Activities
- ...
YOUTH WORK TRAININGS:
We are striving for the
recognition of NonFormal Education and
prepare different
trainings and
seminars.
We train future youth
trainers and managers
in youth organisations.
Seminar Quality vs. Quantity in
Youth Work, Fiesa, May 2006
In 2003 we published an
extensive Manual for the
trainers and in 2005 Manual
for managers in youth
organisations and in 2007 PR
Manual for NGOs. They also
serve as textbooks for the
trainings and are periodically
renewed.
In 2011 we published a book
Youth Work in Theory and
Practice which aims at
etablishing youth work as
academical area and a sector
within NGOs.
IN 2009 we established the
MSS Pool o Trainers – a
working group of trainers
with a certain degree of
knowledge or experience. All
MSS’s seminars and trainings
are conducted by the Pool
members.
The Pool serves also as one
of the resources for our
policies in the area of NonFormal Education, writing
articles for our publications
etc.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION:
MSS is a full member of the European youth forum
(YFJ). We regularly participate in its activities. We
cooperate with several national youth councils in
Europe, particularly with those from the SYC group
(Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, French, Frenchspeaker Belgian, Italian, Greek, Maltese, Cypriot
and Croatian youth council).
We participate in the Youth in Action Programme
as organisers and participants.
One of our international political priorities is the
development of youth structures in South-East
Europe.
European Youth Forum (YFJ)
is our European umbrella
organisation; MSS was one of its
founders in 1996. YFJ is a
partner of the European
commission in the field of youth
and the most important youth
representative in creating
policies on the European level.
Since 2009 we have a Slovenian
YFJ President. We also
participate in different Working
Bodies of YFJ (Pool of Trainers,
working groups)
More: www.youthforum.org
Peter Matjašič, YFJ
President (photo: YFJ)
We enable young
people from youth
organizations to
participate in
different
international
activities in Slovenia
and abroad.
Gvineja Bissau, January
2009
Cooperation with the National Authorities in General
• OFFICE FOR YOUTH (within the Ministry for Education,
Science Culture and Sport): Is our key partner with
whom we cooperate on daily basis.
• COUNCIL OF RS FOR YOUTH is a governmental body
for youth issues and consists of representatives of the
Government (relevant ministries) and of the youth
structures. On the non-governmental side MSS has a
central role in the Council.
• We are responding to the drafts of youth-related
legislation and attend Meetings of Parliamentary
Commitees.
Cooperation with Authorities - Activities
In the recent years MSS was given a key role in
several governmental projects and activities:
-We prepared the content for and participated in
the organisation of the Presidency Youth Event in
2008.
- In 2009 we managed the debate on the structure
and competencies of the governmental Council for
Youth. We also conducted all the procedures and
elections into the Council which was eventually
established later in June 2009.
-In 2009 we conducted the preliminary debate on
the draft of Act on the Public Interest in Youth
Sector and the changes on Youth Councils Act. Later
within the parliamentary procedures we also
submitted our comments and amendments to the
draft. Some of them were adopted.
- Since summer 2011 we’ve been participating in
the preparation of the National Programme on
Youth which was adopted in autumn of 2013.
COMMISSION FOR YOUTH POLICIES
In 2009 we established the MSS Commission for
Youth Policies with over 40 members coming from
the Board, the office and Member Organisations. We
have adopted Policy Papers on: youth education,
employment, youth association, housing,
voluntarism, health, participation, mobility and
information.
The main purpose of the papers is campaigning on
the relevant issues and using its content to
participate in the preparation of legislation,
especially in the National Programme for Youth.
Policy Papers
In 2010 the first Policy Papers – on Youth
Employment, Education, Housing and Association
were concluded ...
... and in 20112012 papers on
Youth
Participation,
Information,
Voluntarism and
Health.
The first four Policy Papers
Promotion of Voluntarism: VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
One of our most important projects (since 2002) is each
year’s Volunteer of the Year, where we choose the best
volunteers and voluteer-based projects in Slovenia.
President of Slovenia
is the sponsor of the
project and hands out
the crucial award.
Minister of Labour,
Family and Social
Affairs also
participates in the
ceremony.
President handing out the award,
Ljubljana, June 2008
Campaigning
MSS has participated in
many national and
european campaigns as
a partner or as the
national organiser.
Some of the most
important:
2004: EP elections, national elections
2007: All Different All Equal
2007: The Future of Europe (picture above)
2009: “This Year I will for the First Time ...” (EP elections)
2011-2012: Series of actions on Policy Papers contents (youth
employment, youth housing, education etc.)
- above: 2004: “Why would
the others choose instead of
you”
- above right: 2009 “This
Year ...”
- below: 2007 All Different
All Equal
You just had fun with:
National youth council of Slovenia (MSS),
- accessible by post: Dunajska 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana
- responsive on e-mail: info@mss.si
- audible by phone: 00386 1 425 60 55
-virtually present at: www.mss.si
and on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/mladinski.svet)
Prepared by Tanja Baumkirher