When somebody retires, it can make sense to look back and get a feel for how long 27 years actually is. So what was the world like in 1995?
27 years ago, Germany’s Federal Chancellor was Helmut Kohl. The President of the United States was Bill Clinton, the European Commission’s President was Jacques Santer. Microsoft had just released Windows 95 and planned to conquer the internet with its Messenger program. There were fax machines in every public authority in Germany.
1995 was the year that Austria, Sweden and Finland joined the European Union, taking its total membership (including the UK) to 15. None of them wanted to leave; on the contrary, there was a queue to get in. Latvia applied to join in October 1995. In March 1995, the borders between seven EU Member States opened to travellers under the Schengen Agreement. A single European currency was in the pipeline. But in 1995, a war was raging in the heart of Europe – in Bosnia.
In 1995, Europe’s youth programme was known as JUGEND für Europa III. The Bonn office of JUGEND für Europa, which Hans-Georg Wicke joined as director in October 1995, had precisely four staff. Germany’s share of the budget of the EU youth programme was around ECU 13 million – for five years. There was no European youth policy and certainly no European Youth Work Agenda. That was the state of things in 1995.
The only constant is change
What followed over Hans-Georg Wicke’s 27-year career was change, and plenty of it. In fact, in his capacity as director of JUGEND für Europa he was often instrumental in making that change happen, especially as regards the development of the EU youth programmes. He worked tirelessly to promote a European approach towards youth policy and youth work in the EU as well as towards Germany’s entire child and youth services field. In her remarks on the occasion of Wicke’s retirement, Prof Karin Böllert, chair of the Child and Youth Welfare Association – AGJ, stated:
Europe can and must be experienced as an indispensable part of young people’s lives. Through this, the child and youth welfare field is more colourful, more lively, and more European in all that it does. The Child and Youth Welfare Association has most certainly become firmly European thanks to Hans-Georg Wicke. Today, Europe figures as a natural element of our work. Were it not for him, that is an asset we would not have.
Asked about what drives him, Hans-Georg Wicke once said:
We need to redefine and re-establish Europe, and to reconsider its identity and the values underpinning it. We need to rethink what it means to be and become European – a process that steps out of administrations and conference rooms and pays real attention to people’s lives. We need a broad-based community initiative to renew Europe, one that defends Europe against anti-European sentiment, one that helps shape European identity, European awareness, European commitment. In all of this, young people need to take centre stage. For them, Europe is not just their current home; it is also their future.
Prominent milestones
Both personally and through his work for JUGEND für Europa, the network of National Agencies and many partners in Germany and abroad, Hans-Georg Wicke was responsible for a large number of lasting achievements. The highlights include:
- White Paper process “Neuer Schwung für die Jugend Europa” (2001)
- Series of European youth work and youth policy fora (since 2003)
- Development and introduction of Youthpass (since 2005)
- Setup of the EU Youth Strategy service and transfer unit (2011-2018)
- Setup of the EPLM (European Platform for Learning Mobility) network (since 2013)
- European conference “Building Tomorrow’s Europe” (2013)
- European track for the German Child and Youth Congress (since 2014)
- 3rd European Youth Convention and kick-off of the Bonn Process (2020)
When it comes to the transition of the EU youth programmes to the broader youth programme Erasmus+ from 2014 onwards, the personal contribution of Hans-Georg Wicke is impossible to overlook. Thanks to him, youth activities play a significant role as regards funding for European youth mobility and commitment budgets. It is down to his efforts that the EU youth programmes offer a wide variety of ways to invite young people and youth work experts alike to contribute their energy, opinions and strengths towards overcoming current challenges at the European, national and local levels.
Throughout all this, JUGEND für Europa as a National Agency has evolved. It has a growing roster of responsibilities when it comes to implementing the programmes, identifying funding options, offering training and networking, sharpening the public profile of the field, and managing an ever growing team of staff.
For a social and open Europe
27 years is more than quarter century. It inspires us to do everything we can to ensure that by 2049, we live in a social and open Europe in which everyone to live their life in dignity. A Europe that is solidary, peaceful, democratic, free, pluralistic, tolerant, participatory, inclusive, forward-looking, and that respects the rule of law. A Europe in which diversity is considered a valuable asset. A Europe that embraces its responsibility for assisting young people in growing up and participating in society.
The groundwork for this inspiration was laid by Hans-Georg Wicke in recent years – a journey on which many Europeans have accompanied him with conviction. Creating a social and open Europe is a matter close to his heart. How could it not be?
Thank you, Hans-Georg!
Source: JUGEND für Europa
Hans-Georg Wicke will depart JUGEND für Europa on 14 October. His successor is Frauke Muth, currently programme director for Romania and Bulgaria at Innovation Norway, a state-owned foundation to promote economic and social equality in Europe.
