National Youth Service :
A Global Perspective
Contents
Introduction
1: National Service Programs and Proposals
Profiles of National Service
2: Aspects of National Youth Service
Appendix A: Global Conference Participants, June 18-21, 1992
Appendix B: Annotated Bibliography
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2. Aspects of national youth service
Dollars and Sense
Senator Hebert also addressed the question of cost and said it is "obvious that the welfare state is at the end of its rope. Not only are the governments of the democratic countries not dreaming up any new social benefits programs, they are dangerously reducing budget allocations for existing services: day care centers, old people's homes, centers for the handicapped, hospitals, cultural activities, and others.
"And to these familiar needs have been added new ones resulting from the abuses of our consumer society: the struggle against pollution, protection of the environment and natural riches, economy of energy....The governments of the richest countries no longer know where to find money to deal with these new emergencies of the '90s.
"In both these areas, different as they are, government services will be reduced and perhaps abolished unless they can in large part become the responsibility of young volunteers."
Senator Hebert then reported on an evaluation which showed that the per capita cost of a Katimavik participant was only two-thirds the cost of paying a young Canadian unemployment compensation for an equal period while producing nothing, and one-third the cost of maintaining a young Canadian in military service or in prison for delinquency. He asked, "Are we going to continue reducing services in day care centers, centers for the handicapped, and even hospitals, and at the same time refuse the voluntary contribution of tens of thousands of young people who would like nothing better than to be of use?"
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National Youth Service : A Global Perspective
Donald J. Eberly, Editor
National Service Secretariat , Washington, D.C.Based on the advanced papers and discussions held at the conference, National Youth Service : A Global Perspective, held at the Wingspread Conference Center, Wisconsin, 18-21 June 1992.
About this online book
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