1. IARS' Vision of society
Young people living in an inclusive and cohesive society founded upon the ‘FRED’ human rights principles: Freedom, Respect, Equality and Dignity.
2. Mission of IARS
To be a youth-led organisation that will empower young people to take leadership and develop ownership over their lives and future, and champion, develop and support their peers and other youth-led groups and organisations to inform criminal justice, human rights and equality matters that affect them.
IARS will achieve this through working with young people, particularly those from disadvantaged groups, the Third sector, Government and national, regional and international organisations, carrying out research and by disseminating its findings to decision makers.
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:
- 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.
- Provide youth-led policy development, research and voice to the youth-led sector and young people.
- 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.
- 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.
- Act as an international 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 increasing awareness of youth issues and informing policies and practices affecting youth at a European level.
- Build bridges between young people from different communities and countries, and encourage them to find out what unites rather than divides them.
- 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.
