Working with Older People

Purpose – This case study aims to describe the efforts of the Kreisau-Initiative (KI) Berlin to connect the field of international youth work with intergenerational approaches.

Design/methodology/approach – The study describes three projects of the KI, illustrating the general background of the intergenerational projects, dissussing opportunities and challenges, and highlighting some of the implications for practitioners.

Findings – When offering international exchange projects for people of all ages, the paper has made one interesting finding. Generally speaking, it is more difficult to find younger people (aged 50 and younger) to take part in such activities than seniors. From this case study, the author learned that every project which aims to foster intergenerational dialogue needs a topic in which every participant (both young and old) is interested; it should be connected to them and to their daily lives. For organisations which would like to work both intergenerationally and internationally, it is difficult to obtain funding as there are only a few funds supporting international meetings for people of all ages.

Originality/value – The case study addresses intergenerational issues in international exchange projects.