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EDITORIAL

Relationships: A theme for 2000

Some months ago the suggestion was made that CYC-Net could adopt a theme for the year 2000 – some idea around which to focus special energy and thinking for the benefit of our field of practice. The topic which gained most support was, not unexpectedly, relationships.

The relationship is central in all work with children and families that promotes inter-personal engagement and interaction – as against methods which are purely prescriptive, behavioural or even punitive. Yet the concept of relationship remains very loosely interpreted and is certainly open to some rigorous exploration and discussion.

CYC-Net is very willing to host such an endeavour in our existing forums of (a) the daily discussion group, (b) the web site, and (c) the monthly on-line magazine – and also to provide some value-added service by collating and documenting all discussion as we go along, and perhaps also to offer additional “working space" for the project on the web site. Of course, we will provide reading and references to keep things moving along.

Some thoughts ...

1. There are no rules. We simply declare “open season" on the subject of relationships and begin to work at it. Start by sending your contribution to us.
2. There is no hurry. We could spend much of the year doing this, through wide discussion and exchange, and see what emerges.
3. Nobody is excluded. Such a project will benefit from the widest possible participation, including good debate across such divides as theory and practice, experienced workers and newcomers, teachers and students, service providers and clients ...
4. The finest outcome of such an exercise would be the intrinsic one: better experiences for the children, youth and families we work with “that we all get to learn more, think harder and work more proficiently within the relationships we build.

Insofar as we may find ourselves building a useful document for the field, it will help if appropriate acknowledgement/referencing is provided where you consider it necessary “but this will be less important than your actual participation.

Thom