Youth League of the Finnish Norden Association (PNN) and Föreningarna Nordens Förbund (FNF) & Föreningarna Norden Ungdomsförbund (FNUF) have secured Erasmus+ small partnership funding for the youth participation project “A Stronger Nordic Youth Movement” (SNYM). The project aims to promote youth engagement and commitment to civil society while deepening the understanding of the barriers and challenges young people face in participating in the Nordic civil society. The project will be implemented from 1.9.2023 to 31.8.2025.
The central goal of the project is to enhance youth participation and inclusion in civil society and deepen the understanding of the obstacles and challenges faced by Nordic youth in their participation. In the project, young people themselves examine and reflect on the opportunities available to them and the support they need. Additionally, the project challenges established structures, especially adult associations, to examine their own activities and increase youth involvement in decision-making.
The project brings together young people from across the Nordic region, creating a safe space for discussion and an opportunity to explore other Nordic countries. A steering group, consisting of Nordic youth, has been formed to plan the project’s detailed content and implementation.
The project is divided into three parts and includes three distinct workshops, two held in Finland and one in Denmark. The goal is to attract participants aged 18-29 from various parts of the Nordic countries to the workshops. The first workshop will take place from March 15th to 17th 2024 in Helsinki (read more here).
The first workshop aims to assess and map the current situation of civil society in the Nordic countries, with a focus on examining platforms and resources available to young people. The workshop will also identify active young individuals and discuss ways to increase their participation and interest in civil society. Challenges related to youth participation will also be addressed.
The second workshop will delve deeper into the results of the first workshop and, using various scenarios, look far into the future to develop the ideal world for young people. It will examine the future and analyze different building blocks necessary to create the ideal world. The workshop will serve as a bridge between the first and last workshops and will be held in Denmark in November 2024.
In the third and final workshop, the results of the previous workshops will be consolidated, and practical and realistic methods to strengthen and sustain a robust Nordic youth movement will be explored. Young participants will also have the opportunity to test and pilot various scenarios created in earlier workshops.
At the conclusion of the project, the results of the workshops will be compiled into clear recommendations. These recommendations will serve as a practical guide for civil society actors seeking to enhance youth participation and increase inclusivity in their organizations.
For more information about the project, please contact the project coordinator Iiris Yli-Junnila (iiris.yli-junnila@pnn.fi).