Study visit to Sweden – Boosting youth participation at the local level

“Boosting youth participation at the local level – a Study visit to good practices” was organised by DYPALL Network and Puntland Diaspora Forum from 7th – 12th June 2018 in Borlänge (Sweden).

The Study visit gathered 25 youth workers and municipality officers of 16 different nationalities, coming from Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, Slovakia, Hungary, Netherlands, Malta, Romania and Italy, to explore, analyse and discuss the topic of youth participation and youth inclusion policies at the local level in geographically isolated areas and visit a lot of interesting practices in Borlänge Municipality.

At the reception in Borlänge municipality we learned about their mechanisms for involving youth in decision-making processes through the Local youth council and 12 youth developers program during which young people propose solutions for a certain issue to the City council.

We also visited Fryshuset, a youth centre where all the activities are developed by young people for young people with the support of experienced youth workers. Furhermore, we had the chance to learn about interesting inclusion project through sports such as Somalia bandy, as well as the important work that is done for the inclusion and participation of Somali community in Borlänge by SOKUD (Somali Women Development Organization) and Somali youth organisation UMLS.

Along with inspiring visits and interaction with the local community, the participants shared good practices of participation and integration youth policies from their own countries and local communities and developed ideas for follow-up actions and cooperation within DYPALL Network.

This was the second Study visit within this project, after the first one that took place in November 2017 in Portimão (Portugal). The project was co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union, implemented by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society.