Youth matters

The new booklet is based on a workshop by Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) and the Association of Local and Reginal Authorities (KS) arranged in Karasjok for youth councils. KS and Bufdir invited youth councils from Karasjok, Alta and Hammerfest to participate in workshop about how to run youth councils.

The purpose of this workshop was to train youth councils from other youth councils. The organizers aim was to strengthen participation of youth councils’ better organization, training, and systematization of their work. After the enactment of the youth councils in the Municipal Act from 2019, there are newly established youth councils in Norway. Degree of structuring, organization and presence are very variable and needed around the country to develop youth councils. Municipalities in Norway have had youth councils for a long time, but others have not established yet.

Bufdir is emphasizing that the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child is particularly important in the work with youth participation and youth council. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international convention that clarifies a wide range of rights and freedoms for children. The Children-convention on the Rights of the Child gives children legal status and ensures all children under the age of eighteen their political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Convention on the Rights of the Child was accepted into Norwegian law in 2003, through Section 2 of the Norwegian Human Rights Act, and takes precedence over other laws. During the workshop in Karasjok, it was pointed out to increase awareness of the Children's Convention in today's work with youth councils, and training about this when taking office as an elected representative.

The Workshop in Karasjok included time set for collaborative tasks and experience inspection in groups, were they shared their experiences from issues they are working on and how to achieve participation. The youth councils shared their tips and knowledge with each other on how to speak up, make contacts, recruitment, marketing, follow the political meeting schedule and cooperation with politicians and public administrations. Youth councils were engaged and was looking forward to workshop in Karasjok and other places in future.

Read more about the workshop in Karasjok (pdf)

(This article was made by student Maha Javed maha.javed@ks.no)