People’s Festival 2023: Young people and exclusion— how do we get everyone involved?

Denmark and the Nordic Region are well known for the amazing number of membership-driven organisations. Young people have an incredible number of positive leisure activities and communities to choose between. Groups and places where they can top up their self-esteem, make new friends and do their thing.

Unfortunately, not everyone does get involved, and the trend has been moving in the wrong direction in the Nordic Region in recent years. More and more young people feel unhappy and excluded. The problem is particularly pronounced for vulnerable young people, many of whom run the risk of ending up on the fringes of society. If we are to involve everyone, we must overcome barriers in young people themselves, their parents, in communities, in legislation and ones thrown up by geography.

To this end, the Nordic Council of Ministers is bringing together young people, experts, civil society and decision-makers at all five Nordic democracy festivals to address a key challenge faced by all of the Nordic countries: How to get more young people involved? The debate in Allinge is the first of five focusing on the barriers within communities and how to overcome them.

• Christine Ravn Lund, Chair, Danish Youth Council (DUF)  
• Rillo Snerup Rud, Director, Ventilen
• Pia Allerslev, Boardmember, DGI
• Julie Stockmarr, Center for Frivilligt Social Arbejde 

Moderator: Clara Dawe, Programme Manager, Danish Social Innovation Academy