ICLD is proud to highlight that since 2021, the Swedish Municipality Falun and the South African City Mogale have partnered to bolster youth influence, prioritizing engagement in local governance and in their respective municipalities.
– Our goal is to create sustainable structures for youth influence that persist even after the project’s completion, says Karin Perers, international coordinator at Falun Municipality.
The collaboration between Falun and Mogale began in 2021 and will conclude in 2024. Falun Municipality had a desire to work on issues related to youth influence in a different way and saw an opportunity, through an international partnership, to learn from others’ vastly different experiences in order to reflect on its own situation and work. Moreover, in line with its international strategy, Falun aims to “promote democratic development (… and) open perspectives towards a broader world.
The concrete goal of the partnership project is to develop new ways to include and involve children and young people in the municipality’s activities. And so far, it has been successful!
Through this partnership project, Falun Municipality has established a youth panel at Hälsinggården’s secondary school, supported by the school's management. Comprising 40 physical and 135 digital students, it's linked to the Culture and Recreation Committee, expanding to more schools and committees. Based on the UNIK method, it prioritizes representativeness, ensuring diverse engagement types. Emilia Otterstam, project manager, notes the panel's empowerment of youth, fostering trust and yielding tangible results. Officials now recognize the necessity of youth input, enhancing decision-making at administrative and political levels. This initiative exemplifies their commitment to inclusive governance and youth empowerment.
In Mogale City, a similar youth council has been established – a “student council” with two representatives from each municipal school, about 30 in total, in the municipality. For Mogale as well, representativeness among the participants is important. Therefore, efforts have been made to include schools from all parts of the municipality, both from socioeconomically affluent areas to socioeconomically disadvantaged ones. In August, the first meeting was held, which opened with great solemnity. Now, there is an ongoing formalization of all documents concerning the youth council.
The hope is that the youth council will develop projects together with non-governmental organizations to drive local change. Strong collaboration has been established with Johannesburg’s Student Council. For Mogale, it is now about stabilizing the structure of its youth council and developing its activities.
The results of these youth councils have been significant. Young people’s sense of influence has increased significantly, which not only strengthens trust in local authorities but also improves decision-making for officials and politicians. The increased youth participation underscores the importance of including young people’s perspectives in municipal planning and development.
Now, in the project’s final year, both parties are focusing on further strengthening and disseminating these initiatives to ensure that youth influence becomes a permanent part of the municipalities’ structure and culture. The partnership between Falun Municipality and Mogale City stands as a shining example of how international collaborations can promote local youth influence and contribute to sustainable community development.
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