Youth’s participation in society

WEXFO aims to increase young people’s participation in democracy through the sharing of knowledge about challenges and successful measures taken to ensure freedom of expression for youth. WEXFO wants to inspire to start new projects and share best practices. In our project to stregnthen youth’s participation in society we use the description of the challenges and proposed measures in the report from the Young People’s Freedom of Expression Council established by Norwegian PEN and Fritt Ord in 2020.

Youth’s Participation in Society (YPiS) is the first major project initiated by WEXFO. A pre-project report was launched on 15 March 2023.

The pre-project consisted of several initiatives:

• Report on “Youth’s participation in society – examples of initiatives implemented to improve participation” done by Eastern Norway Research Institute (ENRI) on behalf of WEXFO.
• Pilot project on developing tools for the work on freedom of expression in schools, libraries and other places (Norwegian). 
• WEXFO Youth, Lillehammer, a freedom of expression festival launched in May 2023 for the age group 14-18 years. 
• WEXFO Young Experts Utøya in cooperation with Utøya A/S for the age group 18-35 years).
• WEXFO Youth Network Conference, a global conference for youth launched in May 2023 in Lillehammer.

We currently have a three-year plan to continue our YPiS-until 2026.

Partners

Amandusfestivalen, Deichmann, Dembra (Demokratisk beredskap mot rasisme og antisemittisme) og Nansen Fredssenter
Det Europeiske Wergelandsenteret    
Fundatum, Herman Wildenveys barndomshjem, Kavlifondet, Kulturhjerte, Lillehammer kommune og skolene
Lærerutdanningen Høgskolen i Innlandet (HINN) Menneskerettighetsakademiet, Museene i Akershus, Nansenskolen og folkehøyskolenettverket,
Nansenskolen                                                                               
Nobels Fredssenter                      
Norge i 1000 år – Ungdommens Hærpil         
Norsk Litteraturfestival                                                               
Nynorsk kultursentrum/Vinjesenteret                                   
Oslo Museum/Interkulturelt museum på Grønland
Oslo Science City
Randsfjordmuseet og Valdresmusea                           
SoCentral, Universitet i Oslo              
Ungdomsrådet Lillehammer, Utøya A/S
Wergelands Hus/Norsk Folkemuseum

Research

Universitet i Oslo and Østlandsforskning

Working group

Anne Cathrine Gotaas, TV2 Skole,
Veslemøy Rysstad, Mediebedriftenes Landsforening
Joakim Lie, Fritt Ord
Trond Johnsen, Skolesjef i Lillehammer kommune
Sverre Henmo, Aschehoug
Fredrik Pharo, Cappelen Damm
Maja Marcussen, Norli
Snorre Fostervoll, elev

Organizing Committee WEXFO Youth, Lillehammer

Snorre Fostervoll
Sigrid Sørenes Velure
Robin Haugfjell
Isak Putes, Sunde
Darin Abroush, Arroush
Alexander Jordet
Sne Bergh Blyverket
Åsmund Nordby
Joshua Nyhus
Ingeborg Amine Eriksen Lønne
Erik Elmeri Helkala Kalstad
Helave Saif Eddine, Hajirashid
Selma Gjendine Østerbø
Zahraa Al-azzawi

Youth’s Participation in Society is partly funded by Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and Erasmus+