Publications & reports
The Search for a Youth-Inclusive Sweden
A policy brief to provide a short overview of youth inclusion in Sweden
This policy brief aims to provide a short overview of youth inclusion in Sweden as this relates to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is part of a pilot project implemented by the Life & Peace Institute (LPI) in 2018. This project aimed to increase knowledge and raise awareness among young people in Sweden about the 2030 Agenda, with specific attention to Global Goals 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
- Date
- Type
- Report
- Country/Region
- Sweden
Produced by the Life & Peace Institute in collaboration with Students for Sustainable Action from Jönköping University.
Summary
The importance of greater youth inclusion is reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sees youth participation as essential for creating a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable world.
The importance of youth: being and becoming peacebuilders In its efforts to contribute to and sustain peace in the Horn of Africa, LPI seeks to include all relevant actors to construct peaceful, just and inclusive societies. The particular importance of youth – from all groups, identities and backgrounds – in the pursuit of sustainable peace is highlighted in LPI’s Being and Becoming a Peacebuilder.(1) This 2017 report is based on lessons learnt by LPI and its partners through more than 20,000 hours of youth-led dialogue work in the Horn of Africa. It contributes to The Missing Peace,(2) the United Nations study on the progress of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.(3)
In Being and Becoming a Peacebuilder, LPI outlines four key insights:
Youth are not a homogenous group
The idea that there are youth issues is misleading and unhelpful
Youth are the present and the future
Youth need an enabling environment
These insights are important because they highlight key learnings expressed by young people in the Horn of Africa to ensure their inclusive and effective participation in their societies. The inclusion of youth is essential for attaining sustainable peace. It is also a necessity for socially sustainable and equal societies, thus making it imperative for all countries and actors to aim for greater youth inclusion.
In Sweden, LPI recognises the need for greater efforts for youth inclusion from an intersectional understanding of the age group from policy makers and civil society. Although there are existing structures for youth participation in Sweden, these may not be easily accessible or well-known to all youth. Moreover, those that do exist may not address the specific needs or concerns of all groups of youth.