Youth Issues in Focus: Francistown and Lund
In mid-May, Francistown City Council visited Lund Municipality as part of their municipal partnership. The visit’s program centered around the partnership’s key themes – human rights, democracy, and youth issues. The purpose of Francistown’s visit to Lund was to exchange experiences and gain inspiration.
Guset writers: Simon Berg and Emma Lewin
The partnership between Francistown and Lund is now in its third and final year, with an increased focus on youth issues. The study visit’s program addressed the challenges identified by Francistown regarding young people and young adults, such as rising drug abuse, low voter turnout, and high unemployment rates. Lund Municipality welcomed Francistown on May 13, 2024, with bright spring weather, a significant improvement from their previous visit in October.
One morning was dedicated entirely to youth entrepreneurship. Lund’s summer internship initiative, the Summer Entrepreneurs, was showcased, and participants also learned about Junior Achievement and listened to Emil Appelgren and Lukas Hjortberg pitch their company, N-viron. Observing young, passionate entrepreneurs and learning about various ways to empower youth through entrepreneurship was truly inspiring.
The concept of Summer Entrepreneurs is presented to the participants. Photo: Lund Municipality
Francistown also participated in the Youth Forum held at The Town Hall in Lund. This spring’s theme was “Level Up Democracy, where gaming meets democracy” – a theme chosen by the youth themselves. The event was hosted by representatives from Lund’s Young Voices (a youth advisory group to the municipality). Approximately 150 young people attended the Youth Forum, where they listened to a panel discussion on e-sports and gaming, mingled with politicians and civil society representatives, and participated in workshops.
Youth Forum at Lund City Hall on May 17th. Photo: Lund Municipality
Recreational Activities – A Method to Empower Youth through Collaboration
Lund Municipality has introduced a new Youth Program that emphasizes informal learning, co-creation, and youth-produced activities. Francistown appreciates how Lund takes a comprehensive approach to youth issues and strives to collaborate with young people rather than doing things for them. This approach is something Francistown plans to adopt.
Among the many insightful study visits during the week, some stood out more. A visit to Lund’s School of Arts highlighted a key insight that permeated the rest of the visit: recreational activities can be used to prevent young people from going astray. Activities such as culture and sports have the power to unite and strengthen both the group and the individual. An especially interesting presentation was given by Jessica Stegermaier, Head of Sustainability at FC Rosengård, who spoke about their various social projects. One notable project is Football for Life in South Africa, which uses football to address social problems and promote youth empowerment.
Text: Simon Berg and Emma Lewin, Lund municipality