Youth Participation in Local Governance
The Växjö–Kalush partnership focuses on strengthening youth participation in local governance. In Kalush, a common issue is that youth lack awareness of their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. In contrast, Växjö struggles with limited platforms and feedback mechanisms, relying mostly on already politically interested young people. To address these issues, the partnership centers around two initiatives: Kalush’s “School of Democracy” and Växjö’s efforts to establish a youth council, inspired by Kalush’s experience.
The School of Democracy in Kalush is a thorough but informal education initiative offering information, assignments, and workshops about democracy. It includes interactive learning elements like a simulation game about municipal budgeting and policy negotiation, which is being expanded to reach 320 students through 16 trained teachers. The program has already evolved to involve younger children and scenarios inspired by real governance challenges. Kalush’s youth council serves as a model for Växjö, which is developing its own with formal political support. A proposal for a youth representative to have a permanent voice in Växjö’s city council is currently awaiting approval.
Both municipalities have shared knowledge through creative formats like interactive videos. They also face common challenges in reaching youth who are marginalized, displaced, or less engaged, and they are actively developing inclusive strategies to overcome this.
Beyond internal organizational improvements, the partnership promotes community participation. In Växjö, the initial baseline for youth participation was low but is improving through structured efforts, including participatory art projects. In Kalush, efforts are already more advanced but still aim to reach further, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) through integration in the School of Democracy. There are also plans for broader dissemination of methods, especially regarding youth councils and democratic simulations.
The collaboration supports several Sustainable Development Goals—SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions)—with a strong commitment to embedding these initiatives beyond the lifespan of the project.
This partnership is part of the ICLD Network for Democratic Reslience.
The Växjö-Kalush Delegation at the fourth DR Network meeting in Tallinn, 2025