Project: Youth participation in municipal decision-making
The project tackles a shared challenge in both Jönköping and Stellenbosch: young people are largely excluded from municipal decision-making. Although Sweden incorporated the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into law in 2020, translating this principle into real influence for young people remains difficult. Existing structures, such as democracy dialogues and student advisory boards, tend to build awareness rather than offer genuine power or impact.
In Stellenbosch, youth participation in politics and public processes is also very limited. To respond, the municipality is developing a Junior Town Council to give young people a platform for leadership and civic engagement.
Through this partnership, Jönköping and Stellenbosch aim to strengthen meaningful youth participation, exchange best practice, and develop sustainable models that give young people a stronger voice in shaping their communities. The indirect target group is mainly middle and high-school students who will benefit from increased leadership opportunities, civic knowledge, and hands-on participation in local democracy.