A model developed in Norway for cooperation between a youth council and a municipality

The municipality of Vefsn in the north of Norway received the Youth Municipality of the Year award in 2021. According to members of the youth council, its greatest achievement was that it managed to maintain its work and procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We did everything we were supposed to do. We got all the things we always do, done also during the crisis.” (Adam Ulvang, leader of the youth council)
This is a rare achievement.
The Mosjø model for participation is named after a town in Vefsn Municipality in Nordland County. The model comprises two interconnecting zones, one political and administrative zone and one youth zone. The zones constitute different areas of work. At the heart of the model is cooperation between the youth council and the local decision-making bodies in the municipality, as well as cooperation between the youth council and other local children and youth.
A key part of the success of the model is an activity in the intersection between the political and administrative zone and the youth zone: an annual day for local youth politics, which is open to all children and youth in the municipality between the age of 13 and 19. The key points from the day are raised in a discussion between youth, politicians and civil servants in a political workshop. The results form the basis of the work, of both the youth council and the municipality.
Key learning: Stable and well-functioning structures for child and youth participation before a crisis will result in better child and youth participation during the crisis. Successful child and youth participation needs planning, resources and continuity. In the case of Vefsn, political support has also been an important factor in the model’s success.
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