Youth organisations in Greenland demanded a better consultation process

In Greenland, the suicide prevention strategy expired in 2019. A new strategy was developed and was going to be approved in 2022. Late in the process, youth organisations were invited to offer their input. However, they realised that they would have limited influence as they had been invited late in the process and were only given a short time frame in which to provide their input.

The youth organisations had the impression that they were only invited so that politicians would be able to tell the media they had consulted with young people. The youth organisations responded by saying they would not come to the consultative meeting unless they were properly listened to. The responsible politician, Mimi Karlsen, moved the deadline and designed the process so that the decision makers could properly listen to the young people.

“We needed to force them but then it worked.” (Erni Kristiansen Red Cross Youth Greenland)

When the responsible politician was asked why the process was delayed and why they had not involved the young people before, she said that this was something they now regretted.

“Yes, we can regret that we have not involved the young people before. But now we have, and that's what counts.” (Mimi Karlsen, national board member responsible for health)^[1]

Key learning: Youth organisations can influence participatory structures and improve their level of influence by not accepting flawed, destructive, or undemocratic forms of consultation and engagement.
A positive side effect of flawed participatory processes can be increased skills of decision makers on how to consult with children and youth. It is important that decision makers listen to youth organisations when they try to influence the issues about which they are being consulted, but also the consultation process itself.

^[1] Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation (25 October 2022). Mimi Karlsen om forsinket strategi mod selvmord: Unge skulle være hørt tidligere.