POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Nordic-Baltic Youth Summit
2024/09/27-28
Vilnius, Lithuania
Policy Recommendations
Introduction
The first-ever Nordic-Baltic Youth Summit took place in Vilnius, gathering young people from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Åland, and the Faroe Islands, with an attendance of 250 participants. Over the course of two days, participants worked in thematic groups to identify and address key challenges faced by the youth in the region.
The summit served as a platform for young people to discuss and propose policy recommendations for local, national, and international stakeholders. The following recommendations are categorised into five main areas — Youth, Peace and Security, Democracy, Youth Wellbeing, Climate, and Governance — and are intended to create a more resilient, inclusive, and vibrant future for young people across the Nordic-Baltic region.
Recommendation 1: Young People’s Participation in Civic Resilience
Problem: Lack of knowledge, tools, and empowerment for young people to actively participate in civil resilience.
Solution: Educate young people on civic resilience, crisis preparedness, and response, and create forums for sharing concerns and co-creating resilience strategies.
Implementation: National level, focusing on prevention, protection, and participation.
Recommendation 2: Integrating Migrant Youth into Local Communities
Problem: Poor integration of immigrant youth.
Solution: Establishing volunteer/mentor systems and more integration programs to foster a sense of inclusion.
Implementation: National and local levels, focusing on participation, prevention, and reintegration.
Recommendation 3: Access to Mental Health Services for Young People
Problem: Increasing mental health challenges due to global conflicts, with insufficient policies tackling stigma.
Solution: Provide psychological support and prioritise fact-based mental health education and interventions.
Implementation: Global level, focusing on prevention and participation.
Recommendation 4: Spreading Awareness About Disinformation
Problem: Lack of knowledge on recognising disinformation, leading to polarisation.
Solution: Raise awareness through workshops on critical thinking, media literacy, and interactive lectures.
Implementation: National level, focusing on participation and prevention.
Recommendation 5: Highlight the Importance and Meaning of Peace Among Youth
Problem: Peace is often represented as a goal, not a process, limiting youth participation in peace-building.
Solution: Educate and engage youth in peace tools, such as mediation and conflict resolution.
Implementation: EU level, focusing on participation and partnerships.
Recommendation 1: Reducing Political Radicalisation and Polarisation Among Youth
Problem: Increased political radicalisation and polarisation.
Solution: Develop youth engagement guidelines for governments and municipalities and increase funding for meaningful youth work & engagement.
Implementation: Local and national levels.
Recommendation 2: Improving Youth Representation in Politics
Problem: Lack of youth representation in politics.
Solution: Set quotas for youth representation, provide education on media literacy and empower youth parliaments.
Implementation: National level.
Recommendation 3: Increasing Voter Turnout Among Youth
Problem: Low voter turnout among young voters.
Solution: Lower the voting age to 16 and provide more education on political engagement.
Implementation: National level.
Recommendation 4: Restoring Faith in Democracy
Problem: Lack of trust in democratic institutions.
Solution: Improve government communication and transparency, and involve youth in the decision-making process by making politicians accountable.
Implementation: EU level.
Recommendation 1: Bridging Generational Gaps in Mental Health
Problem: Lack of intergenerational understanding regarding mental health.
Solution: Facilitate dialogue through conferences and intergenerational campaigns.
Implementation: National level.
Recommendation 2: Involving Youth in Decision-making Processes
Problem: Young people feel excluded from decisions affecting their lives.
Solution: Create formal structures for youth representation in policy making bodies.
Implementation: National and local levels.
Recommendation 3: Addressing Age and Income Discrimination in Mental Health Access
Problem: Discrimination against young people in accessing mental health services.
Solution: Increase funding for mental health services and integrate emotional education into school curricula.
Implementation: National level, with local implementation.
Recommendation 4: Combating Youth Loneliness
Problem: Youth loneliness leads to exclusion and poor mental health.
Solution: Provide long-term government funding for youth activities and flexible access to social programs.
Implementation: National to local levels.
Recommendation 1: Limiting Corporate CO2 Emissions
Problem: Pollution from major corporations.
Solution: Impose CO2 emission limits with proportional fines for non-compliance.
Implementation: International and national levels.
Recommendation 2: Reducing Overconsumption
Problem: Overconsumption leads to environmental degradation.
Solution: Promote sustainability through education, community events, and legislation enforcing sustainable practices.
Implementation: National and EU levels.
Recommendation 3: Improving Climate Literacy
Problem: Lack of climate education in schools.
Solution: Integrate sustainability into school curricula and promote community initiatives such as "green school titles."
Implementation: National level.
Recommendation 4: Ensuring a Sustainable Green Transition
Problem: Risk of environmental harm from aggressive green transition methods.
Solution: Implement strict environmental impact assessments for all green projects and increase protected areas.
Implementation: EU and national levels.
Recommendation 5: Addressing Fast-Fashion Waste
Problem: Pollution from the fast-fashion industry.
Solution: Incentivize sustainable fashion, regulate fast-fashion marketing, and educate society on conscious consumerism.
Implementation: Local to international levels.
Recommendation 1: Improving Communication on Youth Funding Programs
Problem: Poor communication regarding youth funding opportunities.
Solution: Create a unified portal for youth funding programs.
Implementation: National and EU levels.
Recommendation 2: Engaging Youth in Policy-Making Processes
Problem: Youth and NGOs feel unheard in policy-making.
Solution: Establish formal mechanisms for youth engagement in political institutions.
Implementation: Local and national levels.
Recommendation 3: Promoting Youth Participation in NGOs
Problem: Low youth participation in NGOs.
Solution: Increase the promotion of youth NGOs through government channels.
Implementation: Local and national levels.
Recommendation 4: Securing Stable Funding for NGOs
Problem: Lack of stable funding for NGOs.
Solution: Recommend a fixed percentage of national GDP for youth organisations.
Implementation: National level.
