On this page

1. Information providers / counselling structures

2. Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values

3. Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people

4. Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

Information providers / counselling structures

Koordinaatti offers a supportive network for those who organise local, regional or national youth information and counselling services (for more, visit Youth Wiki/Finland 5.7 "Learning to participate" through formal, non-formal and informal learning).

Several online information tools provide information for young people in a youth-friendly manner on their democratic rights, for example, `Life of Young People´ (Nuortenelama.fi) coordinated by Koordinaatti. The Union of Local Youth Councils offer an online information tool `Vaikute´ (Vaikute-sivusto) to provide information about how to make impact as a member of local youth council, but the tool also contains examples on how to participate at the national and European level.  Both of these initiatives are financed by the Ministry of Culture and Education.

Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values

The Ministry of Justice, in co-operation with the Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi and Ministry of Education and Culture send a letter to young people voting for the first time. In the future, there will be some video-material available, with the aim of improving the turnout of young people which will distributed to schools and educational institutions.

Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people

As mentioned in “Youth Wiki/Finland 4.5 Initiatives promoting social inclusion and raising awareness”, the National Youth work and Youth Policy Programme promotes direct help to several frequently oppressed groups such as ‘Roma youth’, to have their voices heard about experiences of non-equality. The workshops also include personnel of the municipalities. Lessons learned and good practices are then widely shared so that other young people at risk of discrimination can also be heard.

Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

The Ministry of Justice, as part of the Open Government Strategy and the National Democracy Programme, is organising events and producing information material aiming to increase citizen participation and voting. Social media (Facebook and Twitter) is also used in contacting young people. A special target group of information sharing includes immigrant youth. (For more information about Open Government, visit Youth Wiki/Finland 5.4 Young People's Participation in Policy-Making).

The Division of Youth Work and Youth Policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture is also on Facebook and Twitter, where it is sharing information and fostering dialogue with young people on youth policy issues.