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EACEA National Policies Platform
Sweden

Sweden

2. Voluntary Activities

2.10 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 17 December 2024

Forthcoming policy developments

Encouraging young people's involvement in voluntary activities

In May 2024, Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed met representatives from 18 organisations during the spring meeting of the Youth Policy Council. The council discussed young people's non-profit involvement and participation in civil society. The meeting began in the afternoon with a presentation of some proposals in an upcoming investigation: "On public recognition of young people's efforts in civil society". The council then discussed, among other things, how society can encourage more young people to get involved in civil society and how to reach out to new groups of young people.

The Youth Policy Council was established in 2008 as a forum for discussion and consultation on current issues within youth policy, both national and international. Through the council, the government receives contributions to its analysis of the world in the field of youth policy, and new proposals in youth policy can be anchored with representatives of the policy's target group. 

Recognition of young people's involvement in civil society

The government has in 2023 appointed an inquiry into public recognition of young people's efforts in civil society. Investigators are tasked with investigating how a system for public recognition of young people's commitment and efforts in civil society can be designed.
The assignment includes the following:

  • Analysing and submitting proposals on how such an order should be organized and administered so that the selection of the persons who may be subject to public recognition takes place in a transparent manner.
  • Submitting proposals on which public actor at national level should have the overall responsibility for administering the system. 
  • Explaining good examples that already exist in other parts of civil society, for example in the sports movement or other sectors, such as the cultural area, business life and the municipal sector.

The assignment was reported in August 2024, with the following main proposals:

  • Establish a digital micro-merit system. The Swedish National Council of Adult Education (Folkbildningsrådet) is given a special task to make visible and verify young people's experiences and skills from their non-profit involvement through a system of digital micromerits.
  • Association knowledge in compulsory school. In order to increase knowledge about the possibilities of associational life and to implement the goals in the Curriculum for compulsory school, the National Agency for Education (Skolverket) is tasked with developing a national school development program with a focus on associational knowledge for primary school.
  • The county board's award for young commitment. The county boards (länsstyrelser) in each county must annually publicly recognize the non-profit involvement of young people at a ceremony. On these occasions, young people or youth organizations that have made meritorious contributions within the county through non-profit involvement shall be recognized and receive a prize.
  • Strengthen the non-profit leadership role. Ensure that youth organizations can apply for special funds to implement leadership training and mentorship programs.
  • Ensure the inclusion of young people in government investigations and specialist councils. Strengthening the inclusion of young people in government investigations and other decision-making processes needs to take place. The form for this should consist of two parts; the directives to investigations that affect children and young people should state that the investigation must gather experiences and opinions from children and young people, and an internal work within the Government Office is carried out to increase the participation of young people in decision-making processes.

In December 2024, the government has not yet decided on the inquiry's proposals.

 

Ongoing debates