LA Together – Participate in your Local Community
Encouraging young people and locals with Swedish as a second language to participate in local community activities and democratic processes.
The Local Challenge
The city of Landskrona in Sweden is home to 50,000 residents, including the Öster neighbourhood, which faces significant socio–economic challenges. The Landskrona City Public Libraries and local community group Hej Öster have joined forces in the past to tackle these issues. Key concerns include low voter turnout and the need to bridge social, linguistic and geographic divides. The city also lacks engaging activities for its young people. The project partners believe that addressing these challenges is vital for fostering community engagement, unity and a brighter future for Landskrona’s young people.
The Initiative
The public library and Hej Öster are working together to address these challenges through a series of four talks focused on local participation of young people and those with Swedish as a second language. The aim is to amplify the voices of those who are often unheard, particularly young people and people with Swedish as a second language. Hosted at the library, these talks provide tools for young people to implement their ideas and activities in the city. To ensure inclusivity, one of the sessions features simultaneous interpretation, enabling a broader range of voices to contribute to the conversation and fostering a more inclusive dialogue.
What’s Next?
Through the conversation series, knowledge will be shared about local involvement, building networks, brainstorming ideas and highlighting new perspectives on city life, culture and urban development. The library aims to develop practical ideas through the initiative to enhance the city’s social sustainability. The ultimate goal is to learn from other European cities about citizen inclusion and democracy-strengthening efforts, using the library as a platform and reinforcing the library’s role as a forum for democracy-related discussions.
This is an ongoing Europe Challenge project that will be completed in autumn 2024. Stay tuned for more updates and contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
