Giving Youth a Voice in Regional Development: Region Västra Götaland’s Commitment
29/04/2025
At the EARLALL Working Group on Youth Policies, held on 28 April and coordinated by Miriana Bucalossi on behalf of Tuscany Region, Alexandra Schafhauser from Region Västra Götaland, presented the region’s work in involving young people in political and regional development processes.
Alexandra Schafhauser, Regional Developer and EU Policy Officer at the Region Västra Götaland Brussels Office, shared how the region has strengthened its structures for youth participation following the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Swedish law in 2020. This change led regional politicians to prioritise a more systematic and meaningful dialogue with young citizens, recognising that their voices must shape the decisions that affect them.
Strengthening Youth Participation
An evaluation revealed that while youth involvement existed, there was room for improvement. Region Västra Götaland took this as an opportunity not only to fulfil its legal obligations but also to promote democracy, inclusion, and wellbeing by empowering young people.
In 2021, the region partnered with Save the Children Region West to test new methods for youth participation. Following successful results, the collaboration was extended. In 2022, six Young Cultural Developers were involved in revising the region’s Cultural Strategy. Their contributions proved so valuable that they were later employed to continue working on key assignments for the Cultural Affairs Committee.
In 2023, Region Västra Götaland introduced regional guidelines for youth participation across all areas of activity. These guidelines reaffirm the value of young people’s experiences, emphasise the importance of diversity, and recognise the necessity of fair remuneration for their engagement.
Taking Youth Representation International
Inspired by good practices in other European regions, in 2024, Region Västra Götaland decided to recruit two youth representatives to engage with European networks. Their mission will officially begin in 2025.
The youth representatives — Yasmin Omar and Kenny Dos Santos — were appointed by the Executive Board of the Region on 25 February. Yasmin, 22, is pursuing a Master’s in Human Rights, and Kenny, 18, is currently completing his secondary education. They were selected from more than 40 applicants from across Västra Götaland.
Yasmin and Kenny will represent Region Västra Götaland in three international organisations. Their participation is aligned with high levels of the youth participation model, aiming for direct involvement in decision-making processes, not just advisory roles. Kenny Dos Santos also participated as a keynote speaker in one EARLALL’s Academy session focused on Media Information Literacy in 2023.
Looking Ahead
Following this inspiring presentation, EARLALL will explore further how its member regions are involving young people in political processes, aiming to strengthen youth participation and democratic engagement across Europe.
