Samfés National Festival and National Assembly – 44 young people from Hafnarfjörður
The Samfés National Festival and Youth Assembly took place in Hvolsvöllur from 4-6 March, where around 370 young people aged 13-16 from youth clubs from all over the country came together.
„What We Think“ – Youth Resilience Actions
The Samfés National Conference and Youth Parliament took place in Hvolsvöllur from 4-6 March, where around 370 young people aged 13-16 from youth clubs from all over the country came together. The programme included, among other things, elections to the Samfés Youth Council, which is composed of representatives from all regions of the country, a variety of empowering discussion and recreational workshops, and the Youth Parliament, which this year was held under the theme „What Do We Think?“ – Youth resilience measures. From Hafnarfjörður, 44 young people went to the national conference, and the representatives for Hafnarfjörður on the Samfés Youth Council are Oskar Karl Ómarsson and Smári Hannesson.
The participants are young people from all over the country.
At the National Assembly, young people from all over the country have the opportunity to put forward their questions, ideas, challenges and suggestions concerning issues affecting young people. Among the points raised at the conference was that young people want their voices to be heard, and for a genuine dialogue to take place that leads to the necessary recovery measures being implemented immediately. They feel that children and young people are often not listened to, and their problems and opinions are downplayed.
Photo: Samfés
The topics addressed at the National Assembly are decided and organised by the Samfés Youth Council. There, democratic working methods and the empowerment of young people are paramount. The issues that were emphasised this year were post-pandemic recovery measures, mental health, environmental issues, sexual health, gender equality, the education system, the voting age, politics and more. Here is a fun video taken last weekend which clearly shows the fantastic work of Samfés at the national conference.
More about the Samfés National Festival
Hafnarfjörður Youth Council
It is worth mentioning that the City of Hafnarfjörður has been running the Hafnarfjörður Youth Council since 2005, which is a platform for young people aged 13-18. The emphasis is on training in democratic working methods, as well as conveying the opinions of young people to the right authorities within the system. The Youth Council is composed of two representatives from each secondary school in Hafnarfjörður, three from each upper secondary school in Hafnarfjörður, and three representatives who are selected through Hamarinn at Suðurgata 14. The council has two staff members, who work primarily as advisors and therefore may not influence its activities.