Demokratidagen – Developing Participation and Co‑Creation with Young People

Young people’s health, participation, and trust in public institutions are key future challenges for Sundsvall Municipality. Over many years, the municipality has developed innovative approaches to youth participation, where Demokratidagen — closely linked to the results of the LUPP youth survey — stands out as a well-established example.

At the same time, there is a clear need to further develop, deepen, and systematize how Demokratidagen, together with other initiatives that promote youth democracy and well-being, can be improved and strategically integrated into a coherent whole. This is part of a broader ambition to build a stronger and more resilient democracy in a time when liberal democracies in the Western world are increasingly challenged.

This collaborative project is carried out within the framework of the partnership agreement between Mid Sweden University and Sundsvall Municipality, and contributes in particular to the priority area of Sustainable and Well-Functioning Societies. The project builds on previous research studies and collaborative initiatives with the municipality, which have generated recommendations and identified key design questions to guide improvements in relationships, trust, systematization, and co-creation between young people and public institutions.

The aim of the project is to strengthen democracy by further developing and integrating Demokratidagen and related practices as strategic tools for enhancing young people’s participation, trust in democracy, and well-being.

The project is expected to strengthen forms of youth participation and co-creation ahead of Demokratidagen 2027, while also enhancing the municipality’s capacity to systematically and cross-sectorally integrate young people’s perspectives and initiatives into its operations and quality development. At the same time, the project strengthens Mid Sweden University’s practice-oriented research and publications, and lays the foundation for continued collaboration and external funding.

 Objectives

The project has the following objectives:

1. To develop a more coherent and strategic structure for the municipality’s work with youth democracy, where different initiatives and activities (such as Demokratidagen, LUPP, youth councils, and dialogue processes) are integrated into a unified whole.
2. To develop ways of using results from the LUPP youth survey and dialogues with young people more systematically for governance and organisational development across municipal departments.
3. To further develop processes for integrating existing youth involvement activities at a system-wide and organisational level.
4. To contribute to Mid Sweden University’s practice-oriented research and collaboration in areas such as relational welfare, co-creation, democratic development, and public organisation.
5. To lay the groundwork for continued collaboration and potential follow-up projects, including opportunities for external funding.