Premiere of the Society Summit Youth

Society Summit is an annual conference and one of SE26's signature projects. The conference is a clear example of how Skellefteå creates new ways for collaboration with sustainability in focus. This year's edition includes a new element in the form of Society Summit Youth. With a focus on young people's well-being and influence, the project gives young people from all over Västerbotten an opportunity to influence their present - and future.

Behind the initiative is 18-year-old Emmanuela Gudeta, who, while attending the Society Summit 2024, was struck by something that was clearly missing: a similar platform where young people's voices could be heard on their own terms. Now the idea is being realized as part of Society Summit 2025.

- Many adults think they know what it's like to be young, but they don't know what it's like to be young today. They are two completely different worlds," says Emmanuela.

Taking younger perspectives seriously

The central theme of the inaugural Society Summit Youth is mental health - an issue that affects everyone and reflects a growing need to create safe spaces and listening environments for young people at a time of great concern. It will not just be a panel discussion where young people have their say, but rather an arena where they own the conversation and lead the discourse from their perspectives.

- Who should you ask about young people's well-being, if not young people themselves? Emmanuela asks rhetorically.

The idea is that the participants - young people from all over the county - themselves contribute ideas and solutions on how society can promote their well-being. The results are immediately passed on to decision-makers on the ground.

A model for the future

Society Summit Youth is organized in collaboration with, among others, Youth 2030 Movement and Region Västerbotten. The ambition is to make it a recurring forum and eventually inspire other municipalities to create similar initiatives.

- "There isn't much youth democracy up here, so the perspective of what it means to be young here is overshadowed. I hope this can be the starting point - both for more conversations and for real change," says Emmanuela, who has long been deeply involved in democracy issues.

With Society Summit Youth, Skellefteå is building on its vision of a sustainable place for a better everyday life - where young people are not only included, but given the confidence to lead.

Read more: SE26 project