Since I came to JU thereby joining a uniquely international atmosphere, I have made it my passion to actively seek out new perspectives and experiences that differ from my own. However, I took this mindset to the next level, when I decided to participate in the Nordic Youth Conference for Democracy.
At first, I was relatively worried that I would be a rather passive observer, due to the fact that I have only been living in Scandinavia for one and a half years, and therefore my experience in this part of Europe is limited, and therefore I am somewhat irrelevant to the topic of the event.
The conference was held in hotel Voksenåsen, the actual physical manifestation of Nordic collaboration: the symbol of Swedish – Norwegian collaboration. The hotel was a gift to Sweden by Norway as a sign of appreciation for the humanitarian aid provided during the Second World War by the Swedish government and is currently owned by the Swedish state.
The hotel had an absolutely stunning view of Oslo which for most of the conference we were not able to enjoy, due to the general Norwegian weather. However, when it cleared up for Sunday, we rushed to the balcony to capture the elusive moment and experience the feeling of not being surrounded by a thick wall of white fog for the entire day.
The Scandinavian countries have a reputation for possessing democratic institutions of the highest quality. The top 4 strongest democracies in the world are found in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden respectively. Regarding Iceland, there is still a lot of room for improvement with its rank of 15 – which sounds ironic from a Hungarian with Hungary’s rank of 78.
The programme of the conference consisted of several workshops and speeches we participated in, based on the group we were assigned to. Among other things, the topics touched upon included the impact of AI on democracies and how particular countries handle its presence, to certain issues with the aid programmes to Africa, outlining the problem of the “White Savior Syndrome”. The workshops were interactive and engaging and the speeches were delivered by knowledgeable and venerable people with inspiring backgrounds and achievements.
There were two main reasons that motivated me to come to the event. One of them was the current political landscape of Hungary and the shortcomings of the local democratic system. I was curious to see how young Nordic people thought about democracy and how they observe the happenings of the political atmosphere in Europe or globally.
Secondly, the more important reason, however, was not the workshops, or the buffet meals or even the view (although they definitely contributed to my decision). The most important factor I considered was finding and connecting to like-minded people who value democracy and social problems to the extent I do. To find young people engaged in politics studying in a variety of fields (or even secondary schools). The hours-long discussions stretching well into the evenings were what made the trip worth it.
Over time, my fear of passivity or the perception of being unable to contribute diminished. The participants were open-minded, curious and knowledgeable individuals one-by-one and I felt that I had found the atmosphere where I can truly connect and prosper. Therefore, I feel honoured to call these people my lifelong friends.
Writer: Peter Kollmann
