About Samfé’s Youth Council
One of Samfé’s most important projects is to maintain and support the organization’s two powerful youth councils. The councils are divided by age, representatives of Samfé’s Youth Council are aged 13-16 and representatives of Samfé’s Youth Houses are aged 16-25.
Samfé’s Youth Council began working at Samfé’s 2006 Landsmót, after a proposal for its establishment was approved at the general meeting earlier that year.
Elections to Samfé’s Youth Council take place annually at Samfé’s National Summit. In total, elections are held in 9 constituencies, where 18 representatives are elected for two years and 9 representatives for one year. Thus, there are 27 members of the council. It is important that community centers inform and encourage young people to volunteer in a timely manner. Each community center can submit one candidate (for its constituency).
The employees of Samfé’s Youth Council are Guðmunda Bergsdóttir and Ólafur Bergur Ólafsson.
Samfé’s youth council
- The Youth Council meets about 10-14 times a year, either at Samfé’s office or electronically.
- All travel and meeting expenses of youth council representatives are paid by Samfés.
- The youth councils have two representatives with full voting rights at Samfé’s board meetings, as well as sending two representatives to Samfé’s General Meeting.
- The Youth Council actively participates in projects, events and decision-making in the organization’s affairs.
- Representatives of the Youth Council take part in working groups organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture, participate in and attend conferences and meetings on issues related to youth and youth issues in Iceland and abroad.
The purpose and goal of Samfé’s Youth Council is to:
- Strengthen the participation of young people in the work of community centers and youth centers.
- Ensure the active participation of young people in their affairs.
- Increase peer education.
- Ensure that young people gain a voice in society.
- Young people have national contacts to discuss issues that affect their age group.
- Strengthen European cooperation with other young people.
- Influence and work on events organized by Samfé.
- Influence media coverage.