From the meeting with Bærum municipality Youth Council. From left: Eskil Borge Saksvik (council secretary), Thomas Titlestad Soløst (council coordinator), Tinius Mørch-Larsen (council member), Oscar Høvset Lindstrøm (council member) and Elena Denic (leader of Bærum Youth Council).
Today, Support to the people of Ukraine (S2pU) held three important and constructive meetings as part of the development of the project “Youth Music for Peace, Freedom and Democracy”.
From left: S2pU’s ambassador, emeritus Bishop Tor Berger Jørgensen, Nataliya Marikutsa, first Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Norway, co-leader in the Youth project Group, Nikoline Spydevold and chair of S2pU, Per-Kaare Holdal.
The meetings brought together representatives from Norwegian school and youth organisations, as well as the Embassy of Ukraine in Norway. Together, they provide a broad platform for further developing our work to bring young people from Norway and Ukraine together around music, peace, freedom and democratic values.
Today’s meetings were an important step forward. The project is no longer just an idea – it is becoming a concrete collaboration between young people, organisations, schools and institutions in Norway and Ukraine.
Music as a Meeting Place for Peace and Democracy
The starting point for “Youth Music for Peace, Freedom and Democracy” is simple:
Young people should meet – not only to talk about peace, freedom and democracy, but to create something together.
Music will be an important part of this work.
Photo: S2pU’s ambassador, Emeritus Bishop Tor Berger Jørgensen and co-leader in the Youth project Group, Nikoline Spydevold.
Through music, concerts, workshops, youth dialogue and opportunities to meet, S2pU wants to create connections between young people in Norway and Ukraine. The aim is to give young people a space where they can express themselves, listen to one another and develop ideas together about the kind of society they want to live in.
At a time when Europe’s democratic values are being challenged by war, authoritarian forces and increasing polarisation, we believe it is more important than ever to give young people a strong and meaningful voice.
Hasle School Band – Music That Builds Bridges
One of today’s meetings was with Hasle School Band, an important Norwegian partner in the project.
The school band represents something that the project wants to build upon: music as a community.
In a band, people with different backgrounds play together. Everyone has their own voice and their own instrument, but the music only works when people listen to one another and play together.
It is also a powerful image of democracy.
Democracy is about being able to have different opinions while finding ways to live and create together.
Through our cooperation with Hasle School Band, we want to develop activities where Norwegian and Ukrainian young people can meet through music and create experiences that will remain long after the project itself has ended.
Hasle School Music Band
Bærum Youth Council – Young People Must Have a Voice
We also had a constructive meeting with the Bærum Youth Council.
Youth participation is a fundamental part of the project. “Youth Music for Peace, Freedom and Democracy” is not intended to be a project for young people, but a project with young people.
This means that young people themselves will help develop the content, shape the activities and identify the questions they believe matter most.
How do young people experience democracy?
What does freedom mean to them?
How are young people affected by war and conflict?
How can young people contribute to peace?
And how can we ensure that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also have a real influence today?
These are questions we want young people themselves to help answer.
From left: Eskil Borge Saksvik (council secretary), Thomas Titlestad Soløst (council coordinator), Tinius Mørch-Larsen (council member), Oscar Høvset Lindstrøm (council member) and Elena Denic (leader of Bærum Youth Council).
An Important Meeting with the Embassy of Ukraine
Today’s third meeting was with First Secretary Natalyia Marikutsa at the Embassy of Ukraine in Norway.
The meeting was highly constructive and provided an opportunity to present the project’s objectives and future plans, as well as discuss how the Embassy can contribute to strengthening the connection between Norwegian and Ukrainian young people.
For S2pU, it is important that the project has a strong connection to Ukraine and to the young people who live every day with the consequences of Russia’s full-scale war.
At the same time, we want to look beyond the immediate situation.
We do not believe that Norway should simply “help” Ukraine. We want to create a partnership in which Norwegian and Ukrainian young people meet as equal partners.
Ukrainian young people have experiences and perspectives from which Norwegian young people can learn a great deal. At the same time, Norwegian young people have experience of living in a society where democratic institutions, freedom of expression and peace have been part of everyday life.
When these experiences meet, something new can emerge.
Dialogue. Friendship. Understanding. Engagement. And hope.
From left: S2pU’s ambassador, Emeritus Bishop Tor Berger Jørgensen, Nataliya Marikutsa, first Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Norway, co-leader in the Youth project Group, Nikoline Spydevold and chair of S2pU, Per-Kaare Holdal.
From Ukraine to Norway – and from Norway to Ukraine
The project is built on reciprocity.
We do not want Norway simply to “help” Ukraine. We want to create a partnership where Norwegian and Ukrainian young people meet as equals.
Ukrainian young people have experiences and perspectives that Norwegian youth can learn from. Norwegian young people, in turn, have experiences from a society where democratic institutions, freedom of expression and peace have been part of everyday life.
When these experiences meet, something new can emerge.
Dialogue. Friendship. Understanding. Engagement. And hope.
Three Meetings – One Common Goal
Today’s meetings demonstrate the breadth of the partnership we want to build.
Hasle School Band represents music and community.
Bærum Youth Council represents youth participation and democratic engagement.
The Embassy of Ukraine represents the vital connection to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
Together with our other partners, S2pU wants to develop a project where these perspectives come together.
This is about more than concerts.
It is about using music and youth engagement as tools to build understanding and trust between people.
A Project for the Future
“Youth Music for Peace, Freedom and Democracy” is part of S2pU’s long-term commitment to supporting Ukraine while strengthening young people’s understanding of democratic values.
We believe that peace is not created only around negotiating tables.
Peace is also built between people.
Between young people who meet.
Between musicians who play together.
Between people who share their experiences.
And between generations that decide to protect the freedom and democracy they have inherited.
That is why today’s meetings matter.
They show that there are already many people and organisations who want to contribute.
Now the work begins to turn these ideas into reality.
And we look forward to taking the next step – together with young people in Norway and Ukraine.
Youth Music for Peace, Freedom and Democracy
Music. Youth. Peace. Freedom. Democracy.
Five words – and one shared ambition:
To give young people a stronger voice and use music to build bridges between Norway and Ukraine.
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