Future rulers would overturn the walls between municipalities

Common youth council to the Town of Rovaniemi and the County of Rovaniemi

Youths around Rovaniemi area wants to have a common youth council. In the County of Rovaniemi youth council is already working but in the Town of Rovaniemi it is not. From the three schools in the PIPE project students have an idea that the common youth council will start on 1.1.2005. This suggestion will be discussed in both of the municipality councils next fall, when PIPE group will present Future charter for them. Issues at the Future Charter will be important for the youths to make Rovaniemi better place to live.

- This Future Charter will be our guideline when we develop our area. The aim is that our politicians and other authorities will be committed to that, says Anne Luiro. Luiro is the local coordinator in the international PIPE project, which got started last year. Management for the project comes from Norway. EU -funded project's aim is the sustainable development with the help of youth participation in the influence on their own home area.

Some colour for the greyness

Future Charter is one part of the project and at the Rovaniemi area it was under work on 12th of May. Invitations to the happening was sent for example for all the council members in both municipalities, but not so many adults answered to the invitation. In parallel groups youths discussed together with adults about their ideas and five main ideas were put together. And these are the main ideas: common youth council, more freetime activities, more jobs for young people, better traffic solutions and put up the image of the town.

-Young people think that Rovaniemi is quite a grey town. Old buildings should be repaired and put more plants to the centre. This is very important also when we think about our businesses, says Aliisa Tornberg one PIPE youth.

At the same group with Aliisa was Jutta Jakkila and this project is very good on her point of view, because you can have an influence on the matters which are important to you. This Rovaniemi area is common for all the youngsters, we can't tell that there are two municipalities.

-Anne Luiro thinks that most of the youngsters would like to come back to Rovaniemi after education if we will have working places for them. One of the main issues at the Future Charter is that the businesses has to be supported, that those can get more young people to practise and work.

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Made by Anne Luiro