Nordens unge
stemmer tager ordet

Helga Nína Haraldsdóttir

Island

Hi, my name is Helga Nina and i want to
give you a insight into my world and
share with you what life after
highschool is like today. Finishing school
often comes with a mix of excitement
and fear.
We step out of a familiar environment
and suddenly face a world full of
choices.
Society tells us that by the age of
nineteen we should know who we are
and where where we are going. But the
truth is very few people know that at
this age.
Maybe you have said to your children or
nephews, just choose something there
are endless possibilities., But that is the
challenge, right? How are we supposed
to pick just one path? Some people
freeze and hope the right path will
appear if they wait long enough.
I completely understand that feeling, but
this is actually the perfect moment to try
new things and discover what really
interests you.
For many taking some time to travel
after high school can have a very
positive impact. When we meet people
from new backgrounds and learn about
other cultures we gain a broader view of
life. In my opinion, that can be just as
valuable as any formal education.

I have also learned that passion is rearly
something that just falls in to your lap.
Every time i have tried something new, I
have learned more about myself and
what I truly enjoy. You do not need to
know the final destination before taking
the first step.
I have seen this in my own life through my
mom. She moved out when she was 16
years old and never really had the
opportunity to go to university so she had
to choose jobs that where more suitable
for her situation.
Today she is a yoga teacher, a dog
groomer, a nail technician, and she also
works in a clothing store. Four
completely different jobs yet she is
happy in every single one of them. Why?
Because she followed her passions and
choose things that make her feel happy.
This idea is important to me because I see
many of my friends struggling with the
pressure to have everything figured out.
Some feel like they are falling behind if they
do not know their dream job yet.
Others compare themselves to people who
seem to ,have it all together., But the truth is
everyone is just trying to figure things out in
their own way.
The expectation to have a perfect life
plan at such a young age is simply unfair.
We should allow ourselves to try
different things without being afraid of
making mistakes. If something sparks
your interest, take a step in that
direction. You might discover talents,
passions, or even career paths you
never expected.
It is okay not to know exactly where you
are headed. What matters is to keep
learning, exploring, and creating
opportunities in areas that interest you.
No one else can decide for you who you
are supposed to be.
So to everyone who feels a little lost
after high school, you are not behind.
You are just getting started. Take small
steps, follow your curiosity and you will
shape a future and an environment that
makes you feel happy.

Herleivur Olafsson Davidsen

Færøerne

Hej, jeg hedder Herleivur, jeg er 22 år og
kommer fra Færøerne.
Dagligt læser jeg på HF, så er jeg også frivillig
hos Samaritterne og det nationale beredskab
som drone teknikker og pilot.
Jeg vil tale om unge og alkohol, for det er et
problem, jeg ser rigtig meget af som samarit.
Mange unge drikker alt for meget, de er så
fulde, at de ikke engang kan stå på benene.
Nogle lægger sig bare til at sove udenfor, og vi
må bære dem hen til vores base.
En oplevelse, jeg aldrig glemmer, var da en
mand kom og sagde, at der lå en fuld dreng på
en parkeringsplads. Jeg tænkte, at det nok var
en 16–17-årig. Men da vi kom frem,var det en 13-
årig dreng. Det første jeg tænkte var. "Kender
jeg ham, der ligger der?”. Han var helt væk. Han
havde kastet op over sig selv og var drivvåd.
Men desværre overraskede det mig ikke, fordi
unge begynder at drikke allerede i den alder.
Drengen har drukket hver weekend i mindst et
år, selvom han kun er et barn.
Alkohol har altid været et problem på Færøerne.
Jeg kender det også fra min egen familie, hvor
flere har haft problemer med både alkohol og
piller. Derfor mener jeg, det er vigtigt, at vi tør
tale om, hvordan vi kan gøre det bedre.
Vi har prøvet ungdomshuse, alkoholfrie barer og at få
politiet til at snakke med de unge. Men ærligt talt –
det virker ikke godt nok. Ungdomshusene bliver ofte
bare et sted, hvor de unge mødes, inden man skal
videre ud at drikke. De alkoholfrie barer er en god idé,
men de tiltrækker ikke nok unge endnu. Og når
politiet siger, at vi ikke må drikke, får vi bare mere
lyst. Det er lidt ligesom, da vi var børn og fik at vide, at
vi ikke måtte tage slik i skabet – så fik vi bare endnu
mere lyst til det.
Så hvad kan vi gøre? Jeg tror løsningen ligger i
bedre oplysning. I stedet for bare at sige “du må
ikke drikke”, skal vi lære de unge, hvordan man
drikker ansvarligt. Hvad procenterne betyder.
Hvad der kan ske, når en ung person drikker for
meget, og hvordan unge i værste tilfælde kan
blive påvirket til at tage stoffer, når de er fulde. På
den måde kan vi hjælpe dem til at træffe kloge
valg, i stedet for at de lærer det på den hårde
måde.
Jeg håber, vi alle sammen kan arbejde for, at unge
får et sundere forhold til alkohol – for ingen 13-årig
skal ende som den dreng, jeg fandt på
parkeringspladsen.
Tak for ordet.

Lars Jaffet Jens Jakob Mikkel Korneliussen

GRØNLAND

My name is Lars.
I am 26 years old, and I come from Tasiilaq.
Tasiilaq is in East Greenland.
East Greenland is a place of great beauty, but also
great challenges. Taiilaq is the largest town in
East Greenland, located on Ammassalik Island.
The town has around 2000 people. It is
surrounded by high mountains, fjords, and
icebergs.
There are no roads between towns.
Only boats, helicopters, or sleds.
Transport is expensive and often
uncertain.
Jobs are few.
Many people live from fishing and hunting.
Others work in tourism or public service.
But unemployment is still high.
Socially, life can be hard.
Alcohol, violence, and suicide affect too
many, especially young people.
Young people, who feel trapped between
tradition and modern life.
The first step to change is to say it out
loud.
East Greenland faces challenges of
isolation, limited jobs and social struggles.
But there are solutions.
We must improve transport and
connections to improve fishing, hunting,
and tourism.
We must give young people education,
support, and hope.
We must preserve our culture and
traditions.
They are not only our past, but also our
strength for the future.
I believe in the future of East Greenland.
Qujanaq (thank you)

Ísak Rökkvi Davíðsson

island

Hi, my name is Ísak
I stand before you today to talk about
something that is challenging but necessary
to share. It's a story about how we treat one
another, and how we can change our
attitudes and behavior so that we can
prevent lives from being lost to violence.
Violence amongst the youth in Iceland is on the rise. It
is not just about statistics or newspaper headlines. It
is about real lives, families, and communities. And it is
about a girl named Bryndís Klara, who once walked
the same school halls as I did. Bryndís was young, full
of potential, and loved by many. Her life was taken in
an act of senseless violence.
When it happened, it shook us all. Suddenly, violence
was not just something you read about or heard on the
news, it was personal, close and devastating.
Iceland is often thought of as one of the
safest countries, one where children walked
home from school without fear, and parents
rarely worried about their safety. But in recent
years, that image has been challenged.
Fights, gang activity, and the easy access to
weapons, such as knives, have brought a
new and darker reality. The loss of Bryndís
Klara was not just a singular event: it was part
of a trend that shows us how easily safety
can give out to fear.
Today we face a choice. Do we let violence
become normalized among the youth, or do we
choose another path? I believe the answer lies not
in fear or hate but in what comes after tragedy.
Bryndís’ parents showed us this. Instead of
meeting violence with anger, they spoke of
kindness, love, and building up instead of tearing
down. That is a powerful reminder: change begins
not just with laws and policies, but with how we
treat one another every single day.
And this is where you, here in Denmark, come in.
You might wonder: why should Iceland’s struggle
matter to you? The truth is, youth violence is not
limited by borders. The challenges we face in
Iceland mirror what many countries in Europe are
seeing: young people feeling lost, angry, or
disconnected, and turning to violence as an
answer. We all share a responsibility, to listen, to
support, and to act before anger turns into
tragedy.
The future does not have to be darker. It can be
brighter if we commit to creating a culture of
respect, where being strong means lifting others
up, not putting them down. I encourage all of you
to reflect on your own communities, your own
schools, your own workplaces and your own
friend groups.
Ask yourself: am I building up, or am I tearing
down?
“The way to fight violence is not with more
violence, but with kindness, responsibility, and the
courage to care”.
So let us choose that path together across all
borders. Let us honor Bryndís Klara’s memory
not with silence, but with change.
Thank you.

Marjun Eyðunsdóttir Joensen

FÆRØERNE

Hi, my name is Marjun. I’m in my final year of
college, and soon I’ll have to decide what
comes after.
I’m a young Faroese, and like many others i
may soon have to leave the Faroe Islands,
because education and housing
opportunities are not good enough.
Even though it means a lot to me to carry on
our culture, it often makes more sense to
move away if you want to pursue higher
education.
Culture is not something we lock away in a
box and leave untouched; it is a living part of
us that must grow and evolve in order to
survive.
On Monday, I drove across all of
Denmark – from Copenhagen to
Mors. It’s a long trip, and as I sat in
the car looking out over the Danish
landscape, I started to feel small.
It’s easy to forget how few we
Faroese are in reality when we’re
out in the world.

Have you ever joined in a communal song,
where the national anthem fills the room,
and felt how powerful it is to own
something that unites us all?
Or stood at midnight singing on Faroese
national day, Ólavsøka, when the song “Eitt
sunnukvøld í plantasjuni” echoes across the
whole capital? If it were translated into
Danish, it might be compared to “Danmark”
by Shu-Bi-Dua.
In that moment, everyone is together.
And for a little while, everything is forgiven,
and we are simply human.
But we must be careful that this feeling doesn’t
disappear. More and more Faroese, especially
young people, move to Denmark. It’s not
surprising – there are more opportunities for
education and work there. The problem is that
many don’t return. The reason is simple: it’s too
expensive to live in the Faroe Islands. Rent and
housing prices make it hard for young people to
settle back here, even if they want to. This way,
we risk losing an entire generation.
This is not just a social challenge – it is
also an economic and cultural threat. If
we lose our youth, we lose labor,
innovation and future leaders. But we
also lose cultural heritage and identity,
because it is the youth who must carry it
forward.
Passing on traditions and culture is a
huge task, but also a responsibility we
all must share. We need to support
Faroese youth, give them reasons to
hold on to their roots.
Maybe we also need to dare ask the Danes:
why do so few of them know anything about
us? We are part of the same kingdom, yet
most Danes know little to nothing about
Faroese history, traditions, and culture.
Culture doesn’t live in boxes – it
lives in us. And holding on to our
young people is not only about
saving our workforce, but about
saving the Faroe Islands
themselves.

Jomanna Ahmad
Nayef Fahood El-enazi

DANMARK

Hvad nu hvis jeg kom og sagde til jer at politikere
muligvis radikaliserer unge drenge.
Vil I så tro på mig?
Hvad nu hvis jeg kom og sagde til jer at den offentlige
retorik radikaliserer unge drenge.
Vil I så tro på mig?
Hvad nu hvis jeg kommer her og nu og siger at vores
behandling af minoriteter fremmer
radikaliseringsprocesser og ekstremisme?
Vil I så tro på mig?

Det ved jeg faktisk ikke, men det er det jeg kommer og
siger, her og nu.
Jeg har brugt timer, dage og uger på at undersøge
radikalisering og ekstremisme. Det har åbnet øjnene op for,
hvordan politikerne ikke kun påvirker lovgivningen, men
også forårsager radikalisering. Ja, du hørte rigtigt, vores
politikerne forårsager radikalisering og ekstremisme.
Nu skal jeg nok forklare jer hvordan.Radikalisering og ekstremisme går hånd i hånd,
man kan ikke forklare det ene ord uden at det
andet følger med.
Ekstremisme er ønsket om at ændre samfundet
uden hensyn til andre. Radikalisering er
processen, der fører til ekstremisme.Vores politikere er med til at radikalisering opstår. Deres
retorik, lovgivninger og fordomme kan være med til at
sprede had og skaber en dem og os mentalitet. Når den
offentlige retorik konstant udpeger minoriteter som forkerte
og uønsket, er den med til at
skubbe dem væk fra de sunde fællesskaber og mod radikale
miljøer, der lover anerkendelse. Det jeg siger er at politikere
udpeger ekstremister som problemet, når de er med til at
forårsage det gennem deres retorik.Marginalisering, stigmatisering, polarisering og
manglende anerkendelse spiller en central rolle i unge
minoritetsetniske drenges vej mod radikale miljøer.
Radikaliserede minoritetsetniske drenge søger nemlig
fællesskab, status og identitet i ekstreme grupper.
Det afstammer fra oplevelse af uretfærdighed og
eksklusion. Det vil sige, at radikalisering er en reaktion
på vores samfund og majoritetens behandling af
minoriteter.
Det øger risikoen for radikalisering.Forskning viser, at globale konflikter
kan give unge en fortælling om kamp
og mening. For dem, der allerede føler
sig udenfor, kan den være tillokkende.
Derfor må politikerne lytte og handle
på befolkningens behov.

Men hvorfor er det jeg siger det her?

Hvorfor?

For der er en løsning.

For hvad nu hvis staten laver lovgivninger der gør os trygge,
Hvad nu hvis civilsamfundet bliver bedre til at
mødes med hinanden,
Det kan fx være i en ungdomsklub,
fritidsaktiviteter der er tilgængelige for alle.
Lige præcis de her indsatser, tror jeg kan være
livsændrende for mange.
Hvis ikke for alle.Mit navn er Jomanna, jeg er 18 år gammel, og
jeg vil gerne være fortaler for forandring.
Men intet kan gøres alene,
Og alt kan gøres sammen,
Vil I hjælpe mig?

Lano Ares Taha Karim

island

Good day everyone, my name is Lano and I want to ask
you something: what’s the first thing you do when you
wake up?
If you said “I check my phone,” you’re definitely not
alone. Most of us do it. I know I do it.
We open our eyes, grab the phone, and start scrolling.
Before we even say “good morning” to anyone in real life,
we’ve already seen 20 different posts, a couple of
messages, and maybe even some bad news.
Now, there are good sides to this. Social media
connects us right away. You can wake up and
instantly know what your friends were doing last
night, what’s happening in the world, or see
something funny that makes you smile.
Sometimes, for me, a motivational post or a
message from my friends can give me a little
boost to start my day.
But let’s be honest — there's also a bad
side to that. Reaching for the glowing
blue light screen of death first thing
when you wake up is not the best thing
you can do. Studies show that blue
light reduces melatonin and tricks your
brain into thinking it's the middle of the
day when it's not.
Now, I don't know about you guys but
when the wave of blue light hits me in
the morning it makes me feel
something. I feel like I'm heavier in a way
therefore making it harder to get out of
bed. I also feel like I'm more tired than I
should be throughout the day therefore
making it harder for me to achieve my
goals.
Which brings us to the problem of focus.
Mornings are when your brain is most clear.
It’s your chance to set the tone for the whole
day. But if the first thing you do is scroll, your
mind gets cluttered and foggy before you’ve
even gotten out of bed. Notifications, news,
memes, videos — all fighting for your
attention. Suddenly, you’re not in control of
your morning anymore.
And let’s not forget stress. Waking up to
a bunch of messages, school/work
emails, or world news can make you feel
overwhelmed before you’ve even
brushed your teeth. Your body goes from
sleeping to stressed in seconds. No
wonder so many people say they feel
anxious in the mornings.
So what can we do about it? I’m not here to say
“delete social media” or “throw away your phone.”
That’s not realistic. Social media isn’t bad — it’s just
powerful. So here’s a thought: what if we gave
ourselves just the first 20 minutes of the day
without it? Time to wake up slowly, drink some
water, stretch, make your bed, or just take a breath.
Then, once you’re ready, pick up your phone. This
way, you decide when to start the online world, not
the other way around.
Because mornings really do set the tone for
everything that comes after. The way you start can
shape the way you finish. So maybe tomorrow,
instead of reaching for your phone right away, try
reaching for your own thoughts first.
Thank you.

Kirsti Karina Dahl Sæternes

Norge

If I ask you “What is democracy?”
one of your first thoughts is likely - majority rule
I am here to tell you how this simplistic understanding
is a threat to our democracy.
My name is Karina, and my background is in peace and
conflict.
And what we are gonna do now is add one modification
to the understanding of the democracy that you and I -
here today - share:
Democracy is majority rule - balanced against
fundamental rights and principles.
You might argue: “What difference does it make?”
And the answer is – everything.
Because it acknowledges that democracy not
only is majority rule,
but a set of principles - and values,
like separation of powers - freedom of the press,
and individual rights like freedom of speech.
Ideas you and I can agree on.
I have always been interested in democracy.
But I have also taken it for granted.
A wakeup call was when I studied anti-
democratic waves
and learnt that the reason our democracies are
backsliding now,
is because we - vote them away.
So what does this have to do with the simplistic majority rule-
definition?
When the far right expands in the world, it is with the idea that
democracy equals majority rule.
Their criticism becomes: “Why doesn’t the majority's opinion
matter the most?”
That is an appealing argument
if we do not recognize the principles and rights democracy is
built on:
That ensures everyone individual rights,
like - to participate in society - as you do here today
The democratic principles often do not
align with what these political parties
want.
They might not even align with the
majority opinion
As democracy do not necessarily serve
them, but rather seeks to protect
everyone.
The democratic principles and values protect
you and me,
and they need our protection.
You - can take part in this
Populistic parties with anti-democratic policies
appeal to our simplified understanding of
democracy.
You can change that thought.
Recognize that democracy is far more
than the majority.
It is the values - you and I share.
You just need a few more words:
Democracy is majority rule – balanced against
fundamental rights and principles.
By remembering this,
you are participating to protect democracy
so that we do not vote it away.