Beskrivelse af organisationen

Pohjola-Nordens Ungdomsförbund (Youth League of the Finnish Norden Association) is a non-governmental and non-profit youth organization that is not bound by any political or religious beliefs. Our work is related to promoting and encouraging international cooperation between young people in the Nordic countries. This cooperation creates possibilities for friendships, openness and understanding between young people in the Nordic countries. The organisation defends European values such as democracy, equality, human rights and freedom of opinion in its policy program.
The aim of our work is to create meetings for young people across borders, particularly in the Nordic countries, to increase access to decision-making and culture for young persons, increase the understanding of Nordic languages, simplify mobility between countries, demonstrate that Nordic symbols can be used without connecting them to racism or xenophobia, and to promote Nordic countries’ cooperation with countries outside the North. We promote cooperation within the following areas: labour market and mobility, youth participation in decision-making and democracy, education and culture, climate and biodiversity. We arrange seminars and public information events, excursions, exchange programs, as well as local activities throughout the Nordic countries. Our target group is young people aged 15-29, with a specific focus on young persons at the verge of embarking at their studies and working experiences (18-21 years of age).
The Youth League of the Finnish Norden Association has 8 local divisions with a total of app. 3000 individual members and a total of 28 member organisations. The Youth League works closely with its member organisations on both national and international projects and campaigns, relating to political statements, youth participation in decision-making as well as career guidance services and working abroad. The Youth League also work on more specific topics such as biodiversity with some of its member organisations, together facilitating youth participation between young persons and public institutions nationally and internationally.
The staff, consisting of three full-time employees, the Secretary General, the Organisational Secretary and the Marketing Coordinator, are used to working with volunteers within the organisation. In addition, the hosted Nordjobb facility, with one full-time coordinator (Marketing Coordinator) adds a lot of competence on mobility. The expertise of our staff is in economics, financing, project management, communication, cloud computing, digital and international event management, political processes and decision-making fora, general organisation, capacity building and recruitment. The staff have years of experience of working for young people in an international and Nordic context, as well as leading small to big projects with the organisation's aim being key to the outcome of the project.
The Youth League and its local divisions host numerous mobility, study-abroad and language events each year locally. Also, the Youth League and Nordjobb actively promote working and studying opportunities abroad, as well as the benefits of an internationally directed educational path amongst students and pupils. Promotion on a national scale means participating as invited speakers at other events and arranging events of our own to inform our own target group about mobility opportunities. The administration of the labour exchange program also means the Youth League matches young applicants with employers in Finland, receives the young workers and supports them in practical affairs relating to accommodation, bank appointments and taxation registration as well as leisure activities. The Youth League maintain and evaluate employer relationships and is in regular contact with various career support services.
The Youth League has quickly adopted its activities to the meeting limitations due to COVID-19 crisis, digitalizing a number of conceptual debate events, career guidance events and annual meetings. In the last years the Youth League has expanded its marketing efforts in Finland and the other Nordic countries, through in person events and digital marketing efforts. The Youth League has established a number of regional partnerships and cooperation projects e.g. the Youth League coordinated an international youth camp on Arctic cooperation with 30 international participants in 2018, in addition to partnering and applying for a number of project applications (all not adopted) in the recent years (EVS and ERASMUS+ applications).
The organisational capacity and reach of the organisation is considerable since the Youth League coordinates one large program (Nordjobb) and an official international youth body (the Nordic Youth Council). Due to the additional responsibilities, the organisation has developed a flow for a number of annual applications and reports to all partners and financing institutions (9 per year).