Johan Nykvist

Youth Worker

My name is Johan Nykvist from Borås Sweden. I have worked as a youth leader for 15 years. My organization that I represent is called Hässlehus Fritidsgård where our main focus is on young people between 10-18 years. However, we are in a process of change with the rebuilding of our house to become more of a meeting place that should not have any direct age limit.

Contact Me

Vision, Issues, & Potential

What I find interesting about the whole project Find yourself is the comparisons with seeing similarities and differences in how all the participating countries and organizations work with their respective young people when we all focus on the same goal, which is the young generation and the best for them.

Back to Work projects. This was about getting young people back into work and strengthening their self-confidence. What I found very interesting in this and taking with me was that it seems to have had a very good effect and succeeded well in comparison with how it works with the same problems in Sweden.

It was also interesting and good in this was that the authorities also helped people to be able to find housing and that almost 50 percent within one year had the opportunity to be able to get back into society with their own will. Impressive that 1.4 million young people in France have been assisted in one way or another through this state’s funded project.

That the system in France really is investing in helping those who want to be helped. For example, we got to see through the courses in enteprenering with several ideas from the young and IT programs that gave a parable with the university’s education. At the same time, for example, construction projects locally in the areas had to have a share of people employed who lived in the local area.

It was also interesting and good in this was that the authorities also helped people to be able to find housing and that almost 50 percent within one year had the opportunity to be able to get back into society with their own will. Impressive that 1.4 million young people in France have been assisted in one way or another through this state’s funded project.

Another study visit that I really got stuck with was Fab Lab. I can really understand that the municipality gave an approval for this project. Great to see this form of pedagogy with learning through play and that this has been implants in the school in the area. Not only children and young people who participated in this work shop, but also older people to spread knowledge about digitization and to be able to construct home-made electronics through creativity and imagination. As someone said little McGyver all over the place but in a very positive and constructive way.

At the same time with the commitment that the person who led the project dropped into their work. Absolutely amazing to see.

Finally, I must say that the best thing that also one of our hosts Mourad said and I agree that the greatest bit when working socially with people. Both young and old are being out in the area and interacting and socializing to get the meeting with man in person. This is how you build relationships and a future together across the cultural boundaries. We did this on a couple of occasions and in particular the last evening when we were invited by the locals for a barbecue evening.

Thank you so much to everyone in these areas who received us with a wonderful welcome.Thanks also to all the participants involved in this traning course and to our French host people.
There is so much potential in this whole project and in all people to learn from each other.

Johan Nykvist Borås Sweden