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Demokrati, inkludering och sammanhållning : Nordiskt samarbete och översikt över nationellt arbete med demokratifrämjande i skolorna i Norden
No full textI åtta år har de nordiska länderna samarbetat kring demokrati, inkludering och sammanhållning genom det så kallade DIS-nätverket, som består av policy-experter inom utbildning. Denna rapport redogör för det nordiska samarbetet och ländernas pågående arbete inom våra utbildningssystem, för att skydda och främja de demokratiska värderingarna. I en tid där globala kriser och oroligheter skapar grogrund för desinformation och polarisering, där demokratiska värderingar ständigt utmanas, står de nordiska länderna tillsammans i försvar för dessa grundläggande principer. Rapporten belyser betydelsen av att upprätthålla och vidareutveckla en stark demokratisk kultur, som värnar om yttrandefrihet och källkritik, respekt för medmänniskor, empatiförmåga och aktivt medborgarskap. Rapporten har särskilt fokus på utbildningens roll i detta arbete. För oss i Norden är demokrati inte bara en politisk struktur, utan också ett sätt att leva som kräver kontinuerligt engagemang, dialog och delaktighet. Genom DIS-nätverket har vi samlat kunskap och bästa praxis för att stärka demokrati- och människorättsutbildning, samt för att motverka social marginalisering, extremism och religiös diskriminering. Det är frågor som har att göra med skolornas verksamhetskultur, skolledning och lärarkompetenser, samt elevernas möjligheter att utöva sig i demokratiska processer och påverka sin egen vardag. Vårt mål är att stärka den kollektiva förståelsen och stödet för demokratiska värderingar, samtidigt som vi respekterar och hyllar vår kulturella mångfald. I Vår vision 2030 slår det nordiska samarbetet fast att vi arbetar för ett socialt hållbart Norden. Vi anser att ett samhälle där demokratin är stark och där varje enskild medborgare känner sig värdefull och inkluderad inte kommer av sig självt. Det måste skapas varje dag. Det nordiska policy-samarbetet via DIS-nätverket är en viktig del i detta arbete.
Urban Agriculture for a Resilient Future
No full textThis report is the outcome of the project Urban Agriculture for a Resilient Future (FutureUA) financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers and implemented in 2023. In this final report, we discuss the future of urban agriculture across different themes, namely (1) cultivating change in connection with innovation and legislation, (2) cultivating community in connection with culture, and (3) cultivating knowledge in connection with education and science. While the first theme reflects the potential of agriculture to occupy more space in cities and to be perceived as a desirable urban function through innovation and legislative support, the second theme focuses on the known benefits of urban agriculture for building community and fostering social inclusion. The third theme reflects the momentum urban agriculture is gaining in institutional education through the implementation of programmes that respond to the growing demand for systematic knowledge of urban agriculture at different qualification levels. This report is primarily a presentation of seven urban agriculture initiatives that tell stories about how different actors have engaged with or support the practice of growing food in cities. The description of the cases was based on webinar discussions, interviews with the main stakeholders of each case, and study visits. These cases provide the context to show how different actors can engage in urban agriculture and food systems, as well as to discuss their challenges and opportunities and to draw lessons from their practices. The report targets a broad and heterogeneous audience, including planners, entrepreneurs, academics, and the general public, who are interested and believe in the potential of urban agriculture to tackle many of the challenges we face today, such as the climate crises. After reading this report, the reader is expected to gain: A glimpse of the literature on the benefits and drawbacks of growing food in cities. An understanding of urban agriculture from different perspectives (e.g., municipalities, entrepreneurs, communities, educational institutions). An overview of opportunities and challenges for implementing agriculture in cities. Inspiration for alternative urban futures as the stories told in this report carry seeds for change that can assist transitioning our cities to more functional ecosystems. FutureU
Labour market integration of adults with alcohol and substance use problems in the Nordic countries
No full textHow are adults who have a problematic use of alcohol and/or other substances integrated into the labour market? This question is the focal point of the Nordic project on integration into the labour market of adults with dependence or abuse. Adults with substance use problems can sometimes be far removed from the labour market. They often need individual support to help them overcome their addiction, strengthen their potential, and find their place in society and on the labour market. This report explores the labour market integration in the Nordic countries of individuals with substance use problems (including alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription medications). The remit covers Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. While labour market integration of vulnerable groups has received significant attention in the Nordic region, there is a dearth of research focusing exclusively on individuals with alcohol and substance use problems
Systemic innovation compass
No full textThe Systematic Innovation is a framework and a repository of ideas where future Smart Connectivity and data sharing projects in mobility can be rooted. Moreover, this report: - is an introduction to systemic innovation - shows the possibility of addressing mobility and logistics and a systemic way - presents a way forward for establishing a systemic mindset and systemic innovatio
National Support Initiatives in Nordic Spatial Planning
No full textThe Nordic countries share many cross-sectoral targets at the national level to meet ambitious environmental, social, sustainable and innovative development goals and standards. When it comes to spatial planning, central governments in the Nordic countries often have limited power to influence local-level priorities, particularly with respect to regulating land use and adopting a range of policies that impact sustainable urban development. In parallel, various new planning approaches, as well as a range of nationwide support mechanisms have emerged in the Nordic countries, often with the aim of supporting and steering municipalities’ efforts to achieve sustainable urban development. Our report aims to better understand such initiatives and how they are connected to spatial planning efforts in Nordic municipalities by examining one national support initiative in each Nordic country, illustrated with learnings from municipal case studies. We examined FutureBuilt in Norway, the Partnership for Vibrant City Centres in Denmark, the Borgarlína project in Iceland, the Sustainable City programme in Finland and Visions: in the North in Sweden. As shown by the findings from our case studies, different perspectives on external governance – such as state intervention versus municipal self-governance in Nordic countries – highlight challenges in influencing local urban development due to limited state mandates. National support initiatives emerge as an alternative means to guide local development. They may serve to foster collaboration and inclusivity, particularly when inspiring local, strategic spatial planning, as seen in the Swedish case study. National support initiatives are viewed as complementary tools to spatial planning that support sustainable urban development processes and projects. Though they take various forms, their purpose and impact should be understood within the overall context. Collaboration and lessons learned from national support initiatives have the potential to enhance legislation or state intervention. However, an imbalance in municipalities’ access to support poses a challenge in each Nordic country. It is therefore crucial to assess the appropriateness and purpose of support, recognising that municipal pathways are influenced by the way in which support is designed. Striking a balance with respect to state-municipal governance is essential. In short, we can draw the following recommendations: A partnership-based approach with collaboration between various stakeholders enhances inclusivity. New ways of working that are agile and flexible and focus on the local context should be emphasised for effective outcomes. The importance of long-term commitments and policy coherence in the field of sustainable urban development should be emphasised at both national and municipal levels. Efforts should be made to ensure continuity in sustainable urban development initiatives beyond the duration of the given programme. A more formal and institutionalised way of obtaining government funding for sustainable urban development projects at the local level should be developed in some countries. That could level the playing field for municipalities with varying resources, knowledge and lobbying capabilities. In other countries, capacity building – including training and resources – can be provided to help municipalities navigate support options and apply for them. It is beneficial to create platforms providing information about support for sustainable urban development and to make municipalities aware of upcoming calls well in advance
Towards a grid-based Nordic territorial typology : A new tool for analysis across the urban-rural continuum
No full textThis report presents the grid-based Nordic urban–rural typology, which was developed as a new analytical tool for studying different types of spatial phenomena across Nordic territories. In this study this meant developing a typology that classifies all Nordic territories into seven different typology classes based on different degrees of urbanity and rurality. A key starting point for this work was the need for a territorial typology that would help enrich and provide new understanding of different types of urban and rural areas across the Nordic countries and shed light on how they are developing.This report first presents how the typology was created, including the rationale behind the typology, key considerations at different stages of the work, and the main operational steps taken. The main purpose was to create a new territorial typology, to which different types of data could be combined, thus helping to provide a more nuanced and fine-grained understanding of territorial differences across the Nordic countries. Several key principles were specified early in the work. These include that the typology should be created at grid-level (1 x 1 km) as this allows identifying the characteristics of different types of areas at a very detailed territorial level. Another key decision was to create the typology mainly using open-source data and following a replicable method, to make any possible future updates to the typology easier and less costly. For the development of the Nordic typology, the Finnish grid-based urban–rural classification (Kaupunki-maaseutuluokitus) was the main source of inspiration.This Nordic typology and population data at grid level (linked to the typology) is then used as an analytical lens for studying territorial differences, settlement pattens and demographic change dynamics in the five Nordic countries. According to the typology, the Nordic countries are predominantly rural when considering how their land areas are classified. However, an examination of settlement patterns according to the Nordic typology shows that the settlements are rather unevenly distributed in all the Nordic countries, and the majority of the population live relatively concentrated in areas that are classified as urban. In general, the population is largely concentrated in coastal areas and along waterways, where the major urban regions are found, reflecting historical patterns and features of physical geography. The Nordic typology is also used to examine what types of population change dynamics occurred in the Nordic countries during the period 2008–2022. The analysis shows that urbanisation has been a general trend during the past couple of decades, with the largest population growth occurring in the typology classes inner urban and outer urban. A relatively noticeable increase in population is also evident in peri-urban areas, suggesting suburbanisation and that intermediate areas located on the urban fringes have increasingly attracted new residents. In rural areas, the general trend shows that depopulation has occurred in many rural localities, but different types of rural areas have developed quite differently. Based on the analysis, rural areas that are in the vicinity of cities and towns appear to have become more attractive places for people to settle, while sparsely populated rural areas seem to be less favourably placed and have generally witnessed population decrease. This report shows how this typology and more fine-grained data can help reveal territorial differences that cannot be observed with more general statistics and data. The grid-based Nordic typology shows that many municipalities are at the same time both urban, intermediate, and rural, and in many cases these different categories seem to be undergoing quite different types of development. While the Nordic urban–rural typology is used in this study to examine settlement patterns and population change dynamics, it should be stressed that the typology is also well-suited to be used in combination with other types of data and as an analytical framework for studying also other types of spatial phenomena across the urban–rural continuum.
Action Plan for the Conservation of the Faroese Horse
No full textHorses were brought to the Faroe Islands by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. Over the centuries, the geographical remoteness in the North Atlantic Ocean forced these horses to adapt to their surroundings. Only the horses that could withstand the weather survived, and the Faroe Islands became home to a horse breed that was small, strong, hardy, and agile. The small horses were used by farmers for agricultural purposes and occasionally for transport between villages. Most of them roamed the mountains all year and no targeted breeding took place. The oldest record available of horses on the Faroe Islands is from 1857, which counted 844 horses with 396 mares, and 476 foals and stallions. Exportation of the horses to coal mines in Britain combined with modernization of the agriculture on the Faroe Islands, resulted in a breed that nearly went extinct. By the 1960s, there were less than ten horses of the breed left alive. A rescue operation was initiated, and suitable horses for breeding were used, however many of them were already related. All Faroese horses alive today, are descendants of only four individual horses. In 1978, the Faroese Horse Association (Felagið Føroysk Ross) was established to conserve the Faroese indigenous horse breed and they have kept a studbook ever since. In 2018, the online pedigree registration system Føroya Fongur was created, in which online access is provided to the studbook with extensive information about the Faroese horse breed. By the end of 2023 there were 82 living Faroese horses. The breed can thank their survival to the hard work and dedication from individual horse owners and enthusiast through the years, and through the work of the Faroese Horse Association. You could say that the conservation of the Faroese horse this far is a success story as the breed has managed to survive and increase in numbers over the years. However, there are still several big challenges and threats facing this small and hardy breed. There is a critical need to act today to secure that the breed will be around for future generations as well. The Faroese horse is, after all, a living and breathing part of the Faroese cultural heritage. All Nordic countries, including the Faroe Islands, have adopted The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (GPA) established by FAO in 2007. This framework obligates all parties to contribute to the conservation, sustainable use and development of animal genetic resources. One of the main areas of concern expressed in the GPA, is that there is too little research and information about many of the native farm animal breeds. Increased characterization, involving phenotypic, genetic, and historical information on breeds is needed (FAO, 2007). The purpose of the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Faroese Horse is to highlight concrete actions and measures that need be implemented to conserve the horse breed for the future
Policy Brief: Development of methods for PFAS analyses in articles and chemical products is needed
No full textPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 10 000 substances that have been used in articles and chemical products for decades. Due to concerns for the environment and human health, PFAS have become subject to regulation in the EU and globally. The newly published report “Analysis of needs for enforcement of PFAS in articles and chemical products” shows a need for development of standardized and validated analytical methods for enforcement and compliance with current and coming PFAS regulations in the EU
Marine Biobased Building Materials
No full textThis Technical Playbook on marine biobased building materials aims to overcome barriers due to lack of technical understanding amongst policymakers and planners. The playbook is designed as a techinical and holistic guidance with the aim to provide practical guidance to policymakers and planners across the Nordic countries. The playbook provides insight into available marine resources streams and marine based biomaterials in the Nordic market, particularly their potential applications in the built environment.
Bæredygtige og tilgængelige arrangementer
No full textPlanlægger du større arrangementer for Nordisk Ministerråd? Dette er din guide til at skabe faglige møder, konferencer og arrangementer, både digitale og fysiske, der er mere bæredygtige og tilgængelige. Med 10 styrende principper og adskillige gode praktiske råd inden for 14 nøgleområder, peger guiden på de steder, hvor du kan træffe miljøvenlige og inkluderende valg. Norden har en vision om at blive verdens mest bæredygtige og integrerede region i 2030. Og mens arrangementer er vigtige faglige og sociale fora, hvor vi fremmer nordiske løsninger, bidrager de samtidig til stor miljøbelastning, transport og forbrug. Her får du konkrete redskaber til at reducere udledningen og fjerne barrierer for lige deltagelse ved nordiske arrangementer