How do young people see our society and what solutions do they propose to make it more inclusive? The answers to these questions can be found in the art book NABO Art Book, created within a project initiated by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society. It is available here in PDF format free of charge (in Latvian).
Over the course of four years, eight Nordic illustrators listened to young people aged 16 to 24 across the Nordic region – from Iceland to Greenland, from the capital of Denmark to the smallest islands of the Åland archipelago. Their experiences and ideas are now brought together in an exhibition, presented for the first time also in Latvia.
Young people talk about inclusion in society and the opportunity to participate in decision-making on equal terms. Their voices reveal both difficulties – access to housing and transport, attitudes in healthcare, gender and sexuality stereotypes – as well as hopeful solutions. Regardless of where they live, young people emphasize – they should be treated with respect and listened to as equal partners. This perspective is what strengthens democracy and builds a society where everyone has a place.
Nabo is an old Scandinavian word that means “neighbor” – a symbol of community and the way people and countries meet and relate to one another. The images compiled in the book tell of anxiety and hope, frustration and the will to fight. But above all – about everyone’s right to be listened to. Nabo is a Nordic cooperation project that highlights the social inclusion of young people.
The artworks featured in the book will be on display in several exhibitions in Latvia. The first exhibition opening will take place on September 12 in Rēzekne. From October 7, the exhibition will be displayed in Kuldīga, at the Children and Youth Center.
Participating illustrators:
Kati Kovács, Finland
Jonas Wilén, Åland Islands
Fabian Göranson, Sweden
Inga Sætre, Norway
Søren Mosdal, Danmark
Edward Fuglø, Faroe Islands
Rán Flygenring, Iceland
Christian Rex, Greenland
The exhibition “Visit Nabo Art Book” is produced by MUCF – the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society.
