The group’s chair, Ella Turta, sees a positive trend in the growing number of projects seeking to tackle societal issues.
“We also see a growing need for co-creation and strengthening the resilience of civil society in order to reinforce its important role in impacting societal issues”, says Turta, who would like to see an even broader range of organisations from different sectors represented in next year’s application rounds.
Wanted: projects with an Arctic focus
The expert group recognises the challenges of the Nordic Region’s vast geography, including the practical difficulties of bringing people together across long distances. At the same time, the group stresses that Demos also supports cooperation in the Arctic Nordic region and projects addressing indigenous issues.
And: Bigger is not always better. According to the experts, there is also room in the programme for projects that are niche, unconventional or unexpected. The experts value applications that have a clear purpose and description of partnerships and expected results together with an innovative approach.
“I was delighted to see so many cross sectoral partnerships in this round and it is nice if Demos can act as a door opener to new types of partnerships and collaborations. We see that sometimes the added Nordic value lies in creating new knowledge and sometimes in trying to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. It is nice to see many projects aiming to impact policy on both local and Nordic level”, Ella Turta says.
Examples of funded projects
RJ Nord Summit 2027: Promoting Nordic Civil Society Network Development and Knowledge Sharing in Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice (RJ) addresses conflict, harm and social division by involving those affected in finding constructive ways forward. This project will establish a civil society alliance for restorative justice. At a joint summit, organisations and practitioners from five Nordic countries will share knowledge, build partnerships and develop sustainable cooperation to improve citizens’ access to high-quality restorative practices.
Nordic Conference on Academic Freedom: Exploring Nordic Traditions and Global Challenges
Academic freedom is fundamental to high-quality research and education, democracy and trust in knowledge. Globally, academic freedom is under increasing pressure, while the conditions for safeguarding it are changing rapidly. In this project, seven Nordic trade unions will come together for a joint conference to discuss the specific characteristics of academic freedom in the Nordic Region in light of the Nordic model. The aim is to strengthen cooperation, identify concrete measures and lay the foundation for a lasting knowledge network.
Festivals as Civic Infrastructure – Nordic Rural Lab
The Nordic Rural Civic Infrastructure Lab explores how non-profit festival organisations can function as local civil society infrastructure in smaller and peripheral Nordic communities. The project brings together festival organisations from across the Nordic Region to test how culture can strengthen local civil society and democratic participation. Through local councils, shared decision-making and Nordic exchange of experience, the project will develop models for long-term local cooperation.
