Agnes Lusti, newly elected Youth Board Member, next to Martin Rümmelein, Youth Board Member since one year.
Photo: Lars Godbolt, BSSSC.
Welcome to our new Youth Board Member from Østfold, Norway
At the youth event in Gdansk September 9-10, Agnes Lusti from Norway was elected as a new BSSSC Youth Board Member after Timo Nikolaisen had finished his term. Who is Agnes Lusti, and what are the thoughts of Timo Nikolaisen at the end of the road?
Two seats in the BSSSC Board are permanently reserved for two youths from our youth network, and every year a new Youth Board Member is elected. The youths sit for two years so there is always continuity from one youth board member to the next. Timo Nikolaisen, from Buskerud, Norway, is now done with his period and Agnes Lusti, also from Norway, but from another region, Østfold, takes over. Read more about Agnes - and read the reflections from Timo in this interview.
Who are you, Agnes?
I am a lively and energetic girl living in Ås, Norway where I go to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. There I am studying Economics.
This is the basics about me, I could go on and write an essay, but if you wish to know more about me then you can find me at the Youthful Cities Commission meeting in Rostock in October, the BSSSC board meetings or at the youth conferences!
When did you hear about the BSSSC?
If I remember correctly, it was on my first conference with AER in Oslo about 2 or 3 years ago. I was just a newbie walking in and trying to involve myself in youth politics. However, I do remember when I heard them talking about BSSSC, my ears sharpened. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this interesting organization. Now you see me standing here!
How long have you been a part of the BSSSC youth network and why did you want to be a Board Member? What do you hope will be your contribution?
It was first this year I started to actively participate in the youth network.
I truly hope I can make a change or impact, something our communities will have a positive effect of. I wish to work with the youth, not towards or for the youth. This way we can have fruitful discussions and make positive impact that matters!
What are the areas where you think the BSSSC are doing well, and what can be improved?
This question is truly hard. I still feel fresh to all the subjects and projects I see BSSSC working on. BSSSC is such a diverse organization working on multiple levels, and I will like to see this flow grow. When thinking about it now I think that sustainable inclusion and innovation are the two main areas I wish to see taken in consideration on a bigger scale.
How about you, Timo, now at the end of the road: what was your most enjoyable moments in the BSSSC board?
The board meeting in Stockholm this March harbored my most enjoyable moment. Not because it was crazy, wild or otherwise out of the ordinary, but because I remember it as being a perfect mix of a straightforward meeting and passionate discussions. In other words, it was enjoyable due to it being an exceptionally fun and varied board meeting.
What did you learn from your BSSSC endeavors?
From my point of view, I have definitely become better at seeing through the bureaucratic language that often dominates documents in the BSSSC. Learning how to argue for the youth point of view in different issues has also been a useful experience to me.
What is your advice to your successor? How can the BSSSC improve?
My advice to Agnes is to come prepared. Jumping straight into a board meeting with no preparation might work, but utilizing some time beforehand to have a deeper look at some of the issues presented will other make the board meetings more fruitful. Always have your eyes on the goal, especially I would like to see her use our Youth Declaration and the feedback from the Youth meeting in Finland to actively work with and improve future youth events.
30. September 2018
Agnes Lusti will be a Youth Board Member for the next two years.
The BSSSC would like to thank Timo Nikolaisen for his great work as a BSSSC Youth Board Member.