When Åsa Folk High School hosts a democracy festival, regional councillor Christoffer Öqvist (Moderates) is a natural guest and participant. “A great initiative by the school,” he says of Åsadalen.

Region Sörmland, formerly the County Council of Sörmland, has run the folk high school in Sköldinge since 1927. It is therefore only natural that one of the festival days – the Friday – is dedicated to regional social issues and politics.
Equally natural for the school has been to invite a broad spectrum of regional politicians from all parties – with the chair of the regional executive, Christoffer Öqvist, as the icing on the cake.

“It will be interesting”
On the Friday in question, he will join a discussion panel together with, among others, participants from the democracy patrols of Åsa and Eskilstuna folk high schools. When Åsadalen opens to the public on Saturday, 24 May, Öqvist will take part in a conversation about the future of adult liberal education.

– Åsadalen is a very valuable and good initiative by the school. It will be interesting to see how many people turn up; I hope there will be a lot, and also that the school’s students will get involved in the meetings and discussions with the politicians, he says.

Åsadalen is described by headteacher Daniel Berton as part of Åsa’s ambition to reclaim the mission the folk high school had from the very beginning: to create opportunities for course participants and local citizens to take part in societal development.

Supports the aim
Christoffer Öqvist believes it is a good aim, bearing in mind the threats to democracy around the world and the declining trust in elected politicians.
– That’s why it is good and important to highlight how vital democracy is – and that in a democracy you actually have a say.

This is what Åsa seeks to demonstrate as clearly as possible with the democracy festival’s extensive three-day programme. It has been developed in the conviction that the will for change is a force that can unite people even when opinions differ.

Regrets left-wing tilt
The starting point has been to put together a multifaceted programme with debaters, opinion-makers and cultural figures from different political camps. In that respect, the school has been less successful, in Öqvist’s view.

– Unfortunately, I see an overweight of left-wing speakers among those invited. That somewhat undermines the very purpose of the festival, says the regional councillor.

The Åsadalen programme planning group is aware that the balance between left and right could be more even. School communications officer Henrik Wising says:

– I can share Öqvist’s view, though not necessarily his criticism. We have invited and contacted several influencers, opinion-makers and politicians from the right-hand side of the ideological spectrum. Unfortunately, they have either declined or simply not responded. Hopefully they will be easier to engage when we have a completed Åsadalen event to refer to.

Hopes it becomes a talking point
The school leadership intends the event to continue. The aim is to make Åsadalen an annual recurring event, ideally in expanded cooperation with its principal body, Region Sörmland.

Christoffer Öqvist looks to the future of the democracy festival with confidence.

– I can’t help but draw some parallels with Folk & Kultur, which has become a national talking point. If we can get Åsadalen going, there’s every chance it could become a feather in the cap for the region to show what we are doing in Sörmland.