Once again, Nordic young building and wood workers came together. This time, we gathered at Utøya, just outside Oslo, Norway. Unlike our previous meeting last autumn, when it was only us from the Nordic countries, we are now part of a global event for young leaders within the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI).

The event focuses on how we, as trade unionists, can be the strongest resistance to the rise of right-wing extremism across the world. It is an incredibly important topic, and it becomes even more real as we sit here on Utøya, next to what was once a café.

The café, once located here on the island, is now preserved within what is called “The House that Embraces.” It stands as a place of learning and remembrance, ensuring that everyone who visits Utøya understands what happened here: how a terrorist came to the island, motivated by hatred, and murdered 69 people on 22 July 2011.

As always, when Nordic trade unionists meet, discussions quickly turn to our shared challenges, our political environments, the differences between our collective agreements, and our internal democracy. We reflect, exchange experiences, and try to learn from each other.

And once again, we realise that we can do better, not only as individuals, but as a movement.
When someone is elected as a young leader, youth secretary, or youth coordinator, they are often told to build networks and value international solidarity. We hear about how important these relationships are, but we are rarely taught how to build them. Who should we reach out to? What can we ask? Where do we even begin? The questions are many.

So, sitting here together, we decide to do what trade unionists have always done, just as unions were built more than 100 years ago. We make a promise to each other.

A promise to prepare the next generation of leaders.
A promise to invite each other to our respective countries more often.
A promise to share information about ongoing collective bargaining and negotiations.
A promise to strengthen cooperation across borders, not only when we meet, but in our everyday work.

Because solidarity is not just a word. It is something we build together.

And here, on Utøya, a place marked by tragedy, but also by hope and resilience, that promise feels more important than ever.

Nordic Federation of Building and Woodworkers (NFBWW) Youth Committee