Initiative Forum: Sowing Seeds of Connection
On April 17th, we welcomed over 100 guests to Ytterjärna for the opening of the Sowing Seeds of Connection Initiative Forum 2025. Among them were YIP alumni, friends and family of current Yippies, and members of the local community. Their arrival marked the culmination of months of dreaming and planning, and weeks of dedicated preparation.
These guests—our Initiative Forum participants—arrived with bags and suitcases, warm coats, and smiles. They came carrying ideas and perspectives, ready to meet not only one another, but also parts of themselves. With kindness, curiosity, and excitement, they brought life to the Forum and support for YIP17.
Over the course of five days, the Forum became a rich mixture of experiences: thought-provoking lectures, participatory workshops, and reflective activities that offered spaces to engage, digest, and cross-pollinate ideas. We shared nourishing meals, sang together, wandered through nature, plunged into fjords, and danced to music that moved the body and soul.
It was joyous to witness the themes of connection, community, and change come to life in such a tangible way. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Sowing Seeds of Connection and helped make the Initiative Forum 2025 an event of shared purpose and possibility.
We hope the learnings from the Forum continue to grow—like a seed—within each of us. (That’s the last seed metaphor, promise!)
(A video of the Initiative Forum was made by one of the participants, Felix Claeys. Follow this link to watch.)