The association Demokratipiloterna works to strengthen democracy and reduce mental illness and loneliness. We do this by creating meaningful encounters between people that lead to expanded social networks, bring people closer to employment, inspire hope for the future, and generate new projects and collaborations.
Our primary target group is young adults experiencing mental or psychosocial illness. To help them grow and thrive, we work with methods such as self-help support, culture, and integration across age groups, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and functional differences. Instead of focusing on talking about mental illness, young people are given the opportunity to gather around shared interests and, through that, get to know both each other and themselves. An important part of our work is promoting interaction across generations. Society today is highly segregated by age, which weakens relationships, hinders development, and creates anxiety about the future. We want young people to have the opportunity to meet people of different ages in safe and supportive environments.
Over the years, more than 500 people of all ages have participated in work training or internships at Dynamo. Around 70% of them have gone on to employment or studies after completing their training period. We remain in contact with many of them, and several return to visit us regularly because Dynamo has meant so much in their lives.
Now, Demokratipiloterna runs the Dynamo meeting point at the Solidarity House in Stockholm. We recently moved after being forced to leave our previous, well-established premises on Södermannagatan due to a dramatically increased rent. We are now doing everything we can to rebuild our important activities as quickly as possible, and after only a few weeks we have already managed to restart several parts of what we previously offered.
We continue to run a textile workshop, indoor and outdoor gardening projects, cultural activities, and association services such as cooking and baking in the spaces we currently have access to. At the moment, 13 people are participating in work training and taking part in our activities to strengthen their mental health and improve their opportunities for employment. We have room to welcome more participants. We also have volunteers helping with guidance and practical tasks. In addition, 10 member associations and groups use our rooms during evenings and weekends.
It is the openness and the diversity of people that make Dynamo the place it is today. Everyone is welcome, and everyone should feel that there is space for them here. The vast majority of participants testify to this.
Due to reduced opportunities for receiving project funding - as politicians are cutting grants to the non-profit sector, increasing competition for the available funding - the association is currently struggling financially. We have several ideas for upcoming projects and will continue applying for grants, but right now we need help to keep the organization running.
Help us help others!
If you would like to contribute to Dynamo’s continued existence and development, please donate any amount to Demokratipiloterna’s crowdfunding campaign. By doing that, you help us be the support that many need. Thank you <3