In 2024, Festa began preparations for a new roadmap on social sustainability for companies and institutions. The goal of the roadmap was to highlight the main aspects of social sustainability and provide member associations and the entire business community with a collection of key information and tools to work on this important pillar of sustainability. A number of experts contributed to the roadmap, and Festa would like to thank them. They are Adriana Karolina Pétursdóttir, Alma Ýr Ingólfsdóttir, Aman Hasecic, Arnar Sveinn Harðarson, Heiðdís Inga Hilmarsdóttir, Heiður Margrét Björnsdóttir, Helga Ögmundsdóttir, Herdís Sólborg Haraldsdóttir, Hildur Ólafsdóttir, Hildur Tryggvadóttir Flóvenz, Ingunn Agnes Kro, Málfríður Guðný Kolbeinsdóttir, Sara Dögg Svanhildardóttir, Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir and Þorgerður Einarsdóttir. The roadmap was published at the end of January 2025.
Samfélag
Roadmap to social sustainability
Liaison meeting with ÖBÍ and VMST
In September, ÖBÍ Rights Association and the Icelandic Directorate of Labour (VMST) collaborated with Festa to hold a special Networking Meeting for Festa member associations on social sustainability. The meeting, which was held on September 11th at the Human Rights Building, was part of Festa's networking meeting series where member associations meet monthly and share their experiences. This time, the focus was on the employment participation of people with reduced working capacity and the changes to the Social Security Act that are intended to promote increased participation of this group. Participation at the meeting was very good and it was clear that much needs to be done to better utilize this "hidden treasure" in the labor market. The meeting highlighted the importance of collaboration between government, interest groups and the business community on this social aspect of sustainability.
Young people
Festa participated in the International Day of Happiness on March 20, 2024, which this time was dedicated to the happiness of young people. In collaboration with the Directorate of Health, the United Nations Association in Iceland and the University of Iceland, a symposium was held on the happiness and well-being of young people. The focus was on the well-being of young people and how to promote their well-being. Festa's participation included sharing knowledge about the connection between sustainability and the quality of life of young people and raising questions about how the business world can contribute to the happiness of future generations. Ísabella Ósk Másdóttir, Festa's communications manager, gave a talk about young people and their priorities when it comes to the labor market.
Könnun meðal ungs fólks


Heimsókn á Bessastaði

Youth Talk with Climate Activist Festa held a youth talk at the Environment Agency on January 24th with climate activist Katie Hodgetts. Katie shared her personal experience of burnout in the climate fight and introduced The Resilience Project, which supports young people against climate anxiety. Several youth organizations in Iceland were represented at the event. This event is discussed in more detail in the events section.

Velsældarþing
The second International Wellbeing Conference was held in Harpa in June. Festa, in collaboration with the Directorate of Health, organized a panel at the conference that focused on the role of the business sector in promoting well-being in society. Foreign experts and representatives of Festa member associations sat on a panel at the event: Michael Weatherhead, co-founder and development director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), Victoria Hurth, independent researcher and scholar at the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainable Leadership, Þorsteinn Víglundsson, CEO of Hornsteinn, Eva Margrét Ævarsdóttir, partner of Lex law firm, and Ægir Þórisson, CEO of Advania.
Umsögn í Snjallræði
In December, Elva Rakel Jónsdóttir, CEO of Festa, was part of the review group for the innovation accelerator Snjallræði, whose harvest festival Snjallræði took place in the Tjarnarsal of Reykjavík City Hall in December. Snjallræði is a 16-week accelerator that provides support to teams that are passionate about developing solutions to contemporary challenges and contributing to the goals of the United Nations. The solutions can be related to healthcare, welfare technology, the education system or equality, among other things. Snjallræði is a collaborative project between the University of Iceland, the City of Reykjavík, the University of Reykjavík and the University of Akureyri.