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Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk

4 - 10 November 2011 | Vol 14 Issue 44

ILLUSTRATION BY PETER STANNERS

NEWS

Dane unable to obtain family reunification for his Thai girlfriend says residency rules are a Catch-22

Exploiting ‘fat tax’ Supermarkets are scamming their customers under the guise of the new national ‘fat tax’

NEWS | 3

SPORT

Get in or get out Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell?

National coach Morten Olsen’s new contract will keep him in the job until after the 2014 World Cup.

A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the economy JENNIFER BULEY

Warrior Jesus How Christianity borrowed from Norse mythology and branded Jesus as a tough guy in order to woo the pagan Vikings

HISTORY | 19

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SRSF’s first budget will spend 17.5 billion kroner on infrastructure and abolish previous taxes and restrictions

AN YOU HAVE your cake and eat it too? Conventional wisdom says no, but with their first budget plan since the shift of power, the new Socialdemokraterne-RadikaleSocialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) coalition appear to be giving it a shot. Many of the elements of the new budget – which is expected to be released in its entirety on Thursday – will increase state spending at a time when the budget deficit has increased. But where the money would come from remained a mystery. A number of the new budget items reinstate spending cuts made by the pre-

vious Venstre-Konservative (VK) govern- the number of students. Moreover, stument. Here are a few of the major points: dents will no longer pay administrative Families: VK limited the state’s fees, and prospective Master’s students monthly child support handouts (bør- will have prerequisite course tuitions necheck) to 35,000 kroner per fam- paid. The government will also fund ily. That limit has now been abolished, 1,500 more state-supported internship meaning that many families will get positions. Infrastructure and job creation: larger child benefits. The government will also pay for fertility treatments and Some 17.5 billion kroner will be invested over two years in infrastructure voluntary sterilisations. Welfare: VK and Dansk Folkeparti projects, such as a new rail line between (DF) introduced specialised welfare pro- Copenhagen and Ringsted, a project to grammes that reduced the cash benefits widen the Holbæk motorway, erosion for new immigrants. Those programmes protection efforts along Jutland’s west have now been eliminated and going coast, and renovations to public housforward all residents in need of state ing. Prime minister Helle Thorningsupport will receive the same welfare Schmidt has said that these ‘kickstart’ projects will create 20,000 new jobs benefits. Higher education and research: from 2012-2013. The Danish ConstrucUniversities will get an extra one billion tion Association predicts 10,000. Tax break:meeting The unpopular ‘mulkroner over two years to cover costs as- a personal Organise sociated with a predicted increase in timedia tax’ introduced by VK will be

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abolished, saving some 525,000 Danes with business laptops and mobile phones 3,000 kroner per year. Not everyone, however, can look forward to a cash infusion. Smokers and junk food lovers will be taxed higher on their vices, while international corporations will also see higher tax bills. SRSF plans to raise revenue by closing a number of tax loopholes going back nearly 20 years that allowed international corporations in Denmark to escape paying corporate taxes (see more on page 15). All told, the spending increases in the new budget are not as big as the minister of the economy and interior, Margrethe Vestager (R), would like. She noted that VK under-reported the deficit for 2012, making it imprudent to spend more. But Denmark will still meet the EU’s financial responsibility benchmarks, despite the larger deficit, she added.

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Week in revieW

The CopeNhageN posT CphposT.dk

4 - 10 November 2011 Scanpix

Royal welcome

The Week’s MosT Read sToRIes aT CphposT.dk how about a danish with your apple? Taken down by a text message dane among trio abducted in somalia 400,000 could lose private health insurance supermarkets using fat tax to fatten bottom line

FRoM oUR aRChIVes TeN YeaRs ago. Immigration dominates the debate in the final run-up to the general election. FIVe YeaRs ago. Three shootings on the same day – one in Nørrebro, one in the Latin Quarter and one on strøget – leave one dead and three injured. oNe YeaR ago. The hillerød Lower Court rules that admitted gunrunner Niels holck will not be extradited to India, despite India’s objections.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was in town on Wednesday – along with husband Prince William – to visit Unicef ’s supply division centre

what most danes are on J-dag. In the giving spirit of christmas, many brewers give away volumes of Tuborg’s special brew. Several other breweries follow suit with their own yuletide offerings. You can also count on seeing a lot more police officers out and about on Friday. So, by all means, Ho, Ho, Ho – but take it slow.

denmark’s only english-language newspaper Since 1998, The copenhagen Post has been denmark’s leading source for news in English. as the voice of the international community, we provide coverage for the thousands of foreigners making their home in denmark. additionally, our English language medium helps to bring denmark’s top stories to a global audience. In addition to publishing the only regularly printed English-language newspaper in the country, we provide up-to-date news on our website and deliver news to national and international organisations. The copenhagen Post is also a leading provider of non-news services to the private and public sectors, offering writing, translation, editing, production and delivery services.

Visit us online at www.cphpost.dk

Pioneer passes

gaY rIgHTS pioneer axel axgil died last week at the age of 96. axgil made history in 1989 when, after denmark became the first country to allow gay people to enter into civil unions, he and his partner, Eigil, exchanged vows. axgil also helped found lgBT danmark, the danish affiliate of the group that advocates

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief executive Jesper Nymark editor-in-Chief Kevin Mcgwin Managing editor Ben Hamilton news editor Justin cremer Journalists Jennifer Buley & Peter Stanners

throughout the world for gay rights, and was among the founders of F-48, or Forbundet af 1948 (The association of 1948), denmark’s first gay rights organisation. although axgil didn’t live to see denmark legalise gay marriage, the new church minister, Manu Sareen, has said gays will be allowed to marry by next year.

editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 dK 1715 copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 www.cphpost.dk news Desk news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The cPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk

Scanpix

You could say that christmas season officially begins at precisely 8:59pm on Friday when pubs and bars open up the taps on Tuborg’s seasonal christmas brew. The annual tradition is known as J-dag, with the ‘j’ standing for ‘julebryg’ – danish for christmas beer. or perhaps the ‘j’ stands for ‘jolly’, which is

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‘Tis the season

NoTe To ReadeRs: The Cph post has decided to henceforth refer to the national political parties by their danish names, and the coalition government by the abbreviation sRsF

Cracked

THE STorSTrøM Bridge, which connects the islands of Zealand and Falster, has been closed to train traffic until further notice after engineers identified three “suspicious” new cracks. The check also revealed that several of the 22 existing cracks in the 74-year-old bridge have doubled in length.

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To make matters worse, the old bridge, which was built as part of a public-works project to ease unemployment in the 1930s, was rammed by a ship on Thursday. The ‘Pluto’ collided into one of the bridge’s northern pilings, gouging out a two-metre long, 20-centimetre deep gash.

Layout and design Justin cremer aviaja Bebe Nielsen logo by rasmus Koch

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3 dsB ticket controllers face firing over violent incident News

The CopeNhageN posT CphposT.dk

4 -10 November 2011

Video of controllers detaining a young man leads to an internal investigation

wo DSB ticket controllers may be fired following the emergence of a video of a September 7 incident in which they forcefully detained a mentally disturbed 19-year-old man. In the video, the controllers can be seen throwing the screaming and crying man onto the floor and then sitting on him with their knees. They continue to physically detain him for nearly eight minutes, during which time the man can be heard screaming and crying while claiming that he can’t breathe and that the controllers are hurting his arm. other passengers can be heard asking the controllers to let the man off the ground, but are told by the controllers to mind their own business. one of the controllers can also be heard asking the unknown individual filming the incident to refrain from doing so, but the amateur cameraman refuses the request.

The video was uploaded to YouTube on September 19, but it was only in the last week that the case started to receive mainstream attention. In the YouTube description, the uploader wrote that the incident began when, on a routine ticket check, the young man – who gives his first name as Simon – shows the controller a paper train pass (klippekort) that does not contain enough stamps. when asked by the controller why there aren’t a proper number of stamps, Simon responded: “Because I’m a pyschopath.” The witness wrote that the young man did not appear threatening and remained in his seat “completely passive and staring out the window”. The incident escalated when a second ticket controller arrived and told Simon to leave his seat and head to the standing area. The YouTube description states that the original ticket controller “seemed hesitant” but the second controller roughly grabbed Simon’s arm and tried to pull him out of his seat. The young man and both controllers began yelling and the fellow passenger began filming the incident. Now, the two controllers

involved face disciplinary action from DSB. DSB’s sales director, Niklas Marschall, told Politiken newspaper that the rail operator is performing an internal investigation. “This is a huge case for us,” Marschall said. “All our internal resources are devoted to following up and clarifying the incident.” The Copenhagen Post spoke with Marschall on wednesday afternoon and although he refused to comment on whether the ticket controllers had been fired, he said that the case had been closed and DSB “had taken the necessary steps to ensure this kind of episode won’t happen again”. Last week, Marschall told Politiken that ticket controllers are under no circumstances supposed to lay their hands on passengers and should instead call the police if confronted with an unstable situation. In the videotaped incident, the controllers do call the police. Two police officers – one female and one male – arrived when the train reached Nørreport Station and were able to calm the man down. After brief-

youtube

justin cremer

DsB wouldn’t confirm whether the controllers had been fired, but said they had closed their investigation

ly detaining the man, Copenhagen Police decided they would press no charges against him and chose to drive him home “due to his state of mind”. The video set off a debate about the actions of DSB ticket controllers, with several YouTube commentators stating that the video did not represent

an isolated event. when Politiken asked its readers if they had ever experienced a violent situation with train staff, 16 concrete examples were reported. Two passengers on the train when the incident took place, however, defended the controllers’ actions to Politiken. “The man resorted to physical

self-defence and screaming, which was threatening to the officers and incredibly uncomfortable for the others [on the train],” passenger Anders DuPont told Politiken. “I think it was fair enough.” Passenger Claus wessel also defended the controllers, saying he was “glad they handled it the way they did”.

supermarkets using fat tax to police failed to act on ‘amager attacker’ tip-off in 1990 fatten their bottom line

ITh The introduction of the ‘fat tax’ on october 1, Danish consumers knew their wallets would be taking a hit on products such as butter, cream cheese, and other foods with a high saturated fat content. what wasn’t known was that supermarkets would use the tax to fatten their bottom line. A price check of eight supermarkets, carried out by weekly newspaper Søndagsavisen in cooperation with the Tax Ministry, revealed that prices on many fatty foods were raised significantly higher than warranted by the tax’s introduction. Søndagsavisen’s price check compared the current prices of products – including butter, margarine, various cheeses and creams – with the tax authority Skat’s expected price increases and found that many products were priced at levels higher than what the tax warranted. For example, while Skat calculated that the price of sour cream would increase by 6.6 percent due to the fat tax, the spot check revealed that at Germanowned Aldi supermarket the price of sour cream was raised by a whopping 17.3 percent. Aldi was the worst offender in the study, with Søndagsavisen

finding that the supermarket raised prices on 9 of the 10 inspected products by more than what could be accounted for by the new tax. At Kvickly, the price of butter was raised by 12.7 percent more than the tax could explain, and the price of cheese by 17 percent more. The supermarket Lidl increased the price of sour cream by 15.1 percent more than warranted by the tax. “Supermarkets can determine their own prices, so it is not prohibited,” Vagn Jelsøe of the Danish Consumer Council told Søndagsavisen. “But it doesn’t look good.” Many politicians agreed with Jelsøe, and in response to Søndagsavisen’s revelations have vowed to prohibit supermarkets from exploiting the fat tax. “It is not acceptable to make an extra profit under the cover of the fat tax,” Socialdemokraterne’s (S) food spokesperson orla hav said, according to MetroXpress newspaper. “we would like to take up a debate on whether there are ways to protect the consumer.” enhedslisten food spokesperson Per Clausen also weighed in on the supermarket’s pricing. “It is absurd that these supermarkets take advantage of the situation to improve their profit margin,” Clausen said. “It is completely unacceptable.” The national fat tax is an extra charge on food products with

more than 2.3 percent of saturated fat. The charge amounts to 16 kroner per kilogram of saturated fat. Danish Agriculture and Food Council estimated that it will cost the average family with two adults and two children an extra 1,000 kroner per year if they continue to eat the way they did before the fat tax. In related news, S and the Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF) have now given up their concept of ‘cross-financing’, in which taxes on unhealthy foods and tobacco products would directly be used to finance improvements to the nation’s healthcare system. The money will instead go into a general fund. “The problem with [crossfinancing] in the longer term may be what would happen if the finances either rise or fall. what would happen to the things you use the money for – should they also rise or fall?” S financial spokesperson John Dyrby Paulsen told Politiken. “we still have an element of ‘cross-financing’ in that we will use the money for better welfare, social initiatives, education and research.” Paulsen acknowledged to Politiken, however, that without a committed cross-financing there would be no guarantee that the government parties could deliver on the healthcare promises they made in their joint election manifesto, ‘A Fair Solution’. (JC)

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oPeNhAGeN Police failed to follow up on a precise tip-off that could have led to the earlier arrest of a brutal killer and rapist who went on to terrorise the Amager district for decades. The tip-off came from a witness who reported seeing Marcel Lychau hansen, the man accused of being the ‘Amager Attacker’, near the scene of a murder in Fasanskoven forest in Kalvebod Fælled park at the time the murder took place in August 1990. The witness told Copenhagen Police about the suspicious sighting back in 1990, and was even able to give them hansen’s name because they had attended the same school. But the police did not investigate the tip-off, even though they had considered hansen a suspect in an unsolved murder that took place in the Valby district three years prior. hansen’s girlfriend had provided him with an alibi for the Valby murder, and he was released. Last November police finally arrested hansen. hansen is now charged with both the Fasanskov and Valby murders, as well as seven rape incidents involving eight different women – the latest in November 2010 – in the Greater Copenhagen area. The trial, which began on wednesday at Copenhagen City Court, will run throughout November and December and will

Scanpix

price check reveals that the cost of many products has been raised by rates higher than warranted

here we even have a case where someone gave them a tip with the name of a person who was already known to the police Hansen faces life in prison

hear testimony from 50 witnesses, including several of the rape victims. Among the other witnesses is the man who called police back in 1990 and told them that he had seen hansen in Fasanskoven around the time that 18-year-old Stine Geisler was murdered there. Yet despite the tip-off placing hansen at the scene of the murder at the time it took place, police neither returned the witness’s phone call, nor followed through on the lead to question hansen about the murder. Svend Foldager, head of investigations for the Copenhagen Police, confirmed that a witness contacted them in 1990 in connection with the Fasanskoven murder, and that the witness identified hansen near the scene of the crime at the time it occurred. But no-one followed it up. “It was unfortunately a mistake. The name should have been noted down, and we should have

contacted him. But now that it has come out, the witness can tell his story to the court,” Foldager told the press. Law professor eva Smith from the University of Copenhagen said it was “a mistake and poor police work” that police investigators failed to follow up on the tip-off when they received it 21 years ago. “It’s completely obvious that police should at least check all the clues in murder cases. here we even have a case where someone gave them a tip-off with the name of a person who was already known to the police. It’s really bad,” Smith said. hansen, who is now 46 and a father of two, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors claimed on wednesday that they had overwhelming DNA evidence connecting hansen to the Fasanskov murder and all seven rape incidents. he faces life in prison if found guilty.

4 COVER STORY In or out: Euro debate swirls without Danish input THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 November 2011

mon currency after negotiating the Edinburgh Agreement. But even then, Danish decision makers realised how Euro advocates say Denmark needs a important the euro would be to the voice at the table; detractors say now is country’s economic stability. So Nationnot the time to join albanken participated in its planning to ensure price stability and an effective exAST WEEK the euro was given change rate co-operation between euro a lifeline. Should Greek voters and non-euro states. With the krone’s value set closely to agree on a referendum to accept a debt package forged by the 17 the value of the euro through the EuropeEurozone leaders last Thursday, it is an Exchange Rate Mechanism, their fates thought that the common currency will on the currency markets are intimately enter a new era of increased co-opera- tied – if the euro does well so to does tion and stability. Should they reject it, the krone. And in many ways the euro some analysts predict it will be the death has done well. As the debt crisis kicked in, the common currency prevented knell of the common currency. But not everyone who has a stake Eurozone members from competitively in the future of the euro has their voice devaluing their currencies to cheapen heard at the negotiating table. While their products on the export market, a Danish voters have repeatedly voiced measure which could have destabilised their support for keeping the krone, its economies across the continent. The basic premise for introducing value is pegged to the euro and follows its fluctuations on the currency markets. the euro was that it would remove barDecisions made about the future of the riers between European economies and increase trade and ineuro will ultimately afvestment across the fect the krone, and yet continent. And it is PM Helle Thorninggenerally accepted to Schmidt was not given have worked, with a place at the table. some figures showing Following last We obey all the rules that trade and investweek’s meetings, an but we don’t have any ment across Europe ineditorial in Politiken creased by five percent newspaper argued that political influence after its adoption. Denmark could no But joining the longer afford to remain euro would not be without its sacrificin self-imposed exile. “The strengthened co-operation be- es. Eurozone members must abandon tween the euro countries demonstrates unilateral monetary policies for a comDenmark’s long-term problem by stand- mon policy set by the European Cening outside the common currency,” the tral Bank (ECB). Eurozone members enjoy a say in paper wrote. “No euro, no influence.” Denmark’s special relationship with policy making, but Denmark is excludthe euro began in the early 1990s when ed from these discussions despite the it was allowed to opt out of the com- fact the krone is pegged to the euro. According to John Bo Northroup, the managing editor of the weekly financial newsletter Øknomisk Ugebrev, Denmark is in an unfortunate situation in which its monetary policy is being determined externally without it having a say. “We obey all the rules but we don’t have any political influence. We saw this in the aftermath of the While the Danish PM gets a place in the room, the country’s crisis that Danish ofrefusal to adopt the euro keeps her from the negotiating table ficials and politicians

AVIAJA NIELSEN

PETER STANNERS

SCANPIX

If the Eurozone countries develop a tighter union, will Denmark be left out in the cold?

were physically excluded from the negotiations,” Northroup said. “This came as a shock because so far Danish politicians have been used to being in the room during negotiations and they are used to knowing what’s going on. But now we lack any political influence.” The problems of Denmark’s outsider status have long been discussed. The former prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, explained to Bloomberg in 2008 that by not adopting the euro, Denmark had damaged its interests. “De facto, Denmark participates in the Eurozone but without having a seat at the table where decisions are made, and that’s a political problem,” Rasmussen said. “It’s a loss of influence and is in contradiction with basic Danish interests, and this is the reason why I would like to abolish the euro opt-out.” Even though Denmark would stand to gain influence by adopting the euro, opponents say giving up the krone and handing over formal authority on monetary policy to the EU will do little to benefit Denmark. “I think they’re wrong,” Rina Ronja Kari from anti-EU group Folkebevæglsen Mod EU said when asked whether she agreed with the views of experts who think Denmark would be better off with the euro. “I think it would be stupid to join as it stands now. [The German chancel-

lor] Angela Merkel is basically in charge of the European economy so even if we did join now and get a voice it would only be a small voice. We would lose a lot of influence over our own economy.” According to Kari, the solution is for Denmark to disconnect the krone from the euro and allow it to float on the currency markets like the Swedish krona. Denmark would still be able to trade and co-operate with the rest of Europe, though completely on its own terms. “The krone is connected to the euro but we could choose not to be,” Kari said. “That would change the power structure and bring us more influence over our own economy.” Kari is not alone in wanting to return economic sovereignty to Denmark. The continued debt crisis in Europe has contributed to surging anti-euro sentiment. A poll published by financial daily Børsen in October found that 65 percent of adults were opposed to adopting the euro. Traditionally the split is closer to 50/50. But while Danish voters may want to keep the krone, almost all of their major political parties support its adoption. Ever since the 2000 referendum on joining the euro was defeated, a second referendum has been discussed yet never materialised. But how could the euro enjoy so much political support without it being reflected in public opinion? According

Even if we did join now and get a voice it would only be a small voice. We would lose a lot of influence over our own economy to Northroup, business leaders share some of the blame. “In Denmark the popular perception of the euro is delinked to the business perception,” Northroup said. “Danish business leaders are rather anonymous and don’t take part in the everyday political and economical debate. If we had more of these figures explaining how these things worked together and their impact, it might affect popular opinion.” Peter Nedergaard, a professor of political science at the University of Copenhagen, agreed that the benefits of European co-operation were not adequately explained. “In general I think most people in Europe don’t realise how affected they are by EU decision-making,” he said. “And that goes for environmental policy, internal market policy and decisions about the Eurozone. It doesn’t matter what it is, people don’t realise we are already like a federation when it comes to these proposals.” Nedergaard also agreed that Denmark would benefit in the long-term from joining the euro. “In the short-term we would benefit from not being part of the euro, but on the other hand the EU is not a game that is played once, it is a continuing game. And if you are disloyal in the short-term you will lose influence in the long-term.” If Denmark did join the euro, the benefits could include better transparency to foreign markets, a decrease in interest rates and, most importantly, a seat at the table when European economic policy is decided. But membership would come at a price, with Denmark having to stump up money to support the European Financial and Stability Fund (EFSF) to the tune of several billion euros. The question voters will have to answer is whether that’s a price they want to pay to have even a small voice at an increasingly important table.

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Human rights court approves Rwandan’s extradition SCANPIX

PETER STANNERS Sylvère Ahorugeze says charges against him are concocted and that he would face an unfair trial in Rwanda

RWANDAN man living in Denmark has lost his appeal in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against an attempt to extradite him to face charges of genocide. Rwanda accuses Sylvère Ahorugeze, a Hutu, of involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity in the 1994 atrocities in which about 800,000 people were killed. Ahorugeze, who was the head of the Rwandan civil aviation authority at the time, is alleged to have participated in the murder of 25 Tutsis, whose bodies were abandoned in a latrine pit outside the capital of Kigali. Last week’s ruling by the ECHR would allow the 56-yearold to be extradited from Denmark, where he returned to this July when he was released after serving a three-year prison sentence in Sweden. Ahorugeze’s Swedish lawyer, Hans Bredberg, said his client would appeal against the decision. The Rwandan government made its first attempt to extradite Ahorugeze from Denmark

Sylvère Ahorugeze denies any involvement in the murder of 25 Tutsis

in 2007, six years after he had been granted asylum here. He was arrested and detained for 11 months before the Danish authorities decided the extradition claim had insufficient evidence. He received several million kroner in compensation after his release. In July 2008, after attempting to renew his passport in Sweden, Ahorugeze was arrested by police exercising an international arrest warrant. After a year’s detention, the Swedish Supreme Court decided in July 2009 that Ahorugeze could be extradited to Rwanda. They concluded that his human rights would not be violated as life imprisonment in isolation and the death penalty had both

been abolished in the country. The decision by the Swedish authorities to extradite Ahorugeze was arrived at after they received more detailed information linking him to the crime. “The case was concluded in Denmark at the time because we could not find sufficient evidence that the accused was present at the scene of the crime,” Lars Plum from the Danish Public Prosecutions Office told Ritzau. Following the Swedish Supreme Court’s decision to extradite him, Ahorugeze submitted a complaint to the EHCR, alleging that if extradited he risked torture, inadequate care for his heart condition and persecution as a Hutu. Swedish authorities sus-

pended his extradition awaiting a verdict from the EHCR. But this July, after three years of detention, the Swedish Supreme Court decided there was insufficient reason to keep Ahorugeze detained while they waited for a decision. He was released and returned to his family in Denmark. The EHCR finally handed down its ruling last week, removing any legal barrier blocking his extradition from Denmark to Rwanda. Ahorugeze has denied any involvement in the murders. He alleges the charges have been concocted as a reprisal for knowing that the forces of the current President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, were responsible for the shooting down of President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane in 1994. The shooting down of Habyarimana’s plane is considered to be the catalyst for the genocide in which 800,000 people were killed, about 20 percent of Rwanda’s population, in 100 days. Ahorugeze believes that his fate in Rwanda is already sealed and that he would not receive a fair trial, though according to his lawyer he was willing to give evidence at the ECHR. “If he is called for an oral hearing at the European Court of Human Rights he will go. He wants to clear his name,” Bredberg told the Swedish news agency TT in July.

Danish forces called home from Libya Military effort enforcing Libyan no-fly zone is complete, defence minister confirms

HE UN Security Council voted last week on Thursday to end Nato’s mandate for military action in Libya. Danish military personnel were therefore due to be returning from their mission in the country this week, according to the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup. “What will happen is that after October 31 our planes and troops will return home. First our planes will come home within a day or two, and then our personnel will return within three or four days,” Hakkerup told the Ritzau news agency. The Security Council’s vote was in line with Nato’s own decision to end its mission in the north African country on the same day. However, it comes despite a request from Libya’s new government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), for Nato to continue patrolling the skies over the country until the end of the year. Nato, which started enforcing the no-fly zone in March, officially decided to pull out during a meeting in Brussels last

It has been a successful mission that has prevented the loss of many lives week on Tuesday. A total of 73 Danish military personnel and six F-16 jets are currently stationed in Sigonella, Italy, as part of the Nato force. Hækkerup said the majority would be home shortly after the mission ended on Monday. “Some of the material we need to bring home is cumbersome and will take some time to bring home. So when the mission is over, we will pack up as quickly as possible because we don’t have more to do there.” Villy Søvndal, the foreign minister, was pleased with the decision to pull out. “It’s encouraging that we can formally put an end to our military effort over Libya. We now have the UN’s word that the mandate to protect the civilian population has ended. It has been a successful mission that has prevented the loss of many lives,” he said. (PS)

Aid group: Somalia hostages unharmed SCANPIX

Bodyguard admits betraying Danish and American aid workers

HE DANISH and American aid workers, Poul Hagen Thisted and Jessica Buchanan, are alive and well, the Danish Refugee Council learned on Sunday. The aid agency is now appealing to Somali tribal leaders and clan elders to help get the hostages released. The two humanitarian workers, aged 60 and 32 respectively, were kidnapped in Galkayo in Somalia’s central tribal region last week on Tuesday. They were working for the Danish Refugee Council’s mine clearance group, which has since halted its activities in Somalia. “It is truly a relief that we now have received the message that they are as well as possible considering their circumstances,” said Ann Mary Olsen, the head of the Danish Refugee Council’s international operations. Olsen told Politiken newspaper that she received news about Thisted and Buchanan from a reliable source. According to the website Somalia Report, two pirates were killed and three were wounded on Saturday when rival clans clashed over the control of the two hostages. The clashes in Hinlabi, some 160 kilometres east of Adado, erupted after a second group of pirates from Galkayo attempted

The kidnapping was a reminder that pirates also operate on land

Surveillance aircraft to be deployed against pirates AN AIR FORCE surveillance aircraft will be deployed off Somalia’s coast in a bid to tackle piracy in the region, the government said last week. From January 2012, the Challenger surveillance aircraft will assist in aerial patrols for an initial two-month period as part of a Nato coalition force operating

against pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, Navy frigate Absalon is sailing again to the waters off the Horn of Africa with a crew of 150 to strengthen the Nato mission known as Operation Ocean Shield. There is now a total of 190 Danish military personnel deployed in Gulf of Aden operations.

to forcibly take control of the kidnapped aid workers. Thisted and Buchanan were taking part in a mine clearance seminar Galkayo last week when 10 heavily armed men surrounded their vehicle. It was initially reported that a Somali bodyguard had also been kidnapped. But according to Somalia Report, Abdirisak Ma’in Sheikh Dhere, who pretended to be their head of security, admit-

ted to Somali police the following day that he had conspired with pirates to abduct the hostages. Dhere said the aid workers were being transferred to the Mudug region and would be handed over to a local pirate group. The Galkayo region is split between a northern section under the control of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and a southern part under the control of the Galmadug clan. (JW)

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 November 2011

Reunification rejection highlights cohabitation Catch-22 JENNIFER BULEY Immigration Service claimed couple needed residency permits just to qualify for a residency permit

Q: Why can’t you live in Denmark, your own country, with your girlfriend?

A: This is also what I ask myself. Why not? I was born Danish and have lived here all my life. I own a house. We haven’t done anything wrong. But still the government says, ‘No’. PHOTOS: JENNIFER BULEY

ANISH citizen Alwin Göttsche and his Thai girlfriend Urai Chanthipa are fighting for the simple right to live together in Denmark. Göttsche and Chanthipa met in Phuket in December 2008. It was not Göttsche’s first time in Thailand; he and his late wife, Laila, had long shared an interest in Thai culture and travelled there many times in their 44 years of marriage. When Laila died in January 2006, Göttsche continued their tradition of holidays in Thailand. On a visit in December 2008, he met Urai Chanthipa, a Thai woman who was working at the hotel where he was staying. Short conversations blossomed into a friendship, and when Göttsche returned to Denmark two weeks later they started writing emails to each other. A couple of months later, Göttsche returned to Thailand to see Chanthipa and their friendship developed into a romance. Göttsche said he admires Chanthipa’s intelligence, kindness, and industriousness. She began working as a poor, teenage tailor’s assistant in Bangkok, but later started her own retail clothing business. She saved up and bought her parents the small rubber plantation that is now their livelihood. Since meeting Göttsche, Chanthipa has been learning Danish and English, while working on a book about her life. Göttsche himself is retired now after a 30-year career with book publisher Gyldendal. In January 2010, a year after they first met, they got an apartment together in Phuket. Göttsche returned to Denmark a few times to look after his house in Fredensborg and to see his son and two grandchildren. But in May 2010, Chanthipa came with him to Denmark for the first time and ever since then, they have travelled together between their respective countries, always leaving Denmark just before Chanthipa’s 90-day tourist visas expire. By June 2011, they figured they qualified for family reunification in Denmark. They submitted their application on June 9 and two months later received a confirmation from the Immigration Service that their application and documentation was complete. Just three weeks later, however, their case was rejected on the grounds that they had failed to document a “regular cohabitation of prolonged duration”. Family reunification rules stipulate that couples must live together in steady or “regular” cohabitation for a mini-

Danish citizen Alwin Göttsche and his Thai girlfriend Urai Chanthipa say that the residency standards present a case of circular logic

mum of 18 months to qualify for family reunification in Denmark. Yet while acknowledging that Göttsche and Chanthipa had lived together for as long as 20 months, the Immigration Service decided that theirs did not count as “regular cohabitation”. “You have lived with one another on holidays [emphasis added] in Denmark and Thailand, since 12 January 2010, as Alwin Agger Göttsche has not had residency in Thailand, and [Urai Chanthipa] does not have valid residency in Denmark,” the rejection letter stated. The explanation points to an apparent Catch-22: Göttsche and Chanthipa had to prove “regular cohabitation” in order to give Chanthipa the right to long-term residency in Denmark. But their cohabitation was considered “holiday” cohabitation – not “regular” – because neither one had long-term residency in the other’s country. “It’s incongruous that our commuting was characterised as holiday time when, by law, Urai had to leave Denmark two times. By the same token, as her partner, I had to maintain a suitably large residence [in Denmark] simply to qualify for family reunification,” Göttsche told The Copenhagen Post, explaining his occasional returns to Denmark. Another requirement for family reunification is that the Danish partner must have a sufficiently large residence, and not one in a so-called ‘ghetto’ or ‘vulnerable area’. “I maintain that we do live together,

but in two countries, just as we have been forced to do under Danish law. It’s unreasonable to say that you can’t travel and live together at the same time,” Göttsche added. Åge Kramp, an immigration lawyer who has counselled Göttsche and Chanthipa, agreed that the rejection letter suggested a double-bind. “They went to great lengths to organise their lives to fulfil the Immigration Service’s requirement of establishing ‘regular cohabitation’ by travelling constantly between Thailand and Denmark. But then the Immigration Service said it didn’t count, because they weren’t in one place,” Kramp told The Copenhagen Post. Another thing Göttsche and Chanthipa cannot understand is why the Immigration Service sent them a letter in mid-August confirming that it had all the documents necessary to judge their case, only to reject their application three weeks later on the basis of insufficient documentation. Kramp’s experience has shown that more and more international couples and families have experienced the same paradox in recent years. “My impression is that since 2010, many more cases have been rejected without the Immigration Service asking for extra documentation,” he said. By contrast, Kramp said, when processing work permit applications, the Immigration Service was “quite generous about asking applicants for more

13-year-old denied appeal IN A HIGH-PROFILE immigration case, the Justice Ministry has denied the family reunification appeal of 13-yearold Thai boy Sirapat Kamminsen. Kamminsen was forced to leave Denmark in March of this year, leaving behind his mother, step-father and half-brother. The former Immigration Service (Udlændingeservice) determined that he was not sufficiently capable of integrating and he was sent to Thailand despite having no close relatives there

who could care for him. He has since been living with an elderly school teacher who took pity on him. The family had hoped that an appeal would lead to the boy being reunited with his family, but last week the Justice Ministry upheld the original ruling and determined that Kamminsen was not capable of successfully integrating to Denmark. The decision was handed down the day before his thirteenth birthday. (JC)

information if they thought there was a reasonable chance they might have it”. Göttsche and Chanthipa are appealing the rejection. As long as their appeal is pending, Chanthipa can stay in Denmark. But if they receive another rejection, she will be forced to leave the country on seven days’ notice. Couples like Göttsche and Chanthipa are looking to the new Socialdemokraterne-Radikale-Socialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) government, hoping that the existing family reunification rules will be significantly eased, or interpreted differently. SRSF have already made one major change: they have abolished the Immigration Ministry and its administrative arm, the Immigration Service, transferring most of their responsibilities to the Justice Ministry. They have also prom-

ised that moving forward family reunification cases will be handled with fairness and transparency. But one month into the new government, many of the previous government’s toughest rules still stand. Kramp, however, is optimistic. SRSF have promised to review the rules regarding reunification for children, and have proposed creating an independent appeals committee for family reunification complaints. He believes that such an independent, expert appeals panel would deliver some new family reunification judgments based on a broader understanding of both EU law and human rights conventions. For the time being, however, there is nothing for couples like Göttsche and Chanthipa to do but to wait and hope for a better outcome.

ONLINE THIS WEEK World’s thickest book details unemployment benefits

Taken down by a text message

THE WORLD’S thickest book is about to be published here in Denmark. The book is 23,675 pages long, but its contents and publisher are as noteworthy as its length. For the publisher is none other than Min A-kasse, and in its voluminous pages you can read the entire legal framework around which Denmark’s unemployment insurance funds are administered. Min A-kasse said the

ONE MONTH after watching his political career blow up, the former S political spokesperson Henrik Sass Larsen has released a record of the events that led to his resignation and withdrawal as a ministerial candidate. Larsen released the text messages he says were grounds for his failure to pass domestic security agency PET’s standard clearance for prospective ministers. Far from

purpose of the book is to encourage debate about the growing bureaucracy surrounding unemployment benefits. Half a century ago Denmark’s unemployment benefits legislation filled only 421 pages. That grew to 17,000 pages in 2000 and an additional 7,000 pages have been added since then. The organisation expects the book to make the Guinness Book of World Records.

Ethics panel approves forced dementia treatment clearing up the matter, however, many experts said the messages hint at a different story than the one he presented last month. Larsen is now also embroiled in ‘Vanilla-gate’, in which the owners of a Køge restaurant called Cafe Vanilla told police they had supplied Larsen with drugs. So far, Thorning-Schmidt and the justice minister have refused to comment on the case.

TREATMENT for dementia and other conditions that could render an individual senile should be made compulsory, claims the national ethics panel Det Etiske Råd. In recommending that forced treatment be permitted, the panel concluded that if treatment is in the patient’s best interest, then failure to treat would be

akin to neglect. Approximately 80,000 Danes currently suffer from dementia but that number is expected to double over the next 30 years as life expectancy increases. When it comes to the use of force to administer treatment, Det Etiske Råd said such measures should be “proportionate to the need for treatment”.

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OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

Current euro relationship the worst of both worlds

4 - 10 November 2011

An independent Greenland can pay its own way

HEN ASKED, a majority of voters in 2000 said ‘nej’ to joining the euro. And whether their decisions were made on nationalistic or economic grounds – or out of plain uncertainty – their expectation was that by rejecting the common currency, Denmark would remain master of its own economic domain. The reality, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. As any traveller can tell you, prices here are still listed in kroner and øre, but the value of the krone is pegged to the euro and, as any homeowner can tell you, this means interest rates are normally changed to match rate changes in the Eurozone. But even though Denmark is a Eurozone country in all ways but name, the recent summits spurred by the failing Greek economy show that only full-fledged membership counts when it comes to making the big decisions. With the Eurozone moving towards closer co-operation, the time has come for Denmark to decide whether it is fully in or fully out. Withdrawing entirely and allowing the krone to float freely against the euro and other currencies is one option. This is the path followed by Sweden and the UK, and the current economic situations in both countries show that economic growth is just as much a matter of reforms as currency decisions are. Given the problems plaguing the euro right now, it would certainly be easier to sell a full withdrawal from the euro to voters. However, turning away from the euro entirely would be akin to rejecting Denmark’s role in the EU and the benefits the country has gained from the stability it provides. The EU has been credited with providing political stability in Europe, and with the proper reforms, the euro has the potential to do the same for its economy. As an exporting nation, Denmark has a stable exchange rate with major markets in Europe, which has benefited businesses by giving them some security against currency fluctuations. Even before the introduction of the euro, the goal of Denmark’s monetary policy was to hold the krone stable. Doing so was accomplished by tying the krone to first the pound sterling and then the Deutschmark. Tying the krone to the euro puts us in much the same position, but the difference is that we now have the chance to get a seat at the negotiating table. Denmark has always caught a cold when major economies sneeze. Adopting the euro won’t prevent the economy from getting sick again, but it will at least allow us to have some say in what the treatment is.

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JØRGEN FLEISCHER

E IN GREENLAND are eager to gain our independence. But, typical for us Greenlanders, we rarely think of the financial consequences of breaking away from Denmark. It goes without saying that there are costs involved with being an independent state. And where are we going to get the money it would take to run an independent Greenland? In order to become independent, the first thing we would need to do would be to assume the areas of responsibility currently managed by the Danish state, including law enforcement and the judiciary. And, we’d also need to give up the 3.5 billion kroner Denmark gives to Greenland in the form of a block grant each year. And those aren’t the only financial consequences. We can add responsibilities such as coastal surveillance, patrol, and search

and rescue to the list of responsibilities we rely on Denmark for. This summer, we saw multiple Danish Navy warships patrolling our coastline and carrying out rescue operations. An independent Greenland would need to acquire the warships necessary for carrying out these operations. Ships like these won’t come cheap, however. So, what would happen once Greenland earned its independence? Well, the first thing we’d see would be foreign diplomats coming to Greenland. One of the first that would establish a relationship with us would undoubtedly be the US. Greenland is a part of the American sphere of interest, according to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. And Greenland is an attractive partner for the US in its efforts to provide for its national defence. It’s highly likely that the US, in order to hang on to Thule Air Base, would offer to provide the Republic of Greenland with defence, coastal surveillance, patrolling, and search and rescue. In general, we can expect that the US would play a key role for an independent Greenland. English would undoubtedly displace Danish in Greenlandic society. You can’t use Danish to communicate with the rest of the world, and English is the obvious

choice to replace it. English would become the most important language in Greenland and Greenlandic would remain the everyday language, just as it is today under the self-rule government. During a recent youth conference in Ilulissat, we were given an idea of what this would be like. Two 13-year-olds – one a boy from northern Greenland who spoke little Danish, and a Danish-speaking girl from southern Greenland – found themselves communicating, and becoming friends in English. It’s worth remembering that independence is nothing new for Greenland. During the Second World War, we did just fine economically, thanks to the war effort and our supply of the mineral cryolite, which is used in producing aluminium. At that time we were protected by the US, and it built bases on both coasts. Today, the runways the US built in Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq are today’s Greenland’s ports of entry. Greenland relied on exports of its mineral deposits to survive the war. Today, we are planning to build our future on minerals and oil. And Greenland, it appears, is filthy rich, according to MP Doris Jacbosen. Or as the Danish-Canadian prospector Niels Ægidius Andersen once said: northern Greenland is

We can expect that the US would play a key role for an independent Greenland

awash in an ocean of oil. Mining companies are standing on our doorstep to begin digging into those riches. Experts also say Greenland houses some of the world’s largest remaining oil reserves. When the rest of the world’s oil wells begin to run dry, they will turn their sights on Greenland. And with increasing global temperatures, Greenland could also become a nation of farmers. With all this potential, people down south shouldn’t get too worried about whether we’ll be able to take care of ourselves up here once we proclaim our independence. The author is a journalist, editor and politician. This article was originally published by Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper and is reprinted here as part of our editorial co-operation. For more Greenlandic news in English, visit sermitsiaq.ag/ oil-and-minerals.

READER COMMENTS Gas-guzzler tax What is already one of the oldest fleets of pollution-generating vehicles in the world is about to get older. An entirely new business sector dedicated to Cuban-style prolonging of vehicle life is about to emerge in Denmark. The inability to think beyond revenue generation and see consequences is a Danish cultural defect. The correct “behavioural modification” technique is to reduce taxes on energy-efficient vehicles. But of course Denmark can use the additional revenue from the new vehicle tax to simply purchase more carbon credits from somewhere else, while pointing crooked little fingers at the rest of the world and shouting, “See? SEE? Aren’t we good?” Tomnashdk By website How do you mean Tom? I understood the article to mean that people with older cars would be financially worse off. My understanding would be that more people would therefore purchase newer models that fall into the lesser polluting categories? And as a supplementary point, doesn’t the purchase, and therefore increased production of more cars and increased disposal of old cars, cancel out the advantage of not running old polluters via the environmental damage that increased industrial car production create? Wouldn’t it make more sense for tax laws and public transport schemes to be introduced to discourage car ownership, thus

lessen production, and schemes introduced to modify older more polluting existing models? Jer er By website This is ridiculous! This is not about using taxes “for the betterment of all” - the government is using the tax code as a weapon! Live how we tell you to live, do what we tell you to do, or we’ll empty your bank account. What’s next? Increasing the income tax on anyone who doesn’t paint their house yellow? Sunnchilde By website I am not sure that our current government understands that DK includes areas that are outside of Storkøbenhavn. Thorvaldsen By website Danish colonialism The problem is that Denmark sold the Danish West Indies and its people. Neither Christian X or US president Woodrow Wilson emancipated the enslaved Danish subjects of the Danish West Indies from serfdom slavery before the islands were transferred in 1917 to the USA. This system of slavery was sanctioned by King Frederick VII on 18 August1853. Currently, five to ten people are alive today who were born before the transfer of 1917. The former prime minister of Denmark, Lars L. Rasmussen, did not want to correct this injustice during this tenure, and I am not sure Thorning Schmidt will either. The horrors of Danish colonialism still

haunt the people of the former Danish West Indies (now the United States Virgin Islands) today. When will the Danish government and its people do what is right by these last surviving slaves. Cruzian By website

all the street partying and completely drunk. Now why didn’t that idea work and we lost 1 million kroner? PC By website

Centuries before communications ruled the world, any wellheeled group of Europeans could enslave and colonise less wealthy communities in (then) far off lands. Now only the superpowers can get away with it! Oldjanus By website

I like her work. What cracks me up is how harsh her Danish accent is, and yet her English is beautiful. Very strange, ever notice? MissFuzzy By website

Grow a mo’ and raise some dough How cute! I do wish some enterprising clever marketing person could coax men into growing their hair back on top, though. This army of chrome domes is a little wearing after awhile. MissFuzzy By website Distortion’s rethink So we will convince the City Council to allow people to set up stages, and play music in the streets and let them party there for free while they bring their own drinks or buy them cheap from other people carrying them around in Christiania bikes. If we do that maybe they will be convinced to buy a ridiculously priced ticket to go inside a club and listen to music like they can do every other weekend. But, we will also have a big restricted concert area that people can go to after they are exhausted from

Who is ... Iben Hjejle?

Perhaps it would be worthwhile mentioning Iben Hjejle’s work in promoting the sale of mink products on behalf of Copenhagen Fur. Pete By Website Farm life tied to lower allergy rates I am sorry did I miss something? People have known for years that a little muck never hurt anyone; people want to live in their sterile world are prone to anything that is going around - they have no antibodies to fight it. A friend of mine visited me some years ago from Jamaica. He found it funny that people had allergies to nuts. Sanitising, hand washes for normal people is not needed. ‘Disinfect this and that’ can only lead to problems. I have not raised my children in a sterile bubble: they get dirty, probably have eaten their fair share of mud, they do not have any allergies. I think they could have saved millions if they had asked the older generations about this. Rugratzz By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 -10 November 2011

Pernickety Dicky BY RICHARD STEED English by nature – Danish at heart. Freelance journalist Richard Steed has lived in Copenhagen for nearly five years now. “I love this city and want Copenhagen to be a shining example to the rest of the world.”

A little more English please COLOURBOX

S COPENHAGEN really an international metropolis or just another provincial Scandinavian city? That is the question I am asking myself right now, as I am beginning to wonder if Copenhagen is deceiving itself, thinking it is something it is not. There seems to be something of a paradox going on here. I’ll give you an example of what I mean. I recently went for a job contract with a new English-speaking international website being launched here in Copenhagen. Even though it was aimed at an international audience, I didn’t get the contract because of my lack of Danish language skills. The Danish workforce launching the website decided my Danish wasn’t sufficient enough to be able to have meaningful conversations in the office. In my view it was a strange decision. If I’m visiting my local doctor or dentist, then having a conversation in Danish makes sense, and that is something I try to do. But not working on an Englishlanguage project for the international market. This highlights to me the paradox facing this city. The Danes seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. You could argue that I could have lied and said in the job interview that I was actively learning Danish, yet I don’t believe that is the right answer. Obviously I will carry on integrating myself and will try to speak as much Danish as possible. Yet I will never be fluent in Danish, and anyway, I make my money from writing in English. I know what you’re thinking - if I lived in Berlin or Paris then I would need to learn German or French. Yet Copenhagen, because of its tiny size and population, needs to speak more English so it can attract the best foreign applicants to live and work here. And

Copenhagen: international metropolis or just another regional provincial city?

when they do get here why should these foreign nationals feel like outsiders because they don’t speak Danish? (I would love to know how many corporate companies in Denmark actually speak English in their office.) The Danish language is one of the

most powerful languages in the world and also one of the most difficult to learn. I can guarantee that fact, as it’s still somewhat alien to me. Of course regional languages are extremely important, a great unifier, bringing people together and also a great way of un-

derstanding the culture. So long live the Danish language! But seriously, if you really just want to speak Danish and nothing else, then please go back to Jutland. I hope I don’t sound like an imperialist here, expecting everybody to speak

If you really want to speak Danish and nothing else, then please go back to Jutland

English to me! To give Danes credit, their English language skills are already amazing. But in my view, if Copenhagen really wants to be a place - open to all - then it also needs to sell itself as a bilingual city. A good example is Wales. The Welsh are extremely proud of their regional language, yet realise to survive in the wider world they also need to speak English. So in the capital Cardiff you will find road signposts, council and tax literature, companies and organisations all catering for both markets. Also in many office environments, both languages are commonly used. Maybe Copenhagen could find some inspiration from this unique approach to a dualistic language? If Copenhagen in reality is just another regional provincial capital city, then obviously learning Danish is an important part of the experience and makes total sense. I mean if I went to Warsaw to live, then learning Polish would be a necessity. Yet I was led to believe that Copenhagen was tolerant and open-minded enough to welcome outsiders and make them part of this city. So here is my compromise: I will speak more Danish if Copenhageners accept that it’s time to talk more English.

CPH POST VOICES

‘STILL ADJUSTING’

‘TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK’

‘MACCARTHY’S WORLD’

‘SO SAYS CELIA’

A proud native of the American state of Iowa, Justin Cremer has been living in Copenhagen since June 2010. In addition to working at the CPH Post, he balances fatherhood, the Danish language and the ever-changing immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph

Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage to a Dane. Frank comes from a different time and a different culture – which values are the right ones today?

Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.

Celia Thaysen is a British love refugee who landed on these shores six years ago. With below-par Danish, a tendency to tardiness, and a fondness for Marmite, she spends her time fumbling her way through unfamiliar territory as a working mother-of-two with a house in the ‘burbs.

10 NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 November 2011

Guerilla guides: loitering on street corners and soliciting lost tourists The Facebook movement that aims to show the world that there’s more to Denmark than just border control

INCE JUNE of this year, there has been a covert social movement sweeping Copenhagen. It comes quickly without warning, solves problems faster than the speed of light, and then disappears before your very eyes. Welcome to the world of Guerrilla Guiding Copenhagen. The concept is simple. Map-savvy Danes roam the streets in search of lost tourists on the streets of Copenhagen. Once located, they ask them if they need help or directions and, after helping them, take a picture and upload it onto the group’s Facebook page. The non-profit organisation was founded by Anton Greiffenberg, the senior account manager at MSL Copenhagen. “I and my colleagues were on our way to a concert, and I stopped to help a lost Japanese couple,” he recalled. “My colleagues were in some way impressed; they’d never thought of stopping. So we started talking about how to create an inspiring community to guide others and suddenly we came up with the name and concept of Guerrilla Guiding Copenhagen.”

GUERILLA GUIDING

JESSICA O’ SULLIVAN

It’s easy to become a Guerilla Guide – just go out and help someone who seems lost Greiffenberg regards Guerrilla Guiding as more than just a Facebook page about helping tourists, hoping it will become an inspirational movement that will help alter foreigners’ perceptions of Danes and Denmark as a closed, unfriendly society that treats strangers with mistrust and distance. Guerrilla Guiding sees the page as a practical and effective way to help change those thoughts, one tourist at a time. By helping strangers on the street and embracing openness and friendliness, Guerilla Guiding hopes to show the world that Danes are about more than just border control. “Every Dane grows up in a social security system where no-one gets left behind,” continued Greiffenberg. “We care for the poor, sick, children and immigrants, so why, if we keep the idea of helping others in mind, are we not better at caring about obviously lost tourists and strangers to our capital?”

Guerilla Guide Anton in action in Kødbyen, no doubt telling these tourists that The Copenhagen Post office is right around the corner

Since its inception earlier this year, Guerrilla Guiding now has 600 likes on Facebook. Whilst it’s hard to know how many lost tourists Guerrilla Guiders has helped, Greiffen-

berg estimates it’s quite a significant amount, “Right from the start we had a goal of helping 1,000 people before the end of the year. Since starting in June, I believe we’ve helped between

600 and 700 up until today.” Guerrilla Guiding not only helps tourists with directions, but their Facebook page also provides a social space for people to connect and share their

experiences of Copenhagen. One only has to read the comments to see the goodwill and happiness generated out of the movement. Guerrilla Guiding hopes to grow over the coming years and, as Greiffenberg explained, it has the potential to become something big. “I seriously believe Guerrilla Guiding as a social media has a growth potential in 2012 as a somewhat next generation way of guiding and inspiring people – not only tourists but Danes in general.” With winter is just around the corner - navigating the labyrinth that is Copenhagen gets even harder in the snow - Guerrilla Guiding is always on the lookout for more guides. “It’s easy to become a Guerrilla Guide – just go out and help someone who seems lost,” said Greiffenberg. “If you want to become part of our community as well, where you can share your best tips and inspire others, just go to the Facebook page, like it and upload your guide experience. It’s really that simple.” Leonardo da Vinci once said: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” and if Guerrilla Guiding is anything to go by, he was probably right. Learn more about the group and getting involved at www.facebook.com/GGCPH

Cheering a Muslim as we do a Murderer Last weekend, millions of Americans (and I) tuned in to watch the premiere of the sixth season of Showtime’s Dexter. The show’s protagonist is a serial killer who follows a personal code of harming only those who have harmed others. Fans of the show identify with him, wondering who his next victim will be and hoping he doesn’t get caught by the police. It doesn’t matter that Dexter is a lying murderer. All that matters is that on some fundamental level, we share certain values with him. To just lump him in with other serial killers — well, that would be prejudicial and downright un-American. It seems that the American entertainment industry can get us to connect with just about anyone. When it does so in a way that challenges hatemongers and the status quo, however, there is inevitable resistance. In 1970, for example, a Mississippi state commission voted to ban Sesame Street because of its racially integrated cast, reversing course only after the decision became a national embarrassment. Of all the diverse fictional characters who have inspired us, Muslim protagonists remain very rare in American entertainment. On some level, I get that. We have a saying in Arabic that after a snake bites you, you become afraid of rope. And some pretty terrible people have done some pretty terrible things in the name of Islam.

Historically, we’ve seen television shows and other cultural forms as reflecting changes in society. The Cosby Show no doubt changed the way white Americans viewed black Americans. But it made an equal impression, I would suggest, on how African Americans viewed themselves. As terrible as its portrayals of bad guys were for Muslims, the Fox show 24 may in a small way have prepared the country for President Obama. The show gave us two seasons of bad white presidents, one of whom looked and acted like Richard Nixon, followed by two good black presidents who happened to be young siblings, one of whom was assassinated and one of whom almost was. “If you tell children (Kennedys, anyone?) they’re stupid enough The following year, times, they start to Obama was elected. believe they’re stupid. (Incidentally, 24’s female president And if you tell them was a disaster. Sorry, they’re terrorists Secretary Clinton!)

enough times, they start to believe they’re terrorists.”

The media don’t only reflect reality; they create reality. And by focusing their energy on demonizing Muslims, we are missing an opportunity to positively influence the next generation. After all, if you tell children they’re stupid enough times, they start to believe they’re stupid. And if you tell them they’re terrorists enough times, they start to believe they’re terrorists.

We live in an age when children are learning the alphabet from Rihanna’s “S&M” and French from Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night.” Surely Muslim protagonists need not be anathema to American entertainment. Portrayals of Muslim doctors and teachers and parents, Muslim heroes and superheroes, and just ordinary Muslims may well help save a generation. But when that day comes, inshallah, we can’t allow hatemongers to operate as Dexter does in the night, stalking and eliminating Muslim protagonists through bullying and boycotts. If they break Dexter’s code and attempt to hurt the innocent, let’s make sure they are named and shamed. Unlike him, they deserve to get caught.

By: Naif Al-Mutawa a Kuwait-born, U.S.-educated psychologist who created “THE 99,” a comic book about a group of superheroes based on Islamic archetypes.

www.islamgate.org

community

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4 - 10 November 2011

Looks like the ambassadors at kUks are really spoiling us PHOTOS: HASSE FERROLD & WORDS: BEN HAMILTON

KUKS celebrated its annual gala on Friday 21 October at City Hall. KUKS, the Cultural Confederation of Foreign Societies, was founded in 1970 to establish better co-operation amongst Denmark’s foreign cultural societies. About 90 bilateral and multilateral societies and international organisations are associated with the organisation, and on Friday a great many of the city’s embassies made their presence felt with some wonderfully colourful and aromatic spreads of the best their countries have to offer. Pictured above is KUKS president Eleanor Bomholt at the New Zealand stand.

The occasion included a number of entertaining cultural performances, including this one by a Chinese dance troupe.

Burkina Faso ambassador Monique Ilboudo …

and Ugandan ambassador Joseph Tomusange and his wife.

Asia was well represented by Korean ambassador Geun-hyeong Japanese ambassador Toshio Sano (left) … Yim (second right) …

Indian ambassador Ashok Kumar Attri and his wife …

and Vietnamese ambassador Vu Van Luu (left) and his wife.

Also representing their countries with stands at the gala were Cypriot ambassador George C Kasoulides (centre) … Venezuela’s charge d’affaire Roger Corbacho Moreno (right) …

and Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena …

while Estonian ambassador Katrin Kivi proved you didn’t need to have a stand to infuse the occasion with your national identity.

Africa was represented by Moroccan ambassador Raja Ghannam …

Ghanian ambassador Hajia Fati Habib-Jawulaa …

COMMUNITY

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4 - 10 November 2011

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

Turkey celebrated its national day with a reception last week on Algeria celebrated its national day on Monday. Pictured here are Algerian ambassador Abdelhamid Boubazine (second right), Thursday. Pictured here are Turkish ambassador Ahmet Berki Dibek his family, and one of their guests, Major General Kurt Mosgaard from the International Security Co-operation. and his wife.

Actors Ian Burns and Adam Brix, and director Barry McKenna, enjoy the applause following a successful premiere of their newly staged version of the two-man play, Edward Albee’s ‘The Zoo Story’, which is playing until late November at Krudttønden. See G2 for more details.

Former foreign minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (right), the current export ambassador to India, celebrated his 70th birthday on Monday. Among the guests was former prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who presented him with a gift card for his favourite restaurant in Majorca – let’s hope one of the other guests gave him an airline ticket. Mange tak and tillykke!

The Czech Republic celebrated its national day last week on Wednesday. Pictured here are Czech ambassador Zdeněk Lyčka and US ambassador Laurie S Fulton.

The prime ministers of all the Nordic and Baltic countries gathered on Monday for a meeting of the Nordic Council. Pictured here (left-right) are Estonia’s Andrus Ansip, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, Iceland’s Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Denmark’s Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Finland’s Jyrki Katainen, Sweden’s Fredrik Reinfeldt, Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis, and Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius.

Living in an Expat world Life is never dull at the national networking platform, Expat in Denmark. From questions regarding complicated tax issues to ones about the Danish psyche, Craig Till has heard it all. Here he shares his insights about the issues that mean most to our community.

A Argentine ambassador Raul Ricardes (second left, back row) was delighted to meet one of his country’s most acclaimed bands, Orquesta Tipica Fernandez Fierro, who were performing at the DR Concert Hall as part of the world music expo, WOMEX, which ended over the weekend.

Armenia has a new ambassador, and his name is Hrachya Aghajanyan. Voghdzuyin!

GREAT MANY members of Over 600 people took part in this Expat in Denmark remark that evening to which each attendee brings they would love to meet and get a dish, ideally from their home country, to know more Danes during their time to share a pot-luck dinner. Whilst this in Denmark, but it’s not always easy ran the risk of an avalanche of porkto gain access to the inner sanctum of based meals, Danes and expats alike Danish social life. excelled in providing a great spread of Last Thursday we held an event various kinds of food for sharing, inwe call Expat Dinners. cluding one young man The basic premise of this who – for the first time regular event is to get exin his life – had cooked pats together with Danes a full dinner. I think – and vice-versa – over a Masterchef awaits, as it plate of food and a glass I left the Expat was a staggeringly good of wine, so we can spend Dinner with a greater first Aeffort. a relaxed evening getnew partner in ting to know each other appreciation of the this event was KODA, a little better. At the risk the Danish musicians of stating yet again what services available union. Earlier in the became a cliché many from libraries all over day, it had been inmoons ago, Danes tend volved in the organito be a wee bit on the re- Denmark sation of ‘Spil Dansk served side. But like any Dag’ (Play Danish other people, they open up when given Day), so in conjunction with this event, the right setting. all the diners were joined by a Danish With this in mind, on this occasion, musician or band. The two dinners I atExpat Dinners was held in 16 towns tended drew two duos, both of whom and cities around Denmark, such as were fantastic and a most impressive Copenhagen, Ikast, Silkeborg, Freder- and welcome improvement on the dross ikshavn, Greve, Herning and Aalborg. that populates X Factor.

So was it a success? Absolutely!! For example, some 126 people were at the Expat Dinner in Aalborg. But what point does it serve? At the events where I took part, I already know that some of the participants are staying in touch with each other, which is great: some new or sturdier bridges were built there, and that after all is the whole point. But, oddly enough, I left the Expat Dinner with a greater appreciation of the services that are delivered by the libraries in Denmark. My memory of libraries extends to my time studying at university, and doesn’t include the plethora of advanced services and products that everyone can now receive through libraries: for example, streaming movies from the libraries’ enormous online catalogue and the provision of activities for kids at the weekend, and also sorting out documents with the kommune and accessing newspapers from over 40 countries. Not bad at all, and it’s well worth popping into your local library when you get the chance. You can certainly borrow books but should also check out a few of these wonderful services. You might be surprised by what you find.

COMMUNITY

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4 - 10 November 2011

One millennium on, the Vikings return to Guernsey, hungry to plunder ÉAMON O’LAIGHIN Following their impressive second place, Copenhagen’s gaelic football side go into this weekend’s ‘home’ tournament in Limerick with an outside chance of retaining the European Shield

OT SINCE the 10th century have so many travelled from Denmark to Guernsey, although this time they went via Gatwick, and they were packing footballs, not axes. Following on from a somewhat disappointing tournament in Brussels a few weeks ago, Copenhagen GAA travelled knowing that an improvement would be required this time out – particularly if there was to be any chance of retaining their coveted European Shield. The omens were not particularly good as the club travelled without coach Phil Murray, captain John Lambert and vicecaptain Kenny Grogan – indeed just four of the team that travelled to Brussels were available on this occasion. A few stalwarts did return, however, and some added firepower was added with Mark O’Kane and Declan Graham making the journey from Stockholm. Trip organiser John Kelleher saw to it that a little divine help would also be at hand, booking the club into a relaxing retreat centre for the weekend. This time out, morning prayers would be

It was an improvised line-up with several veterans returning and some making the journey from Stockholm

more likely than hangovers. The action began with a tough assignment against a very strong Amsterdam outfit that seem hell-bent on taking this year’s Shield. From the off Copenhagen struggled to get to grips with the opposition and were chasing shadows all over the pitch. The Dutch racked up the scores while the Danes spurned the few opportunities that came their way. A hefty defeat was the result. Taking stock of the situation, Copenhagen had to refocus. It was realised that only a berth in the final would see them with a chance of retaining the Shield in Limerick on November 5. Two victories back to

back would be required. Guernsey/Jersey were up next, and the Danes took to the pitch with a steely resolve. All over the pitch the required improvement was evident, but the Channel Islanders would not go down without a fight. Ahead at the break thanks to a goal from Sean Coogan, the second half was frantic, but a harder edge from Copenhagen saw them fight for every ball and never give up the initiative to the opposition. When Kieran Punch was hauled down in the square, a penalty was awarded and converted coolly by Graham. With the game on a knife edge, a last-minute high ball into

COMING UP SOON European PWN-Copenhagen ‘Shaping 2012’ event

Bella Sky Comwell Hotel, Center Boulevard 5, Cph S; Wed 9 Nov, 18:30-20:30; RSVP by Wed to Toni at toniheisterberg@cis.dk or sign up online at www.europeanpwn.net/copenhagen

After a successful year, the European Professional Women’s Network of Copenhagen is now looking forward to 2012. Members are invited to share a glass of wine and light refreshments, and to discuss ideas to further develop the group’s focus. The previous theme was ‘Being the best we can in 2011’, and the women hope to take those goals further. Guests are welcome to book dinner reservations together at the hotel’s skyline restaurant at their own expense. Copenhagen Theatre Circle improvisation workshop

Verdens KulturCentret, Room 103, Nørre Allé, Cph N; Tue 8 Nov, 19:00-21:30

It’s time for another improvisation session with Copenhagen’s theatre enthusiasts. Group leaders will take participants through a range of activities to get them out of their shells and perform. Still a bit hesitant? Come along to watch, and you are welcome to join in if you feel the urge. The evening will be followed by drinks and friendly banter at a local bar.

Morning photo walk

Meeting point next to information cube in Central Station, Kø b e n h a v n s Hov e d b a n e g å rd ; Sun 6 Nov, 06:30-09:30; cost is 30kr for the train all day

Beginning with a train trip to Klampenborg station, this photo walk will take participants around the famous Dyrehaven area at sunrise. Depending on the weather, the morning light conditions will provide amazing opportunities for photographs. The walk is a chance to further develop your photography skills, and is suitable for all levels. Bring your own drinks and snacks, but join us afterwards for coffee. Startup Weekend

Howitzvej 60, Frederiksberg; 18-20 Nov; 450kr per ticket (includes food, beer & DJ); register at www.copenhagen. startupweekend.org or www. facebook.com/copenhagenstartupweekend

The Startup Weekend initiative is a chance for entrepreneurs, developers, designers, marketers and others to come together to turn their ideas into realities. Participants will be put into teams to compete for a 10,000 kr cash prize. Additional prizes include three months of office space at 5te (ITU) and a consultation from Connect Denmark.

the Copenhagen square had the onlookers gasping, but Brendan Fagan – playing midfield – popped up deep in defence and rose above the attacker to punch a clearance that steadied the nerves. Copenhagen would go on to notch up a couple more points from the boot of Coogan, Graham and O’Kane, and see out a tight game 2-08 to 2-04. In the final group game Paris were waiting. Lessons were learned in Brussels a few weeks before, and now these lessons were put into action. Minutes into the game a good passing move from midfield ended with a pass to Graham on the edge of the square. Tightly marked,

Kristian Gregersen in hot pursuit against Paris

he off-loaded to the on-rushing Ed Lyne who made no mistake, blasting into the net. The Danish side continued attacking for the rest of the game, keeping the scoreboard ticking over – O’Kane and Graham in particular made a number of excellent long-range scores. Final score: 1-10 to 1-02, and Copenhagen marched on to the final while the French took to the stands. Another chance to take on Amsterdam was the prize for reaching the final; this time Copenhagen knew the scale of the task. A defensive approach from the beginning would see the Dutch manage just 1-03 in the final, but the effort of contain-

ing this quality side meant few opportunities up front for Copenhagen, who scored just two points. Nevertheless, getting to the final was an achievement in itself, and hopefully Copenhagen can rally the troops and go one better in Limerick this weekend. Meawnhile, the ladies team had a rather disappointing weekend – having made the trip with a strong squad, they learned on Saturday morning that no other teams had travelled. They offered some needed support to the men’s team however, and did some sight-seeing, making the most of a bad hand. Credit is due for the spirit in which they took the disappointing news.

Mo Sista tops Movember scoreboard EiD: International Negotiation and Arla Foods Marketing Strategy lecture Co p e n h a g e n M a r r i o t t Ho t e l , Kalvebod Brygge 5, Cph V; Tue 8 Nov, 18:00-21:00; free; register at www.expatindenmark.com

Anne Marie Bülow, professor, Copenhagen Business School, and Astrid Gade Nielsen, vicepresident at Arla Foods, offer a theoretical and empirical examination of the increasing role that culture plays in today’s corporate communication and marketing strategies. The seminar is designed to provide working knowledge of communications and marketing strategies for a globalised world. EiD: WHO & Novo Nordisk: Health-related Issues of the 21st Century seminar

Marriott Hotel Copenhagen, Kalvebod Brygge 5, Cph V; Wed 9 Nov, 18:00-21:00; register at www.expatindenmark.com

Distinguished speakers from the World Health Organisation and Novo Nordisk will speak about healthy ageing, public health challenges, and international health policies, amongst other related topics. They will discuss problems related to the increasing levels of non-communicable diseases that are spreading through Europe and beyond, such as diabetes and obesity.

JESSICA SLICER

Before and after: Suzanne O’Reilly of ‘Mo Sistas’ cut her hair to raise money for men’s health issues

PETER STANNERS

OVEMBER kicked off in earnest this week, with thousands of men across the country having a clean shave on Sunday night in preparation for growing a moustache to raise vital cash to tackle men’s health issues. But it’s not only ‘Mo Bros’ getting involved. Some women, ‘Mo Sistas’, have also jumped in headfirst to support the cause. One of these is Suzanne O’Reilly, administrative coordinator at Copenhagen International School (CIS). “My main reason to support Movember was so CIS Mo Sistas could show our support towards men’s health. And the best way I could think of doing this was by cutting my hair.”

And it’s been quite a success. O’Reilly has raised over 9,000 kroner in just under a week of the campaign – 3,000 kroner more than second-placed Thomas Sørensen, the Danish national football keeper. “As a woman – with a haircut I would never have dreamed of getting – it was a shock to look in the mirror for the first few days. But it does allow me to think of those who have no choice and have to battle with hair loss and a fight for survival.” O’Reilly added that while she was taking a dose of hair-growth vitamin pills, she hoped that more women would come forward and chop off their hair to help raise awareness. “It’s very liberating and gives you a sense of doing something worthwhile for others in need, so

it takes away the pain of hair loss.” CIS has taken on Movember with verve. Student council president Frederik Petersen and eight male staff are growing moustaches. “We all love it so much here, and we just thought it would be a perfect opportunity to give back to Denmark,” O’Reilly said. Four male staff members at The Copenhagen Post are participating in Movember, though they have quite a ways to go to match O’Reilly. To support her efforts or The Copenhagen Post, please go to http://dk.movember.com, and search for Suzanne O’Reilly, TheCopenhagenPostKevin, TheCopenhagenPostBen, TheCopenhagenPostPeter and/or TheCopenhagenPostDima. If you want to participate, simply head to www.movember. com and sign up.

14 Sport

The CopeNhageN posT CphposT.dk

4 - 10 November 2011

Forget consistency, Woz should be peaking to win grand slams Wozniacki labouring around court last week was a reminder that she plays too much tennis in pursuit of an empty chalice

AROlIne Wozniacki is getting sick of being asked the same question. After nearly every tournament, win or lose, it’s always the same, and it was once again the case after the WTA Championships in Istanbul last week after she bowed out in the group stage. It’s a monkey on her back that doesn’t apparently bother her much, but it means the world to her critics: how can she truly be the top-ranked women’s tennis player without ever winning a grand slam tournament? Going into the championships, which is the final significant tournament of 2011 and contested by the top eight in the WTA rankings, Wozniacki knew what she needed to do to ensure she would finish the year as world number one. And in the end, despite defeats to Vera Zvonareva and Petra Kvitova, a solitary win against Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova’s failure to make the final made it mission accomplished. “I think people do realise the true importance of [being number one],” she told British newspaper The Daily Mail. “If you ask any

little boy or girl, everyone knows what it is to be number one. They might not know a grand slam … but if you are number one everyone knows you have done something remarkable.” Starting and finishing the season at number one without winning a grand slam in between is a feat that has only been achieved once in the history of tennis – by Jelena Jankovic in 2008. And Wozniacki is one of just four number ones (men or women) to have failed to win a grand slam (Marcelo Rios, Dinara Safina and Jankovic are the others). And it’s not as if she keeps on losing in the finals – so far the 2009 US Open has been her only appearance. Yet somehow, Wozniacki remains positive. “When you begin the season, everyone starts from zero and it’s the dream to be number one,” she told the Mail. “I’m so happy that I’ve been playing the most consistent and best tennis all year.” But while Wozniacki is the most consistent, does that necessarily make her the best? She has spent more weeks at number one than Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams combined, but she has nothing to show for it, while they have won 14 grand slams between them. Her critics claim Wozniacki plays too many tournaments in pursuit of the number one ranking. This year, only Marion Bar-

Scanpix

Tom Schad

Under pressure: Woz had to have her blood pressure checked during her match against petra Kvitova of the Czech republic

toli has played more matches (82 to Woz’s 80), and nobody comes close to matching her 58 victories. And there were worrying signs of fatigue in her final match in the WTA Championships – her third in three days – which led to her getting her blood pressure checked after the first set.

And it is also claimed that she relies too much on defence. At the WTA Championships once again, this was evident in the stats. She only managed 13 winners against Zvonareva and six against Kvitova, who respectively hit 49 and 36 in reply, while making considerably more

unforced errors than the Dane. They both know that tennis is a game of calculated risktaking. Those overhead smashes that barely touch the baseline and second serves that you hit just a bit harder than usual make all the difference. But Wozniacki rarely takes risks. She would appear to be playing every single match with her number one ranking in mind. Her success proves this is working well at the moment, but when will she give herself the chance to improve her offensive game? Because defensive players don’t win grand slams. “You have to win grand slams,” contended two-time grand slam winner Amélie Mauresmo in an interview with eurosport following the 2011 Australian Open. “They won’t be handed to you.” It’s also a matter of peaking at the right moment, and this has never been one of the Dane’s strong suits. This year, for example, only two out of her six tournament wins were in premier WTA events, and she for the second successive year failed to make a grand slam final. The estoril Open is irrelevant when you don’t make it past the third round at Roland Garros the following week, and the truly great players understand this. The art of peaking is difficult to nail down, because it takes an unknown amount of both mental and physical rest. Mentally, a player needs to be

If you ask any little boy or girl, everyone knows what it is to be number one both confident and hungry. Achieving this balance is extremely difficult – when Wozniacki finally finds a coach to replace her father, it needs to be somebody with experience in this area. Multiple grand slam winner Martina navratilova, who Wozniacki spoke to earlier in the year, would definitely fulfil this criteria. But maybe all the 21-yearold star needs is a different mentality. It’s easy to become complacent after 54 weeks on top of the rankings. Wozniacki needs to ask herself what it means to be great, and then decide what she is going to do to ensure that she gets there. With a new mentality and a little luck, Wozniacki is capable of winning the Australian Open in just three months time and bringing home Denmark’s first grand slam since 1957. She can shorten the list of number ones who have failed to win a grand slam to just three. And most importantly of all, she can finally answer that nagging question.

Rejuvenated olsen extends contract

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Scanpix

ORTen Olsen has reversed his decision to quit as coach of the Danish national football team next summer, signing a new contract that will keep him in the job until after the 2014 World Cup. It would appear that Denmark’s recent qualification for euro 2012 at the expense of top seeds Portugal has greatly boosted the 62-year-old’s confidence. “The decisive point was that I felt a new support,” Olsen told media. “Players have tapped me on the shoulder and told me that it was a bad idea for me to quit. They told me I should continue.” And the Danish FA was also keen to keep him. Following Denmark’s decisive 2-1 defeat of Portugal to qualify, its general secretary Jim Stjerne Hansen revealed to the Reuters news agency that he had offered the extension to Olsen, who has held the po-

Morten olsen will stay on until after the 2014 World Cup

sition since June 2000, before Denmark’s final two qualifiers. “We met on the Sunday evening before the meetings with Cyprus and Portugal. I could see the old boy wanted to stay on, so I offered him the job because I felt strongly that I supported him,” he said. “Much of our success is

down to Morten,” he continued. “He has a lot to say about the way we play, from under-17, under-19 and under-21, all the way through to the A team. We are working with his philosophy.” During Olsen’s tenure, Denmark has qualified for four major tournaments out of a possible six. (BH)

spoRT NeWs aNd bRIeFs goalball gold

Mixing it with the best

best in budapest

THe DAnISH women claimed gold in the 2011 IBSA Goalball european Championship, which was hosted by Assens on the island of Funen last week. Goalball is like handball but contested by blind people using a ball with bells inside it. The win secures the Danes a place at the 2012 Parlaympics.

MIxeD badminton pairing Joachim Fischer nielsen and Christinna Pedersen followed up their win in Denmark’s Yonex Open by winning the 2011 French Open with an impressive defeat of the world number ones in the semis, and a straight sets win against the world number twos in the final.

THe DAnISH men’s rugby team beat Hungary 21-13 in Budapest on Saturday, but remain second with two games to go in Division 2C, europe’s sixth tier of rugby. Providing Denmark beat Austria in Odense in April, their game in Israel in May will decide who is promoted, with the losers qualifying for a play-off.

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 -10 November 2011

SCANPIX

Danske Bank to cut 2,000 jobs

Tax minister Thor Møger Pedersen hopes to raise over 600m kroner from closing corporation tax loopholes

Minister to close loopholes on tax-avoiding multinationals PETER STANNERS Opposition party warns the measure may chase business out of the country

HE NEW TAX minister wants to close loopholes that have allowed multinational corporations to avoid paying corporation tax. Thor Möger Pedersen’s proposal will be included in the government’s new budget - to be announced later this week – and will add 160 extra staff to the Tax Ministry in the hope of collecting up to 625 million kroner in 2013. Almost half of all multinational corporations operating in Denmark – such as McDonald’s, Nestlé, Kellogg’s and Kraft – do not pay corporation tax and have not done so for up to 20 years. “Everyone has to contribute to get the Danish economy back on its feet again – even multinational companies,” Pedersen told Berlingske newspaper. “It’s an insult to ordinary Danes that they don’t pay their taxes.” The announcement was met with approval from far-left government ally Enhedslisten. “Today is a really good day. I have been working to get multinational corporations to pay more tax in Denmark since the ‘90s and now it’s finally happened,” Frank Aaen wrote on

the Enhedslisten website on Sunday. “It’s a good starting point for the coming budget negotiations that one of Enhedslisten’s most important key issues, which will also ensure an income for the state, has been accommodated.” Nestlé’s Nordic CEO, Carsten Fredholm, told Berlingske newspaper that Nestlé would pay taxes next year if the new rules come into effect. “We don’t have a problem with that, but we don’t want to have suspicion thrown on us simply because we’ve been following the rules,” he said. Fredholm went on to say that he resented the insinuation that the company did not contribute. Nestlé employs 230 people at their Copenhagen headquarters and adds 185 million kroner to the state purse through excise duties, VAT and income tax on their employees. “It’s not like we’ve intentionally decided not to pay tax. We would never dream of not following the rules. So I’m tired of politicians who think that they have the right to arouse suspicion in companies without looking into their books. It’s not fair.” According to Fredholm, Nestlé used the losses of its poorly performing subsidiary company Premier Is to legally write off its tax. The leading opposition party, Venstre, was critical of the

It’s an insult to ordinary Danes that they don’t pay their taxes

proposal and feared it would scare off businesses. “I agree that everyone should pay their tax, but I fear that the new government with its new rules could end up chasing businesses out of the country and we don’t need that,” Venstre’s tax spokesperson Torsten Schack Pedersen told Berlingske. But the tax minister dismissed this claim and insisted the proposal would simply close unfair tax loopholes. “The former government made loopholes so it was easy for them not to pay the tax they should have paid. That’s why we are tightening the rules and stepping up checks against multinationals and their clever tricks,” Pedersen told Berlingske. “Everyone who operates in Denmark knows that they have to pay tax. We just want to stop making it possible to decline to pay tax. We want to make things fairer. You can’t just decline to pay because you’re a large company.”

ANSKE Bank is set to shed 2,000 employees as part of a two billion kroner cost-cutting plan after announcing poor third quarterly results. Denmark’s largest bank announced it hoped to cut operating costs by 10 percent by 2014 after posting after-tax profits of only 1.5 billion kroner – down from 2.6 billion kroner in the same period of 2010. “The third quarter has been characterised by increased financial instability,” managing director Peter Straarup wrote in the bank’s quarterly financial statement. “The current crisis, new government and high financing costs have placed pressure on the group’s results.” Danske Bank is following in the footsteps of Danish banks Nordea, Jyske Bank and Sydbank who have all announced similar cost-saving measures in recent weeks.

RITISH-BASED security services group G4S cancelled its purchase of Danish cleaning services company ISS owing to heavy criticism from its shareholders, G4S said in a stock exchange notice on Tuesday. On October 17, G4S confirmed it would buy ISS for 44 billion kroner, with management from both companies re-

Canada Dollars CAD

Euro EUR

Japan Yen JPY

Russia Rubles RUB

Sweden Kronor SEK

Switzerland Francs CHF

UK Pounds GBP

United States Dollars USD

Sell

5.40

5.18

7.34

0.07

0.16

0.80

5.99

8.40

5.21

Buy

5.89

5.60

7.57

0.07

0.18

0.84

6.19

8.71

5.46

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

portedly satisfied with the deal. However, the deal met stiff resistance from G4S shareholders right from the start. “It became clear following notification of the merger that the G4S investors would not support the acquisition owing to its size, complexity and the current macroeconomic situation,” said ISS chairman Ole Andersen.

The merger would have seen G4S-ISS become the world’s largest security services and facilities management company, with more than 1 million employees in over 130 countries. On Monday, the management of G4S and ISS noted there was strong resistance to the deal and decided to drop the merger. (Xinhau News)

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

Anti-bribery – are you compliant? Eversheds Advokataktieselskab, the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark and Dansk Fashion and Textile invite you to a seminar, focusing on the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the practical steps you can take to mitigate the risk of unintentional, but costly, violations. With the UK Bribery Act 2010 having entered into force on 1 July 2011, Danish companies carrying on business in the UK are at risk of falling prey to one of the strictest anti-bribery laws in the world. Jail sentences of up to 10 years and unlimited criminal fines can be the uncomfortable possibility, not to mention loss of profits, business opportunities, reputation, management time and public trust. The only defence to the UK Bribery Act 2010’s “failure to prevent” offence is, where the company can show it had “adequate procedures” in place to minimise the risk of bribery. The seminar will present the audience with the possibility of discussing compliance issues in a professional forum, as well as providing knowledge and tools to deal with compliance issues not only in relation to the UK Bribery Act 2010, but also in – other areglobal you compliant? connection to the American FCPA and regulations.

Anti-bribery Anti-bribery

Eversheds Advokataktieselskab, the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark and Dansk Fashion and Textile invite you to a seminar, focusing on the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the practical steps you can

to mitigateyou the risk of unintentional, but costly, violations. The seminar will be held on three dates: –takeare compliant?

With the UK Bribery Act 2010 having entered into force on 1 July 2011, Danish companies carrying on business in the UK are at risk of falling prey to one of the strictest anti-bribery laws in the world. Jail Eversheds Advokataktieselskab, the unlimited British Chamber Commerce Denmark and Dansk Fashion not and to sentences of up to 10 years and criminaloffines can beinthe uncomfortable possibility,

invite you to a 40 seminar, focusing on the UK Bribery management Act 2010 andtime the practical steps you can loss of profits, business opportunities, reputation, and public trust. Tuesday 15 November 2011, 12.00Textile –mention 17.00 (max participants) take to mitigate the risk of unintentional, but costly, violations. The only defence to the UK Bribery Act 2010’s “failure to prevent” offence is, where the company can at Dansk Fashion and Textile Birk Centerpark 38, 7400 Herning With the UK Bribery Act 2010 having entered into force on 1 July 2011, Danish companies carrying on show it had “adequate procedures” in place to minimise the risk of bribery. The seminar will present

business in the UK risk of falling prey to one of the strictest laws inforum, the world. Jailas the audience withare theatpossibility of discussing compliance issuesanti-bribery in a professional as well sentences up to 10 years and to unlimited finesissues can benot the uncomfortable not toAct providingofknowledge and tools deal withcriminal compliance only in relation topossibility, the UK Bribery mention lossalso of profits, businesstoopportunities, management time and public trust. 2010, but in connection the American reputation, FCPA and other global regulations.

Wednesday 16 November 2011, 8.00 – 13.00 35Bribery participants) The only defence (max to the UK Act 2010’s “failure to prevent” offence is, where the company can show had “adequate in place to minimise the risk of bribery. The seminar will present Theitseminar will beprocedures” held on three dates: audience with the possibility compliance issues in a professional forum, as well as at Eversheds Advokataktieselskabthe Frederiksborggade 15, of11.discussing sal, 1360 Copenhagen providing knowledge and tools to deal with compliance issues not only in relation to the UK Bribery Act Tuesday 15 November 2011, 12.00 – 17.00 (max 40 participants) 2010, but also in connection to the American FCPA and other global regulations. at Dansk Fashion and Textile Birk Centerpark 38, 7400 Herning

Thursday 17 November 2011, 8.00The–Wednesday 13.00 (max 35 participants) seminar willNovember be held on three dates: 16 2011, 8.00 – 13.00 (max 35 participants) at Eversheds Advokataktieselskab 2011, – 17.00 40 participants) 15 November15, at Eversheds AdvokataktieselskabatTuesday Frederiksborggade 15,1360 11. sal,(max 1360 Copenhagen Frederiksborggade 11. 12.00 sal, Copenhagen Dansk Fashion and Textile Speakers:

Birk Centerpark 38, 7400 Herning Thursday 17 November 2011, 8.00 – 13.00 (max 35 participants) at Eversheds Advokataktieselskab Wednesday 16 November 2011, 13.00 (max 35 participants) Frederiksborggade 15, 11. sal,8.00 1360–Copenhagen at Eversheds Advokataktieselskab Frederiksborggade 15, 11. SIGN UP and Programmesal, 1360 Copenhagen Thursday November 8.00 section, – 13.00 which (max 35 participants) (Please 17 specify in the 2011, comments date you would like to attend)

at Eversheds Advokataktieselskab Mark Surguy, Eversheds LLP Frederiksborggade 15, 11. sal, 1360 Copenhagen Speakers: SIGN UP andAdvokataktieselskab Programme Anders Lykke Pedersen, Eversheds  Mark Surguy, Eversheds LLP (Please specify in the comments section, which date you would like to attend)  Anders Lykke Pedersen, Eversheds Advokataktieselskab TBA, The Danish Public Prosecutor’s office  TBA, The Danish Public Prosecutor’s office  and Pia Odgaard, Pia Odgaard, Dansk FashionSpeakers: TextileDansk Fashion and Textile    

Australian Dollars AUD

tors: firstly the reduction in trading income from 1,904 million kroner to 267 million kroner, and secondly, the loss of 735 million kroner – compared to gains of 705 million kroner in the same period in 2010 – by their insurance arm, Danica Pension. It was hoped that the 0.5 percent interest rate, introduced on July 1, would raise interest income by 500 million kroner, but this did not materialise. However, while the bank struggles to strengthen its profit margins, it still managed to increase its equity by over 20 billion kroner to 125 billion kroner compared to the third quarter of 2010, while also cutting its operating costs by almost 800 million kroner to 5.5 billion kroner. Danske Bank also announced that the 60-year-old Straarup will be retiring and that they are now looking for his replacement. (PS)

G4S cancels 44bn kroner purchase of ISS

• • • •

Exchange Rates

Almost ten percent of Danske Bank’s 21,567 employees will be affected. “It means reducing our number of staff by about 2,000 over three years. It is hoped that a considerable part of this reduction can be done without layoffs as long as we keep to normal staff turnover and retirement levels,” a statement from Danske Bank read. 2011 has proved a testing year for Danske Bank, which saw Q3 turnover levels fall by 11 percent to 31.5 billion compared to the same period in 2010. The poor results have been blamed on low interest levels, limited economic growth and unstable capital markets. Danske Bank posted a third quarter pre-tax deficit of 384 billion kroner compared to a surplus of 887 million kroner in the third quarter of 2010. The decline was explained by two fac-

Mark Surguy, Eversheds LLP Anders Lykke Pedersen, Eversheds Advokataktieselskab TBA, The Danish Public Prosecutor’s office Pia Odgaard, Dansk Fashion and Textile

The event is free of charge for all attendees. Programme details available at www.bccd.dk. Please specify your preferred date when you sign up. You can sign up via www.bccd.dk, send an email to event@bccd.dk or phone 31 18 75 58

Date: 1 November 2011

• official media partner Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Bhargavi Lanka Venkata FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: IT industry- Software - Manual & Automation Testing. QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering. EXPERIENCE: Part Time/Full Time work in Software Testing, 4yrs and 9 months experience as Senior Software Engineer – Testing in a U.S based MNC in Bangalore, India. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Enrolled for Danish classes. IT EXPERIENCE: Manual testing, Automation Regression testing using QTP, Web service testing using SOA Tool, HP Quality center, Unix, SQL, XML, Basic shell scripting. CONTACT: bhargavipsk@gmail.com; Mobile: 50376689 SPOUSE: Daniel Jones FROM: United Kingdom SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Qualified Teacher Status, UK; Bachelor of Science Degree (1st Class), UK. EXPERIENCE: Enthusiastic, hands on teacher with 8 years teaching experience of Mathematics and Science in UK and International Schools. IB, GCSE and A-Level, including as Head of Department with excellent feedback from pupils, parents and teaching colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Teaching positions in secondary schools; Private tuition; Education related roles. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue English, fluent in Italian. IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office. CONTACT: daniel_glyn_jones@hotmail.com SPOUSE: Mayurika Saxena Sheth FROM: India/USA SEEKING WORK IN: (Copenhagen, Kobenhavn & nearby areas, Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MCA, PGDMM(MATERIALS), B.SC (COMPUTERS) CERTIFICATIONS: CSTE, CSQA, GREEN BELT SIX SIGMA, TSP/PSP. EXPERIENCE: Eleven years of software development work/IT/BUSINESS experience with prestigious organizations (onsite and offshore): Microsoft, General Electric, Primus Telecommunications (AUSTRALIA), CitiFINANCIAL(USA), ISS and Imany. LOOKING FOR: Full Time Job in IT, Management, Consulting or Business/Financial Field. LANGUAGE SKILLS: ENGLISH fluent, HINDI fluent, DANISH AND SPANISH (Beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Testing tools like Test Director, Quality Center, Access Server, Product Studio, Polyspace Analysis, .NET testing, Web Page testing, Electronic Appliances testing, development in Winrunner, ASP, HTML, JavaScript, VBScript, Jscript, Oracle, Cold Fusion, SQL, Access, COM/DCOM, MTS, Siebel as well as UNIX, Tuxedo, C, PL/SQL, VB.Net/ ASP .Net, VB.Net. C#. CONTACT: mayurika.s@gmail.com Tel +45 7169 5401 SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. LOOKING FOR: Internship in mental hospitals, part –time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker IT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet. CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com tlf. 50828802 SPOUSE: Chiara Stevanato FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: København or nearby areas QUALIFICATION: Bachelor degree in Physics. EXPERIENCE: Now completing the Master’s degree in Physics at Københavns Universitet. LOOKING FOR: Research in Physics. Research projects related to scientific areas. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Written and spoken Italian, written and spoken English, written and Spoken French, very basic written and spoken Danish (still attending a second level course). IT EXPERIENCE: Operating systems: Windows, Linux. Programming languages: basic C, C++; Python. CONTACT: chiarasteva@gmail.com. Tel: 41681741 SPOUSE: Christina Koch FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Drama, 1997 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Experienced actor and voice coach for speakers, with parallel high level experience in written communications. LOOKING FOR: Voice coaching for corporate presenters and speakers, Writing and Communications work, work in theatre organisations. IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft Office, Office for Mac. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English - Native speaker, excellent written and oral expression. German – good reading and listening skills. Spanish – fluent oral communication, good reading and listening skills. Danish – beginners level speaking and writing skills. CONTACT: Tel: +45 52 77 30 93 Christina@hermionesvoice.com, www.hermionesvoice.com. SPOUSE: Suheir Sharkas FROM: Syria SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus and the nearby areas of the mentioned cities. QUALIFICATION: MBA–International Management, Bachelor in English Literature. LOOKING FOR: Positions in Organizations/Companies in the fields of: Administration and organization, Event & Project Management, and Assistance Management. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Arabic: Native speaker, English: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), German: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), Danish: Basic 3.3 (understanding, speaking and writing). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Power Point) and web publishing. CONTACT: ssouheir@gmail.com, Tel: 533 721 20 SPOUSE: Kaewkarn Kanchanavipu FROM: Thailand SEEKING WORK IN: Sales, marketing, project management, business processes, supply chain, HR and general management functions. QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. International Business and Trade , School of Business Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Bachelor of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; Certificate of Exchange Studies in Business Administration Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria; Certificate of Completion in STEPS, Saitama University, Japan. EXPERIENCE: Three-year professional experience in sales, marketing, business development and project management. Proven record of achieving high performance in multiple markets: Norway, Sweden, Japan and Thailand in various industries. Able to devise and implement coherent organization strategies whilst improving internal process and procedures within a demanding environment, project deadlines and budgets. Area of expertise & experience: Operational management, sales, marketing, business development, project management, recruitment, customer service and administration. LOOKING FOR: A challenging position that will utilize my skills and offer opportunities for future development as well as wish to make a significant contribution to the organization. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Japanese, Thai and novice Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: Tel: +45 50 398 555, Email: kaew.crystal@gmail.com

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4 - 10 November 2011 SPOUSE: Isabel Douglass FROM: San Francisco-USA SEEKING WORK IN: Music Education QUALIFICATION: BA in Music. EXPERIENCE: 10 years of internationally touring performances and 7 years of accordion teaching experience. LOOKING FOR: I offer piano accordion lessons to individuals and small groups. In the courses students will learn a repertoire of songs ranging in styles including French musette, Argentine Tango, and Klezmer while strengthening there technique and understanding of music theory. Please visit www.myspace.com/isabeldouglass to learn more about me. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker. CONTACT: isabeldouglass@gmail.com Phone: 60653401 SPOUSE: Cindy Chu FROM: Hong Kong SEEKING WORK IN: Anywhere in Denmark. QUALIFICATION: MSc in Marketing from Brunel University (West London), B.A. in English for Professional Communication from City University of Hong Kong. EXPERIENCE: 4 years experience on strategy planning in marketing, project management and consumer research. I have 3 years experience working in global research agency as a project manager and a research executive for multinational marketing projects. I worked closely with marketing team for data analysis and delivering actionable insights. I am familiar with working with staffs and clients form different countries. I have also as a PR officer in a NGO for 1 year. LOOKING FOR: Jobs in project management, marketing and PR field. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Cantonese (Mother tongue), Mandarin (Native speaker), English (Professional), Danish (Beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, SPSS, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator. CONTACT: chocolate3407@gmail.com, +45 22 89 34 07 SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer. EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management. IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate). CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, + 45 52177084 SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano FROM: Venezuela (with CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København and Hovedstaden QUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics. EXPERIENCE: I have wide experience as an university lecturer in physics, physics laboratory, mathematics and informatics. I have done research in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. I have done research and development / programming of numerical methods applied to geophysical problems, such as tomographic inversion and wave propagation, independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams. I have participated in gravimetric and magnetometric geophysical surveys. LOOKING FOR: Short and long term work in education in science and mathematics / research / scientific computing / oil exploration or other geophysical applications. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: OS: MSDOS, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. shell scripting. Programming Languages: BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. Typography: LaTeX2E. Software: Mathematica 7, MS Office and OpenOffice suites, several Windows utilities. CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com. Tel: +45 50 81 40 73 SPOUSE: Francesco Grandesso FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Constructing architect. EXPERIENCE: 4 years at TFF Engineering 2005-2009, 3 years at ADproject 2002-2005. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian & Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: AutoCAD 2011. CONTACT: grandessodk@gmail.com, Mobile: 50110653 SPOUSE: Magda Bińczycka FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland QUALIFICATION: M.A. in philosophy, pedagogy ( postgraduated diploma) ,5th year of history of art ( Master Program). EXPERIENCE: Independent curator 2009 - present, art catalogues editor (English&Polish versions) 2009-present, art critic 2005-2010, art and English teacher for children 2005-2010, English tourist guide 2010, gallery assistant 2004/5 and 2009. LOOKING FOR: Job as a curator, coordinator, gallery assistant, event organizer, English tourist guide, art history teacher. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (proficiency), Danish (intermediate), Polish (mother tongue), German(basic), French (basic), Latin (basic). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Word advanced user). CONTACT: Tel: +45 41 44 94 52, magda.binczycka@gmail.com SPOUSE: Megan Rothrock FROM: California-USA,Via SEEKING WORK IN: Toy Design, Games Design, or Photography (Syd Denmark Jutland). QUALIFICATION: Associate Arts Degree: Corporate Communication, Design, and Commercial Illustration, with a background in animation. EXPERIENCE: Former LEGO Product Designer, LEGO Universe: Level Designer, European Bureau Editor Brick Journal Magazine. I have a strong knowledge of Toy and Gaming Markets. I am driven, enjoy solving daily challenges and I’m a strong communicator wanting to join a creative team of colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Part/Full time work in an innovative and creative . LANGUAGE SKILLS: English: native- Dutch: Excellent- Danish (currently in): Danskuddannelse 3, modul 3. IT EXPERIENCE: PC and Mac - Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dream Weaver, Director, Maya, 3D Studio Max, ML Cad, LD. CONTACT: megzter1@yahoo.com +4535140779 SPOUSE: Geet Shroff FROM: Bangalore, India SEEKING WORK IN: Midtjylland / Copenhagen / Odense QUALIFICATION: Bachelor’s degree in Communicative English from Bangalore University, India. EXPERIENCE: 8+ years of experience as Senior Copy Writer, Assistant Manager – Marketing Communications, Executive – Customer Loyalty & Communication, Customer Service Associate respectively. Through these years, I have developed content, handled complete marketing communications, organized numerous corporate (internal & external customer), private and institutional events ranging from 50 to 1000 people and also handling special projects that have included training & internal communication campaigns. LOOKING FOR: A Corporate or Marketing Communication (Internal or External) position or that of a Copy Writer at an advertising agency or a corporate house. Also open to a position at an event management company. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Danish (Beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office, Adobe In Design CS3 (Basic). CONTACT: geet_shroff@yahoo.co.in +4550834024

SPOUSE: Steffen Schmidt FROM: Germany SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen. QUALIFICATION: Structured Finance Proffesional. LOOKING FOR: A challenging finance position in Copenhagen (preferable within Corporate Finance). LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (native), English (business fluent). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint. CONTACT: beffenmidt@gmail.com SPOUSE: Fernando Carlos Cardeira da Silva FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Accounting course from Danish Institution (Regnskabs medarbejder at Niels Brock), previous frequency of Accounting and Management courses in Portugal. EXPERIENCE: I have more than 5 years of experience in accounting. LOOKING FOR: Job as accounting assistant. IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and Power point) and accounting software such as Navision C5. LANGUAGE SKILLS: I can read and write Danish, English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. CONTACT: fercardeira@gmail.com +45 50437588 SPOUSE: Vivek Kanwar Singh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: 3 Years full time Bachelor in Fashion Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (India). EXPERIENCE: 8 years of experience working in India and Republic of Mauritius with Garment Manufacturing Companies. Worked as a Key Account Manager for many International Brands like: GAP, FRENCH CONNECTION, MARKS & SPENCERS, SAKS 5TH AVENUE, etc.. LOOKING FOR: Full time Job in Textiles, Fashion and Apparel Industry. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent-Writing/Reading), Hindi (Fluent-Writing/Reading), Danish (DU3, Module 2). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Certified System Engineer (no work experience though). CONTACT: vivekkanwarsingh@gmail.com, Mobile: +45-50179511 SPOUSE: Chao Wen FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Language teacher (German, Chinese. EXPERIENCE: Teaching Chinese as a foreign language by offering company-course for 2 years, in Germany; teaching Chinese to native speaker in private school for 4 years, in Germany; teaching German as a foreign language by offering private course; exhibition interpreter; translator. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus, Language teacher, translator or interpreter. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, German, Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Windows, Open office, Powerpoint. CONTACT: wenlily80@googlemail.com, tel.: 48417526 SPOUSE: Debjani Nandy Biswas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Would like to join in kindergarten, School teacher in English, official work in English. QUALIFICATION: B.A., M.A in English literature and language (American, European and Indian). EXPERIENCE: Temporary school teacher in Bongaon, India and involved in social work (handicapped society). LOOKING FOR: A possibility in getting practical experiences in kindergarten or any international school, official work (administration) in English, voluntary work also. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, little Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: Diploma in basic computer applications. CONTACT: E-mail: debjaninb@gmail.com, Tel: +45 50219942. SPOUSE: S.M. Ariful Islam FROM: Bangladesh SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: PhD student (2nd year) in Language Policy and Practice in Aalborg University, MA in Bilingualism, MA in English Linguistics, BA in English. EXPERIENCE: 18 months as a University lecturer in English in Bangladesh. Taught advanced grammar, four skills (listening, speaking, reading & writing), ELT courses, Second Language theories, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics. LOOKING FOR: A position of English teacher/lecturer in English Medium Schools, Colleges and Universities. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Bengali (mother tongue), English (second language), Danish (fluent), Hindi and Urdu (Spoken) and Swedish (basic). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: Mail: ariful@id.aau.dk, arif401@yahoo.com, mobile: +45 42778296 SPOUSE: Raffaele Menafra FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: A degree as Prevention techniques in Work and Workplaces. EXPERIENCE: I worked 4 years in a rehabilitationclinic. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Italian (native), English, Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: menafra1@yahoo.it SPOUSE: Isaac P Thomas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: East Juthland preferably Århus QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science). EXPERIENCE:Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition, Software testing, software development, data analysis, best practice sharing, quality gap analysis LOOKING FOR: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition LANGUAGE SKILLS: Danish beginner, english, malayalam, hindi tamil. IT EXPERIENCE: 8 years experence in IT Industry in software quality assurance, software quality control, software development. CONTACT: isaacpthomas@gmail.com, +4552225642

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible.

EMPLOYMENT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

4 - 10 November 2011

Biotech Job Vacancies Ferring

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18 Culture

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4 - 10 November 2011

happy days for home-grown artist in the Big apple Michael elmgreen’s co-written unconventional performance piece is wowing audiences in Britain and america

APPy DAyS in the Art World’, an 80-minute performance piece cowritten by Danish artist Michael Elmgreen and starring British actor Joseph Fiennes, is after rave reviews in Britain taking America by storm at the currently ongoing Performa 11, the New Visual Art Performance Biennial in New york City. Putting a contemporary spin on the age-old theatre presentation, Elmgreen together with his one-time Norwegian boyfriend turned creative partner, Ingar Dragest, make up the duo better known in the art world as Elmgreen & Dragset, and their piece of performance art is actually loosely based on their own relationship. The play is flooded with satirical symbols of the contemporary art world – one that consists of pretentious collectors, exchanges of large sums of money, and an extreme focus on celebrity – and has caught the attention of theatre bigwigs in New york City. “The play conveys both the deep absurdity and vitality of

The Danish-Norwegian duo elmgreen & Dragset have made a career out of pushing people’s comfort zones

the art world now, in a sort of 21st century version of ‘Red’, John Logan’s play about Mark Rothko and the art world of the 1950s,” Performa’s founder, RoseLee Goldberg, told the New york Times. Dragset confirmed these sentiments but maintained the significance of his and Elmgreen’s relationship being portrayed in front of the masses. “It’s like a jester putting up a mirror to the king,” Elmgreen, a self-taught artist who was

It’s like a jester putting up a mirror to the king born in Copenhagen, told the newspaper. “It’s no more critical of the art world than it is of ourselves.” The experimental play has been well-received by international audiences and praised by

critics for taking artistic risks. “The play is, of course, an artistic cut above the ordinary, in its sources and casting,” British newspaper The Scotsman wrote. The play has also been praised for its dark and subversive comedy, and its ‘Scandinavian-esque’ simplistic way of telling a story. Deemed “one of the best single shows” in a review by Herald Scotland, the piece fuses the personal history of Elmgreen and Dragset with the modern art scene, describ-

ing how their artistic success could not have been achieved without mutual dependence. “you wouldn’t even be half the artist you are now, and considering you are already just 50 percent of an artistic duo — half an artist, to be exact — there is not much left at all if your partner vanishes,” one character states about trying to remain prominent on the art scene. Revealing, personal themes are nothing new for the duo. Their collective work has included a long line of sculptures, photography exhibitions and large installation pieces in addition to performances. Throughout their careers, the pair have been known to forge their own path by creating art in a way that can be exhibited and experienced while pushing the comfort zones of those who experience it. For example, in their ongoing photography exhibition at Thorvaldsens Museum, the collaborative duo have put a wry, provocative spin on eight classical Thorvaldsen sculptors by dressing them up – in tube socks, sweat bands, backpacks and tight white underwear – and taking their pictures. Their romantic relationship might have failed, but as an art duo Elmgreen and Dragset are proving to be an unstoppable team, both back home in Scandinavia and in theatres abroad.

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text 33 The Copenhagen Post Quick Crossword No 370 No 370

Farvel to fashion’s danish queen Margit Brandt put danish fashion on the map in the ‘60s

HE PASSING of Danish fashion icon Margit Brandt has left the fashion world here and abroad in mourning. After a five-year battle with lung cancer, the 66-year-old longterm smoker passed away on October 14 in the company of her husband and two daughters. Brandt is credited with putting Danish fashion on the international stage in the 1960s after her simple cuts and mini-

skirts became a hit in France, Britain and America. Following an apprenticeship in tailoring, Brandt shot to international fame after presenting her collection at the 1965 Copenhagen Fashion Fair under the B-age label. Consisting of simple designs with short and close fitting cuts, her collection grabbed the attention of teenagers and B-age became the essence of fashion for the first generation of young Scandinavian women. A year later she was employed by the Parisian couture house of Louis Feraud, and in that same year married designer

Erik Brandt who was working for French rival Mendes - their marriage became the catalyst for one of the most successful Scandinavian designer couples. Meanwhile, B-age stores were quickly opening in Paris, Barcelona, Tokyo, San Francisco, New york and London, producing everything from ladies fashion to lingerie, furs, sportswear, watches, household items and accessories. In 1997 Brandt designed the gala uniform for the Royal Danish Air Force, and in 2007 she was presented with the Cross of the Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe.

victoria steffensen He is an executive director at the World Economic Forum, and the husband of the newly elected Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt. His name doesn’t sound very Danish. No, he is actually from Wales in the UK. ummmm, and what is the World economic Forum? I’m not sure exactly, but I do know they arrange a huge party for all the political bigwigs in Davos, Switzerland, once a year! The name sounds familiar … His father, Neil Kinnock, was the leader of the UK opposition party for many years. In 1992, he almost made it to 10 Downing Street as prime minister, but was beaten at the last minute by Mr Zero-personality, John Major, the leader of the Conservative party.

enough about his dad, what about Stephen? He studied French and Spanish at Cambridge University, and then took a Masters in Euro6 Injured; 7 Marry; 9 Demur; pean Studies at Across: the elite College Account. of Europe in Brussels, where he Down: 1 Enter; 2 Mutual; 3 Den; 4 L Gaunt; 20 Act. met Thorning-Schmidt. Have the Danes welcomed him? His reputation here wasn’t helped when the Danish tax-paying public was made aware that he paid taxes on his estimated 1,000,000kr salary in Switzerland instead of here. Considering the far lower tax rate there, who’d blame him?! After an investigation, Kinnock and ThorningSchmidt were absolved of any tax evasion, and luckily for ThorningSchmidt, the case seemed to have been forgotten by the voting public before the Danish election.

Brandt’s B-age label spread to all corners of the fashion globe

emily mclean

peter stanners

Bruno serralongue

Jessica slicer

Who is ... stephen kinnock?

Across 6. 7. 9. 10. 12. 14. 18. 19. 21. 22.

Harmed (7) Wed (5) To object (5) Malady (7) Secret (11) Cows (11) Hard-hearted (7) Talk (5) Trivial (5) Bill (7)

Down 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8. 11. 13. 15. 16. 17. 20.

Come in (5) Reciprocal (6) Lair (3) Mourn (6) Gift (7) Generous (7) Old-fashioned (7) Incensed (7) Creeks (6) Use (6) Haggard (5) Perform (3)

Post Quick Crossword No 369 Across: 7 Repel; 8 Tremble; 9 Lookout; 10 Allot; 12 Speculator; 15 Retrograde; 18 Lapse; 19 Shadowy; 21 Scatter; 22 Adorn. Down: 1 Trilateral; 2 Spook; 3 Also; 4 Static; 5 Detailed; 6 Ability; 11 Terrifying; 13 Property; 14 Stopgap; 16 Resort; 17 Robot; 20 Alas.

Is he gay? Well, a Swedish newspaper did suggest that he may prefer Lars Løkke Rasmussen to Pia Kjæsgaard, if you know what I mean. These rumours have been denied by Thorning Schmidt as “ludicrous”. As has another rumour: that the couple is getting divorced. How’s his Danish? Actually, he speaks remarkably good Danish. He was on the TV show ‘Go’aften Denmark’ just before the election, but he seemed very nervous – and who’d have blamed him: if he’s not evading taxes, he’s cavorting with men or filing his divorce papers!

Denmark through the looking glass The CopeNhageN posT CphposT.dk

4 - 10 November 2011

how Christianity portrayed Jesus as a warrior to woo the Vikings ANDY RUGG Thor and odin would have probably beaten Christ in a fist fight, but didn’t have the continental clout to see him off in the long-term

espite more than 80 percent of Danes associating themselves with the evangelical Lutheran Church, otherwise known as the Danish state Church, it’s safe to say that Denmark is largely a secular society. every year fewer and fewer Danes attend weekly church services, and more people than ever before identify themselves as atheists or agnostics. While this is a trend echoed in many Western societies, Denmark and the rest of scandinavia have a long history of pagan beliefs, with Christianity’s initial adoption based as much on pragmatism as anything else. Before the arrival of Christianity, Denmark followed the religion that we refer to today as Norse mythology, a unique

and distinct blend of beliefs with a complicated system of associations. in Norse mythology, there are nine worlds, each connected by the world tree, ‘Yggdrasil’. With a host of gods including Odin, Thor and Loki, the religion is characterised by its myths and legends and focuses on man’s quest to achieve glory or honour in this world in order to be accepted into the next. it is one of history’s ironies that the Viking expansion into europe actually set about the beginning of the end for the Viking religion. As Vikings came into increasing contact with Christians in continental europe and Britain, their acceptance of Christianity grew – particularly as more and more married Christians. in many cases, however, Vikings converted to Christianity as a way to secure alliances and ensure neighbouring realms would not attack on religious grounds. some of the earliest Danish Christians were merchants, who were forced to convert to Christianity as a way of trading with their continental peers.

Many institutions had strict rules about trading with heretics – penalties and restrictions applied. While some no doubt embraced the religion on its merits, there’s little doubt that it paid, literally, to be a Christian at that time. These merchants would go on to encourage the conversion of other Danish merchants with whom they could use to expand their business. Another example of the pragmatism of the early Danish Christians can be seen in the actions of the king of Jutland, Harald Klak. Forced into

competition by his Danish rival Horik i, Harald was forced to flee Jutland in 826, leading him to seek aid from his southern neighbour, emperor Louis i of Germany. Louis promised to assist Harald only if he would convert to Christianity, a decision Harald took in order to reconquer his lands. However, despite some initial success, Harald was forced to flee Denmark again, unable to defend his realm from pagan attacks. Christianity began to gain ground in Denmark with the baptism of Harald ‘Bluetooth’

Gorsem around 960. Rumour has it that the king was converted by a Frisian monk who held a heated piece of iron in his hand without apparent injury. impressed by the display, Harald allowed his son and daughter to be baptised, clearing the way for Christian succession. Although the reasons for Harald’s conversion remain ubiquitous, there is little doubt that the decision was based on practicalities as well. Beside him at the time of his baptism was emperor Otto i, a powerful ruler on whom Harald would rely upon in future years. By the 11th century, Christianity was accepted as the major religion by the majority of the population; however, the version of Christianity being created was not in line with what the pope had in mind. Viking ideas of strength and victory were still paramount to Danish society – early missionaries were forced to present Christ as a victor, and his battle with satan in the Book of Revelation was a key element of the teaching. As the Catholic Church had done with numerous other

cultures, Christian ideas were blended with local ones and some Norse mythology remained. sacred groves and springs, along with other natural sights believed sacred, were incorporated with Christian beliefs, often leading to the building of chapels at set locations. sacred pools of water would be associated with certain saints, becoming desired places for baptism. The adoption of the cross as a symbol of importance was easily blended with Thor’s hammer, and the notion of heaven was not too far a stretch from the Viking belief of Valhalla. By the 12th century, Christianity had taken root in Denmark. With eager encouragement from the pope, Danish saints began to be canonised and an archbishop appointed to oversee Denmark and scandinavia. Catholicism would be linked to the Danish monarchy and embraced by the population until the turbulent time of the Reformation, at which time the Danes again found themselves choosing a different system of beliefs. ALL PHOTOS: COLOURBOX

Denmark has undergone religious changes as the country has progressed from pagan beliefs centred on odin (left) to the lutheran church’s worship of Jesus (right), although many present-day Danes are unobservant

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