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From the Editor’s Desk
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Swedish Press December 2013/January 2014
H
unting will always be a controversial subject, but in my experience, in Sweden at least, far from being bloodthirsty yahoos, hunters are a well-trained, disciplined group with a great respect and love for nature, animals and tradition. In some parts of Sweden, hunting is not just a sport, it’s still an integral part of the community’s survival and livelihood, as hunting newbie Susan Holmberg found out when she accompanied a traditional moose hunt in Jämtland (p. 14-15). Sweden manages to combine a respect for tradition with an ability to modernize, and two of our articles in this ‘Traditions and Celebrations’ issue illustrate this contrast perfectly. Christmas markets are one of the most atmospheric features of this season, and so far have managed to escape becoming totally commercialized, focusing instead largely on handcrafts and artisan foods. We list Sweden’s best Christmas markets on p.19, while those of you looking for innovative design gifts should consider the fantastic new gadgets revealed on the Design page (p.28) One of the gadgets – the iRock, which allows you to charge your iPhone or iPad while rocking a rocking chair – is a wonderful example of Swedish design: traditional, innovative, quirky and environmentally friendly all at the same time. Of course, the festive season is not all about gifts and shopping. Sweden’s Lucia 2012, Amanda Carlshamre, talks about the importance of spreading light in the (literal and metaphorical) darkness, while Business Editor, Anton Fredriksson, met Ulf Karlberg, Chairman of the World Child and Youth Forum at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York recently. In their interview on p. 16-17, Karlberg talks about the fundamental role children’s rights play in business sustainability and human rights in general, and Sweden’s involvement in this area. For those of us lucky enough to have children or grandchildren safely at home with us, there are some lovely ideas for festive children’s activities on the Barnsidan page. Wishing all our readers a very God Jul and all the best for the New Year.
Tatty Maclay Editor-in-chief Tatty@Swedishpress.com
Jul på Liseberg. Foto © Liseberg
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