Swedish Press June 2018 Vol 89:05 by Swedish Press

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June 2018 Vol 89:05 $5.95

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Swedes in NYC Exclusive Interview with Leif Pagrotsky Midsummer Fun

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Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $45 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com

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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News: The Truth About Crime in Sweden 7 Swedes in the News 8 Landskapsnyheterna Business 9 Business News: Trade War Part II 10 Company File: Cellink Heritage 11 Celebrate Midsummer in the Big Apple

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Hemma Hos 22 Design: John-Michael Ekeblad Creates Identity in New York 23 Treats à la Johnson Swedish Press Connects 24 SCA – Swedish Council of America 25 SWEA – Swedish Women’s Edu cational Association International Road to 2045 26 Cleantech and Greentech: Is Green the New Gold? In the Loop 27 Canada, US & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events

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Swedish Press

Midsummer celebrations. Photo: Mikael Damkier

29 Ads and Info

Feature 12 Bringing Sweden to the Big Apple

30 Sista Ordet A Swedish Teenager in New York

Interview 14 Swedish Roots of Dynamic and Diverse Chef Marcus Samuelsson Global Swedes 16 Leif Pagrotsky – Sveriges generalkonsul i New York Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Fresh Ideas: Sweden Named 2018 Innovation Champion Politics 20 Dra ditt strå till Sveriges framtid!

Cover images: 1. The Statue of Liberty in New York City. Photo: 1 Victoria Lipov 2. Sign 4 of Wall Street. Photo: Wasin Pummarin 7 3. The Annie Moore 5 6 Memorial – Annie was the first immigrant to pass through the Ellis Island facility in New York Harbour. Photo: Christopher Kelleher 4. Midsummer celebrations 5. Times Square, featured with theatres on Broadway, brightly-lit signs and busy traffic, is a symbol of New York City. Photo: Songquan Deng 6. New York photo collage. Photo: Delcreations 7. One World Trade Center. Photo: Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company

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Letters to the Editor Hi Joan, Thanks for the opportunity to provide a brief description of the Nordic Museum grand opening events. Here’s a quick summary and a couple of photos. Thank you, Mark Murray External Relations team Nordic Museum

history in Europe and North America, from the Stone Age through the Vikings to the great migration of the 1800s and 1900s to the present day. The museum’s temporary gallery will host a variety of world-class visiting exhibitions. From now until September 16, 2018, the museum will host a visiting exhibition of contemporary Nordic art. From October 2018 to April 2019, the museum will host a visiting exhibition of Viking and preViking artifacts on loan from Uppsala University in Sweden. For more information, go to the museum’s website www.nordicmuseum.org.

Nordic Museum Grand Opening Attracts Thousands The new Nordic Museum in Seattle officially opened its doors to the public Saturday May 5 with grand opening celebrations featuring dignitaries from every Nordic country. Exterior of the new Nordic Museum along the working waterfront in Seattle’s historically Scandinavian Ballard neighborhood.

Ribbon cutting at the new Nordic Museum grand opening, May 5, 2018. From left, Ambassador of Norway Kåre Aas; Ambassador of Sweden Karin Olofsdotter; Ambassador of Finland Kirsti Kauppi; Secretary General of Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten; Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan; Nordic Museum CEO Eric Nelson; Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson; Nordic Museum Board President Irma Goertzen. Photo credit: Nordic Museum.

Sweden’s Ambassador to the United States, Karin Olofsdotter, speaking to over 250 supporters and dignitaries at the Gala Dinner celebration.

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The grand opening weekend included a gala dinner and formal ribbon ceremony attended by U.S. and international dignitaries, including President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson of Iceland, the Crown Princess of Denmark, Swedish Ambassador to the United States Karin Olofsdotter, and Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation Lars Heikensten. “We built this museum to honor our parents and grandparents, and we built this museum to inspire future generations,” Museum Executive Director Eric Nelson told the ribboncutting crowd. An estimated 4,500 people visited the museum on the opening weekend. The museum has generated extraordinary local, regional and international attention. In its stunning new facility, the museum’s permanent exhibition tells the story of 12,000 years of Nordic

Hi Swedish Press, Thank you for your magazine! Your articles are very interesting and gives the readers an accurate inside of Swedish life. We invite you to stop by Church of Sweden in New York. Enjoy the magazine together with a cup of Swedish coffee and a home baked cinnamon bun. We share your idea of togetherness with Swedes, as we also try to create a home away from home – ”Som hemma fast utomlands”. Have a wonderful summer! ”Den blomstertid nu kommer med lust och fägring stor. Nu nalkas ljuva sommar där gräs och gröda gror.” Sv. Psalm 199 Frida Johansson Church of Sweden in New York

Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them.

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woman in a relationship with an airline pilot once commented on the pangs of loneliness she suffered while he was away, compared to the euphoria she felt during their intermittent times together. When asked if she perhaps longed for a more conventional relationship, she replied that she much preferred her emotional roller-coaster ride to a life of humdrum predictability. A typical Swede might have similar thoughts after spending some time in New York City. For someone emerging from the temperate, cradle-to-grave welfare utopia called Sweden, the stark contrasts that epitomize New York can seem overwhelming. The summers are sweltering and the winters are ferocious. The traffic along the avenues is insane, but mercifully Central Park offers a welcome refuge from it all. Abject poverty found on the West Side confronts conspicuous affluence on the East Side. The cultural and culinary offerings are endless but not always affordable. People in the street come in all shapes and colours. They are often stressed, impatient and rude, but in the sanctuary of their homes the hospitality is warm and sincere. When an act of unprecedented terror struck, the population was traumatized at first but soon rallied to repair the immense damage. For a Swede, life in New York City can look seductive but might also feel like hard work. In this issue of Swedish Press we strive to capture some of the hubbub of New York City as experienced by Swedes from various backgrounds and walks of life. The Feature Story describes life in New York from a Swedish viewpoint (page 12). We interview Leif Pagrotsky, the Swedish Consul General in New York (page 16). Readers get a glimpse of Sweden Day, an annual family event in the Bronx which has been going strong for 78 years (page 11). We also follow a Swedish teenager, circa 1960, as he comes to terms with a maelstrom of impressions on his first visit to America and New York City (page 30). Elsewhere in this issue we continue our coverage of events and institutions in Sweden, as well as in Swedish communities in North America. The Swedish-American company Cellink is portrayed along with its potentially lifesaving manufacturing of artificial human organs and tissue through 3D printing (page 10). We report that The Consumer Technology Association (CTA, the largest U.S. tech trade association) has named Sweden as one of their 2018 Innovation Champions (page 19). The fifth instalment in the ecology series Road to 2045 is titled Cleantech and Greentech: Is Green the New Gold? (page 26) In anticipation of the September 9 National Elections in Sweden, we provide a snapshot of the different political parties and describe an online tool that helps voters make up their minds (page 20). The New York-based artist John-Michael Ekeblad is featured (page 22), as is the renowned Swedish restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson (page 14). Speaking of culinary treats, brothers Don and Gary Johnson provide a recipe for delectable Swedish rosettes (Struva) and tell us about their Swedish origins (page 23). Now pour yourself a Manhattan, go sit in the shade and enjoy this latest Swedish Press! Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com June 2018

Gla d Midso m mar!

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Look What is Happening in Sweden! The Truth About Crime in Sweden By Peter Berlin

ocial media are full of videos that portray Sweden as a hellhole of rape and terrorism. At one of his political rallies, President Trump famously uttered the words: “We’ve got to keep our country safe. You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden! They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.” Apparently he was confusing Sweden with Sehwan in Pakistan where more than 85 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a shrine the previous day. The crime rate is often blamed on the many asylum seekers whose culture offends Swedish norms and values. Matters are made worse by the difficulty asylum seekers are experiencing in finding jobs. Therein lies an apparent paradox, because the Swedish economy is booming and employers are desperate to fill tens of thousands of job vacancies. Unfortunately, most of the vacancies require a level of professional skills that few asylum seekers possess. For starters, candidates are expected to be fluent in Swedish. The crime rate in Sweden is low by international standards. For example, according to statistics by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from 2015, the murder rate in Sweden per 100,000 inhabitants was 1.2, compared to 11.3 in Russia, 4.9 in the United States, and 3.0 on average in Europe. When it comes to sex crimes, the picture is less rosy for Sweden, because there is a disturbing

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upward trend. However, comparisons with other countries are difficult to make because of big differences in definitions, legislation, reporting and recording practices. Talking to people in Sweden, one is left with the impression that criminal activities are indeed rare. Swedish news media report freely on crimes but seldom associate them with particular ethnic groups. Is there in fact no tangible link, or are the media restrained by political correctness? The Swedish Academy Revisited In April 2018 we reported on the turmoil within the Swedish Academy as a result of accusations related to sexual harassment, financial irregularities and leaks of confidential information concerning shortlisted laureates of the Nobel Prize for literature. Several members threatened to resign from the Academy. At the time, however, members were appointed for life and could not formally resign. The ensuing dilemma was that if a member wished to abstain from participating in the Academy’s deliberations, he or she could not be replaced by a new member. The risk therefore existed that the active membership might fall below the number of 12 participants needed for a quorum. In the meantime, the statutes have been amended to allow formal resignations. Eight out of the 18 members have opted to do so and can therefore be replaced. However, since the very credibility of the Academy has been badly damaged, it has been decided to forgo this year’s award of the Nobel Prize in literature, and instead to defer it until next year when the 2018 and the 2019 prizes will be awarded in parallel. The combined measures of allowing resignations and the appointment

Sara Danius depicted in cartoon. © Jeanders Bildblogg

of new members, as well as deferring the 2018 Nobel Prize for literature, will hopefully allow the dust to settle and help restore the Academy’s reputation and credibility. The recent events at the Swedish Academy will not affect the awards of Nobel Prizes in peace, medicine, physics, chemistry and economics, which are the responsibility of other academies. Justice at Last In December 2017 we reported on the mysterious death of Swedish journalist Kim Wall onboard a home-built submarine owned and operated by a Dane by the name of Peter Madsen. Following the discovery on August 21 of Kim Wall’s dismembered body floating in the strait of Öresund between Copenhagen and Malmö, Peter Madsen was arrested on suspicion of murder. Although Madsen never admitted to the crime, investigators found downloaded material on his computer that indicated a fascination with violent acts against women, including dismemberment. He had previously invited several other women to come along for a cruise in his submarine. Feeling uncomfortable about the tone of the invitations, all but Kim Wall declined. At the end of April 2018, a Danish court sentenced Madsen to life in prison for the murder.

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Swedes in the News

Swedish Reign, more ABBA and a Fond Farewell The King's Record

RIP Avicii

ABBA. Photo: AFP H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf. Photo: Peter Knutson/ Kungahuset.se

He’s in it for the long haul. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden made history on April 26 when he became Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch. With 44 years and 223 days on the throne, King Carl XVI Gustaf outdid the 1300s King Magnus Eriksson’s record of 44 years and 222 days, as calculated by the Swedish court and National Archives (Riksarkivet). Carl XVI Gustaf became King of Sweden at age 27 on September 15th, 1973, after his grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf passed away. Sweden’s King did not celebrate his new record in a big way. “The King will be working as usual,” said Margaretha Thorgren, the Royal Court’s spokeswoman, to Expressen. ABBA Reunites Sweden’s beloved pop group ABBA, consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, is delighting fans all over the world by releasing new

Avicii, Tim Bergling, 1989 – 2018

wedish DJ, remixer and record producer Tim “Avicii” Bergling, 28, passed away on April 20 in Muscat, Oman. The talented musician, in Oman to visit friends, was found on an estate belonging to a relative of the Oman Sultan. Bergling was an immensely popular DJ and one of Sweden’s biggest music exports. He was honored with numerous prestigious music awards and collaborated with musical superstars like Madonna, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. Bergling started making music in 2006 and got his big break in 2011 with International super-hit “Levels.” His debut album “True” followed in 2013 featuring additional world-wide successes like “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother.” After several intense years of performing at sold-out arenas all over the world, Bergling quit touring in 2016 due to stress, anxiety and other health problems. In 2014 he was hospitalized for an inflamed pancreas and a burst appendix. Bergling’s career and concern for his health were partly portrayed in the documentary “Avicii: True Stories,” released in 2017 on SVT Play. Even though Bergling performed his last show on Ibiza in August 2016, he continued to make music up until his death. Bergling’s family released a statement announcing he had taken his own life.

music after 35 years. “We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time

had stood still and we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!” said the band in a statement. Two new songs will be released by the

band. Their new number “I still have faith in you” is set to be performed by holograms of ABBA’s members world-wide, including NBC and BBC this winter. Danius Resigns

Sara Danius. Photo: Styleby.nu

As a result of the ongoing sexual abuse scandal within the Swedish Academy, Swedish professor and literature scholar Sara Danius stepped down from her post as permanent secretary of the Academy on April 12. The crisis has so far caused eight out of 18 Swedish Royal Academy members to step down because of strong criticism of how the scandal was mismanaged. Sara’s supporters chose to wear her trademark pussycat bow blouse after the Academy let her go.

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[Landskapsnyheterna] SÖDERMANLAND Under skräp-plockardagen på Utö i Stockholm skärgård hittades en 15 år gammal flaskpost. – Vi rensade Utös stränder på hundratals kilo skräp och så hittade vi den här 15 år gamla flaskposten, berättar Maja Tesch. I flaskposten fann Maja Tesch ett brev från en då 11 år gammal flicka vid namn Lina. I brevet från 2003 stod det: ”Hej! Jag heter Lina och är 11 år. Jag bor i Kungsängen i Stockholm. Om du hittar den här flaskposten. Snälla ring mig! Mitt tel nummer...” Maja Tesch provade att kontakta Lina. – Jag ringde precis numret och hennes mamma svarade att hon inte bodde hemma längre. Så jag fick ringa hennes mobil och hon var på resa i Nice. I dag är hon 26 år gammal. Flaskposten slängde hon i havet när hon var uttråkad på en utflykt. Vi bestämde att vi ska träffas när hon kommer hem och då får hon tillbaka sin flaskpost. Maja fortsätter: – Plast som förstör hav och stränder är ju inte bra, som till exempel en petflaska, men till Linas försvar kan vi ju säga att det här miljöproblemet inte var så uppmärksammat för 15 år sedan. Nu finns det ju så många andra sätt att kommunicera på. UPPLAND När svenska mästerskapen i trolleri avgjorts i Uppsala stod det klart att 13-åriga Felix Störbäck från Lund tog hem silvret i salongsmagi för juniorer. Felix har deltagit vid svenska mästerskapen i trolleri tidigare. Förra året tog han guld i mikromagi. – Det bästa med en sådan här tävling är att man träffar nya kompisar med samma intresse och att man lär sig en massa saker på de ”lectures” som hålls. Jag har också fått en bra idé på ett trick som jag kan köra på nästa SM. Felix har sysslat med trolleri länge. Han tog hjälp utav trollerilådor och

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Youtube filmer och testade sedan sina trolleritrick på familj och vänner. Felix tycker det är roligt och intressant att se hur folk reagerar på hans trolleritrick. Att trolla för barn är speciellt kul tycker han. – Barn tänker utanför boxen. Vuxna säger ofta att ”Det där är omöjligt”, men det gör inte barn. De kan ha egna förklaringar på hur ett trick har gjorts. Samtidigt blir de ofta väldigt överraskade och glada när jag trollar.

LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN

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JÄMTLAND

HÄRJEDALEN

DALARNA En man från Ludvika i Dalarna slängde på luren när han fick ett samtal från Svenska Spel som ville gratulera till vinsten på 2.2 miljoner kronor. – Att få luren slängd i örat på mig har jag aldrig varit med om, säger vinnarkommunikatören Magnus Fridell. Han fick i uppdrag att ringa de personer som vunnit på lottodragningen och fick till slut tag i mannen i Ludvika. – Han frågade varför jag ringde så sent och helt plötsligt slängde han på luren utan att jag hade hunnit berätta varför jag ringde, säger Magnus Fridell i ett pressmeddelande. När mannen i Ludvika senare insett att han vunnit på lotto ringde han upp Svenska Spel för att be om ursäkt. – Jag kände att jag var tvungen att ringa upp och be om ursäkt. Men är det verkligen sant? Jag är helt paff, säger mannen till Svenska Spel. Mannen, som är pensionär, berättar om sina framtida planer. – Nu vill jag göra mig skuldfri. Sen kan det ju bli några resor. Du vet, man tittar på resor ibland och känner att det är väldigt dyrt, men nu kanske det inte behöver kännas så längre, skrattar mannen. Magnus Fridell har funderat på första samtalet med mannen. – Det är roligt hur folk reagerar, men att få luren slängd i örat på mig har jag aldrig varit med om. Men jag förstår honom, jag skulle också bli irriterad om det ringde någon som jag

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MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND

DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND

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DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE

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trodde ville sälja något till mig sent en lördagskväll. Men sen var det väldigt fint att han ringde och bad om ursäkt. Jämtland När Emma Mårtensson tog bilen till jobbet i Strömsund i norra Jämtland en morgon fick hon se en björnfamilj framför sig på vägen. Emma kunde urskilja en stor och tre små gestalter framför sig. – Det var en björnhona och tre ungar som sprang där. Det var väldigt häftigt att se, det är inte så vanligt att de har tre ungar som jag har förstått det. Emma och hennes sambo följde sakta efter björnfamiljen som fortfarande sprang framför dem på vägen. – Även om man satt i bilen så blev man lite skakis. Men det var maffigt. Emma filmade den lilla björnfamiljen som till slut tog av mot skogen. Hon lade sedan ut filmen på sociala medier och fick många positiva reaktioner.

[Business] News How to Please Everybody Without Going Broke Trade War Part II

By Peter Berlin s we reported in the May issue of Swedish Press, the new US import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium were supposed to go into effect on May 1. President Trump’s intention with the tariffs was to redress the trade imbalance between the US and China, and also between the US and America’s long-standing friends – the EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, Brazil and Argentina. Unconfirmed sources state that the White House has already granted the latter four countries a permanent waiver from the new tariffs, leaving the EU, Canada and Mexico in limbo. On April 30, the President announced that the introduction of the tariffs will be deferred from May 1 until June 1 in order to allow more time for negotiations. Unlike the UK which welcomed the one-month extension, Ann Linde, the Swedish Minister of Trade and EU Relations, sharply criticized the announcement. She did so on the grounds that it prolongs the uncertainty whether the US will eventually grant the EU the permanent waiver that has been the subject of intensive negotiations since the original White House announcement back in early March. The ambiguity will have the effect of creating havoc within the Swedish steel industry as it tries to prepare itself for a negative outcome and a subsequent trade war. To make things worse, some of the steel that China had intended for export to the US may now be dumped on the EU instead, thereby pushing down the market price. Given that 70 percent of Swedish steel exports go to other

EU member states, the impact on the Swedish steel sector is easy to imagine. The heated debate in the EU media about the import tariffs is dominated by talk of retaliation against the US. However, there are alternatives. For example, South Korea has been granted a permanent exemption from the tariffs in exchange for agreeing to cut its steel exports to the US by 30 percent. Maybe some cool Swedish peace-keeping might once again prove timely. Good News for Swedish Expats The fall in the value of the Sweden krona relative to all major currencies has accelerated during the month of April. Against the US dollar, the SEK has lost 5 percent. One of the reasons given is the announcement by the Swedish Central Bank that the extremely low (read negative) interbank interest rate will be maintained for some time to come. A second reason is the near-collapse of the real-estate market. Yet another possible factor is the suspicion that the booming Swedish economy may have peaked.

The deflation of the Swedish currency is bad for imports, good for exports, and particularly good for Swedish expats who may wish to invest in a piece of Swedish property for their retirement. Survival of the Fittest Swedish stores are facing a slow demise due to competition from giant Internet retailers like Amazon. The malaise is not restricted to Main Street boutiques but is also being felt by large Swedish chains like H&M and IKEA which only now have decided to go online. In order to survive, small stores in city centers are becoming inventive by specializing in niche products. The theory is that shoppers nowadays are too busy to browse through stores randomly in search of inspiration. Instead, they are more likely to have specific purchases in mind and will aim straight for the store that is most likely to satisfy their immediate need – i.e. to a store that carries those particular niche items.

The price of 1 Swedish krona in US dollars. Source: Oanda.

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Company File

Printing Spare Parts for the Human Body By Peter Berlin

n October 2017, the New York chapter of the SwedishAmerican Chamber of Commerce announced the winner of the Anders Wall Award for Exceptional Entrepreneurship. The winner was CELLINK, a Swedish-American company with headquarters in Gothenburg and divisions in Cambridge, MA, Blacksburg, VA and Kyoto, Japan. CELLINK was founded in January 2016. In November of the same year it was listed on Nasdaq after a 1070 percent oversubscribed Initial Public Offering – another success story from the Swedish tech scene. The company develops, produces and markets equipment for so-called “additive manufacturing”, also known as 3D printing. Conventional 3D printing is similar to inkjet printing, except that it works in three dimensions rather than just two. So instead of printing a 2D picture of, say, a gun or parts of a rocket engine on a piece of paper, 3D printing produces a fully usable gun or rocket engine elements. The printer does this by spraying a type of ink in thin additive layers to form the desired 3D geometry as instructed by a computer loaded with computeraided design (CAD) software. The technique is called additive because material is added, as opposed to traditional machining where material is removed and hence wasted (subtractive manufacturing).

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Happily, there is nothing as threatening as guns or rockets in the CELLINK production line. Instead, the company is devoted to serving humanity by manufacturing (“bioprinting”) human replacement body parts. Specifically, the company focuses on the development and commercialization of bioprinting technologies that allow researchers to 3D-print human organs and tissues for clinical applications. CELLINK’s innovative and patentpending bio-ink is a biomaterial that enables human cells to grow and thrive as they would in the natural human body environment. Today, the company’s technology platform is being utilized to print tissues such as liver, cartilage, skin, and even fully functional cancer tumors that can then be used to develop new cancer treatments. The company has, within 12 months, commercialized products in more than 40 countries and has sold them to hundreds of prestigious labs around the world, such as Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is quite a feat which will change the world of medicine; hence the award of the Anders Wall prize. The CELLINK business case is irrefutable. There is a global shortage of organs available for lifesaving transplants. In Sweden, for example, you can now expect to wait anywhere from several months to many years for a kidney transplant, depending on the availability of a willing donor with the same blood group as the patient. There is a similar shortage of liver, lungs

and other organs. The lack of transplant tissues is estimated to be the leading cause of death in America. Around one-third of all deaths in the US could be prevented or delayed by organ or engineered tissue transplants. The demand is endless. Erik Gatenholm, co-founder and CEO of CELLINK, started his first biomedical device company in 2008 at age 18 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The company was known as BC Genesis with the aim of commercializing a technology under license. BC Genesis focused on developing cellulose-based medical implants for applications such as meniscus/ cartilage repair as well as surgical meshes. In 2014, Gatenholm moved to Sweden to complete his MBA at Gothenburg University, focusing on the commercialization of biotechnology startups. Later that year he met Hector Martinez, a Ph.D. student at Chalmers University. They began to work on commercializing the biomaterial innovation behind CELLINK. Gatenholm and Martinez realized the potential for the new biomaterial as a printable material and founded the company CELLINK to provide bio-inks to the 3D printing field.

H E RI TAG E

“Sweden Day's Couple of the Year 2018 is..." Celebrate Midsummer in the Big Apple By Sofie Kinnefors

idsummer is approaching, and Swedes all over the world look forward to the festive celebration which involves big groups of friends, fun, games and Swedish specialty foods like herring, new potatoes, sour cream, dill and fresh strawberries. About 4000 miles west of Sweden, for example, New Yorkers with Swedish heritage are getting ready to celebrate Midsummer at an event called “Sweden Day.” The annual Midsummer event takes place on Saturday June 16 at beach club “The Manhem Club” in the Bronx. Midsummer, which falls on June 22 this year, was originally a celebration of Summer Solstice and an opportunity to welcome summer, brighter days and fertility. In Christian traditions people also celebrated the birth of Saint John the Baptist. As midsummer is best enjoyed out in nature, Sweden Day is hosting its Midsummer event on a site by the beach. Find a sunny spot and bury your feet in the sand. Children (and brave adults) can take a swim in the water.

Sweden Day, founded in New York 78 years ago, offers visitors a fun-filled day with plenty of Scandinavian traditions. Have a cocktail, enjoy Allsång (sing-along), take part in the dancing around the midsummer pole and enjoy lively Scandinavian Music by Long Island accordion band “SmörgåsBandet.” Children (and adults alike) may also engage in crafts – have your face painted with a summer flower or a Swedish flag or have your hair made into a nice braid. Children may also take part in the children’s Folk Dancing Exhibition. Also popular at the Sweden Day event is the “Miss Sweden Day Contest.” Each year a woman is selected for the prestigious title, a tradition that has been around since 1963. The Sweden Day Committee looks for a woman who represents her ties to Sweden well. “We are looking for a SwedishAmerican woman who has been positively influenced by her connection to her heritage. This woman should be able to present herself well and speak about her experiences and background with poise and confidence,” it says on Sweden Day’s website.

The Sweden Day Committee also honors scholarship winners and Sweden Day’s “Couple of the Year” during the Midsummer event. On Sweden Day’s website it says: “Every year the Sweden Day Committee nominates and honors one or more individuals or an organization for their continued promotion and dedication to their Swedish Heritage within the Scandinavian Community. This year, the Sweden Day Committee takes great pleasure in honoring Robert and Beatrice Rasmussen, Sweden Day’s Couple of the Year 2018.” Sweden Day also features vendors who in their stalls, for example, sell traditional Swedish sweet pastries as well as Swedish bread “limpa.” Lottery tickets and fun prizes are also available for those feeling lucky. Sweden Day has been made possible thanks to its dedicated committee and volunteers. The Manhem Club is located on 658 Clarence Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465. The festivities start at 2pm. www.swedendayny.com Celebrating midsummer. Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se

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Swedish Press | June 2018 11

Bringing Sweden to the Big Apple By Lara Andersson

ew York is one of those places you’re bound to fall in love with at some point in your life – whether it’s with the idea, the spirit or the city itself. Many aspects of the city have become iconic, making it no surprise that people representing all walks of life flock to “The Big Apple” on a daily basis. Swedes are no exception: the Scandinavian country’s relationship with the cosmopolitan city flourished in the eighteen hundreds. Between 1820 and 1900, almost 19 million

immigrants from Europe reached the United States, of whom 1.4 million were Swedes. The Swedish immigration hit its peak at the end of the century, with a record high of 64,607 Swedish people making the journey across the Atlantic in 1882. Since then, Scandinavians have carved out a small yet solid foundation for themselves in the city that never sleeps. I attended Columbia University in New York, and I remember the excitement I felt when I first took note of the Swedish cafés popping up around the city. Konditori, which has one location just off of the Bedford stop in Brooklyn, was a sight for sore eyes after eight months of being far away from my Uppsala home. The sign out front was humble but unmistakable: the simple blue and yellow flag, just big enough to make out from down the block. When I interned at a publication in midtown, the Swedish Church on 5 East 48th Street was just a ten-minute

Far left: Empire State Building. Photo: onionastudio | Left: Lucia performance at Gustav Adolf Church in New York City, from Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center | Above: Swedish Church | Right: Statue of Liberty. Photo: Mirko Vitali

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Swedish Press | June 2018 12

walk from my office. I would go there for lunch sometimes, flipping through the books and magazines in their downstairs library before picking out a sandwich and some elderflower juice from their self-serve fridge. Afternoons spent there truly felt like being at home, and it was meant to feel that way. “Whether you’re living in the city or just passing through,” the Church declares on their webpage, “you’ve found your second home.” Thomas Noe, founder of the organization “Swedes In New York”, offers a unique insight into the culture of Swedish people living in New York. Born in the city to a Swedish mother, he has been active in the “Swedes in New York” community his entire life, even before there was a Facebook. His mother taught Swedish at the abovementioned Swedish Church and, as he grew older, he attended parties and events organized by Swedish promoters. Realizing there was a dearth of events highlighting Swedish creations, Thomas decided to curate his own gatherings, DJ-ing events where he could play Scandinavian music. At the beginning,

“Swedes in New York” was intended as a networking platform, created so that he would have a larger pool of people to invite to his events. He quickly realized that there was much more to it. To date, the Facebook group “Swedes in New York” boasts over 6,000 members. It’s a tool for all Swedes in New York to connect to each other, find roommates, sell stuff, and – most importantly, says Thomas – to join the events which “Swedes in New York” puts together. Over ten years, the group has hosted various events from Melodifestivalen and Eurovision viewings to crawfish parties, midsummer parties and St. Lucia parties. Thomas makes a good point about Swedes when he says that we are very independent and learn to assimilate quickly. “I asked a promoter friend of mine once why Swedes didn’t play more of their own music,” explains Thomas, “and he told me Swedes

Above: Subway entrance in Lower Manhattan at Wall Street. Photo: Wasin Pummarin/123rf.com | Right: Times Square, featured with theatres on Broadway, brightly-lit signs and busy traffic, is a symbol of New York City. Photo: Songquan Deng/123rf.com

often travelled to the US to escape from Sweden.” Indeed, Catharina “Catta” Wöhlecke-Haglund, who was the President of the Scandinavian Service School in New York in the 1980’s, admits that, during her time abroad, she and her friends “loved NYC and did not want so many Swedish things.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons that you won’t find any Swedish neighborhood or district in NYC, but rather, smaller hubs of Scandinavian culture dispersed throughout the city. “I feel organizations like my own help people reconnect. Then, once we are done, Swedes retreat back into their New Yorker lives,” Thomas explains. What’s a typical day like for the Swede in New York? Swedes travel to New York for a wide variety of reasons, but there are some trends as to the type of person who chooses to stay longer, notes Thomas. You have your aupairs who spend their weeks babysitting and their weekends discovering the city; the professionals trying to make a name for themselves in the United States; and the creative types who are trying to do more or less the same thing as the profes-

sionals but in a different context. These are generalizations, of course, but they hold true from year to year. So a day in the life of many Swedes is just like the daily life of any other New Yorker: you visit your local café, your local bagel stop, you ride the subway, you go to work. But when you do miss Sweden, there are many places you can go to tap into the feeling of home. You can visit the chain of Swedish coffee shops called FIKA, and boutiques specializing in Swedish candy, like Sockerbit and BonBon. If you crave something more upscale, Aquavit – opened by Håkan Swahn in 1987 – has garnered widespread attention with its signature Nordic dishes. Of course, you can also always voyage into Nature for a taste of home. “Going upstate to look at the tree leaves is something that all Swedes like and feel at home doing,” says Catta. In addition to cafés and restaurants, you will also find several organizations which

encourage cross-cultural exchange between the United States and Sweden. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce, for instance, supports young professionals looking to come to the city for work. The Scandinavia House, located on Park Avenue, showcases Nordic culture in the city and holds its Nordic International Film Festival each year, highlighting Scandinavian and international filmmakers. Yet another organization, SWEA, supports Swedish women who are or who have been living abroad. They focus on connecting individuals in both a personal and professional capacity so that they may thrive wherever they go in the United States. One thing all of these places have in common is that they depend not only upon Swedes, but also on Americans to sustain them. As Thomas said to me: “Their success will never be hinged on the demands or needs of Swedes in New York. We may frequent them, but when we do it’s important that we bring along our American friends.” It’s important, in other words, that we share our Scandinavian heritage.

Above: Gravlax with smoke and roe created by Chef Emma Bengtsson at Aquavit. Photo: Daniel Krieger/ Aquavit | Right: 5 Pointz, considered a graffiti mecca in Queens, New York City, is an outdoor exhibit space featuring numerous graffiti artists. Photo: Sean Pavone

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Swedish Press | June 2018 13

wedish award-winning chef, international restaurateur and cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson started early. Aged six he was already helping his grandmother Helga in the kitchen. “I have so many memories being in the kitchen with her. One thing is for sure – whether it was helping making meatballs, picking wild berries or cleaning fish, she used to really put me and my sisters to work.” From there on, Samuelsson was off to a grand culinary journey which led him to become co-owner and chef of Red Rooster Harlem in New York City. Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia and raised in Partille on the Swedish West Coast. Marcus, his two sisters Anna and Linda and their parents would spend the summers at the holiday resort Smögen, located in Västra Götaland County. “Every morning I went fishing with my dad, Lennart, and my uncles. We caught crayfish, lobsters, and mackerel, and often smoked and preserved the catch,” Marcus said. His upbringing in Western Sweden and time spent in the kitchen with his parents and grandma Helga, along with the food they prepared, still play a major role in Marcus’ cooking. On the various menus at Marcus’ restaurants you can, for example, find mackerel, herring, Arctic char and Swedish meatballs on the menus.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 14

Swedish Roots of Dynamic and Diverse Chef Marcus Samuelsson k

Chef Marcus Samuelsson has enjoyed world-wide success. He is dynamic and certainly diverse. He is famous with dozens of restaurants as part of his portfolio. But where did this master chef acquire his passion for his amazing culinary career? In Sweden, that’s where.

Interviewed by Sofie Kinnefors

After finishing studies at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg and gaining experience at fine restaurants in Switzerland and France, Marcus arrived and got his start in New York by training at world-class Nordic restaurant Aquavit in 1994. He showed major talent, worked hard and eventually became Executive Chef. “It was very exciting for me. I always knew I wanted to come to New York, and I learned so much at Aquavit aside from cooking,” Marcus said. Marcus was praised for his work as chef at Aquavit and in 1995 become the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star rating from The New York Times. Marcus left Aquavit in 2010. Aside from working in the kitchen, he lectured, hosted and appeared on various lifestyle and cooking shows, worked on establishing new restaurants, wrote cookbooks and had the honor of cooking for President Barack Obama during his first state dinner. In 2010 Marcus and fellow creator Andrew Chapman opened and successfully developed the now vibrant comfort food restaurant Red Rooster Harlem on Lenox Avenue. “It fulfills my dream to showcase American comfort food with hints of my Swedish and African roots. I want this to be a place where people from all walks of life break bread together,” Marcus added.

Once again Marcus’ love for Scandinavian food shines through. At Red Rooster in Harlem you can order Scandinavian specialties like Helga’s meatballs, made like his grandmother used to make them, plus Uptown Lax Toast featuring smoked salmon, hardboiled egg, avocado, radishes, lime aioli; and also luxury Americanized cinnamon rolls made from brioche bread rolled with cinnamon sugar and raisins. So what can a person expect who is visiting the colorful restaurant for the first time? And what should one order? “You can expect so much more than great food. Red Rooster is always buzzing with live music, art, and fashion. It’s a great place to see the who’swho in the city and just to really have a great time. For a first order, I would say the cornbread and yardbird are staples, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.” On a typical day at Red Rooster Harlem, Marcus makes time for family, his Swedish coworkers and his team. “In the morning, I try to eat breakfast with Maya and Zion and maybe go for an early walk with them in the park. Then I get on the phone with my Europe team. Because of the time difference, it’s a great time to connect with them,” he said. “Then, my main job at Red Rooster is to inspire the team and make sure we have the right culture in place.

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem is one of several books written by Marcus Samuelsson. All photos © Marcus Samuelsson

From teaching the team about the history of Harlem to preparing new dishes and updating them on the menus to getting ready for a new art installation, I am primarily there to teach and help the team grow.” Currently based in New York, Marcus runs two Red Rooster restaurants, along with Marcus B&P in Newark, NJ and (through his partnership with Clarion Hotels in 2012) the restaurant chain “Kitchen and Table” – now in Clarion hotels throughout Sweden, Norway and Finland. The talented chef and restaurateur’s style of cooking varies depending on which of his restaurants he is in. “My cooking style is pretty much based around the community where I’m cooking. At Red Rooster we do

comfort food with an international twist, while at Marcus B&P in Newark the cuisine is rooted in the food of the migration communities with a Mediterranean influence, since that says more about the local community.” Apart from grandma Helga, Marcus finds inspiration in the late Chicagobased American chef and restaurateur Charlie Trotter. “Chef Charlie Trotter really had a big impact on me and how I think. He was so ahead of his time in terms of how diverse his kitchens were – it was amazing for me to see that at a pretty young age.” Marcus also find inspiration in his family. And he doesn’t mind cooking in his spare time. On days off he likes to relax at home with his wife, Ethiopian model Maya and their son Zion. “I cook at home with Maya and Zion. We’ll usually do simple, healthy dishes together. I actually love when Maya cooks Ethiopian food, because she’s great at making those traditional dishes – I learn so much.” So what’s next for the worldrenowned chef ? “I have a show coming out on PBS in partnership with Eater this summer. I had the opportunity to travel around the US and meet amazing people from various immigrant communities, from the Vietnamese community in New Orleans to the Haitian community in Miami. I learned so much and I can’t wait to share that. It airs on July 10th.” We’ll be watching.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 15

‘Generalkonsulatet företräder Sverige...’

Global S

Leif Pagrotsky, Sveriges generalkonsul i New York

L Generalkonsul Leif Pagrotsky. Foto: Kristian Pohl, Regeringskansliet

Leif Pagrotsky är född och uppvuxen i Göteborg. I sin ungdom jobbade han en kort tid som hamnarbetare innan han började studera ekonomi vid Göterborgs universitet. Han blev så småningom minister i Göran Perssons socialdemokratiska regering och är numera Sveriges generalkonsul i New York. I följande samtal med Swedish Press beskriver han sin karriär mera ingående, berättar om sina arbetsuppgifter på generalkonsulatet och delar med sig av sina funderingar kring det politiska klimatet i USA.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 16

eif Pagrotsky hade vänligheten i slutet av april att ställa upp på ett samtal med Swedish Press om sin bakgrund och verksamhet vid Sveriges generalkonsulat i New York. De flesta svenskar minns honom som socialdemokratisk handels- och näringsminister samt sedermera utbildnings- och kulturminister i Göran Perssons socialdemokratiska regering. Efter valnederlaget 2006 fortsatte han som riksdagsledamot, styrelsemedlem i Riksbanken och talesman för Socialdemokraterna i kulturutskottet. 2013 lämnade han politiken för gott, för att år 2015 bli utsedd som Sveriges generalkonsul i New York. Leif menar att övergången från en ministerpost till en annan inte är så märkvärdig som den kan förefalla. När man sitter i regeringen, blir man mer eller mindre insatt i olika departementsfrågor, och statsministern förväntar sig att alla ministrar ska kunna deltaga aktivt i regeringens debatter och beslut. På frågan varför han blev socialdemokrat, svarar Leif att han redan i tonåren tyckte sig uppleva sociala och ekonomiska orättvisor i samhället, och att Socialdemokraterna

var det parti som mest verkade för jämlikhet. Vi pratade om den nya Valkompassen (se sid. 20) som är ett interaktivt verktyg avsett att styra väljare i riktning mot det politiska parti vilket närmast återspeglar ens prioriteter. Olika människor som utnyttjat Valkompassen har ibland av programmet klassats som anhängare av ett annat parti än det förväntade – och däribland t.o.m. en partiledare! Leif menar att om så är fallet, har han större förtroende för partiledaren än för Valkompassen, eftersom det är ledaren själv som är ideologisk tongivare inom partiet. Generalkonsulatet har två huvuduppgifter. Den ena uppgiften är att handlägga konsulära ärenden åt svenska medborgare i USA. Här handlar det exempelvis om utfärdande av pass och körkort. Den andra uppgiften består i att företräda Sverige, verka för en positiv Sverigebild, och främja dess kultur samt handel med

[

Putting Sweden on the Map Abroad

l Swedes

]

‘.... och verka för en positiv Sverigebild.’

nordöstra USA, vilket upptar det mesta av generalkonsulns tid. I det sammanhanget lovordade Leif det samarbete och stöd som Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce i New York (SACC-NY) erbjuder – se sid. 25. Vidare har generalkonsulatet kontakt med Svenska kyrkan, Business Sweden, VisitSweden och andra svenska organisationer i New York med omnejd. Samarbetet sker inom ramen för Team Sweden, regeringens initiativ att genom ett brett och effektivt samarbete främja svenska intressen utomlands. Presiden Trumps förslag att införa importtullar på stål och aluminium kastar en skugga över handeln mellan USA och Europa. Därigenom påverkas även Sverige som ju är en av medlemsstaterna i Europeiska Unionen. Nu är det så att Sverige exporterar specialprodukter av stål som är svåra att finna

Bakgrund Sverige hade ett generalkonsulat I New York fram till 2009, när dåvarande statsministern Carl Bildt lät stänga det av kostnadsskäl. Istället inrättades ett honorärskonsulat med en oavlönad honorärskonsul som bara fanns till hands på deltid. Denna åtgärd skapade irritation hos bland annat New Yorks borgmästare, Mike Bloomberg, som ansåg att de kommersiella och kulturella förbindelserna mellan staden och Sverige skulle bli lidande. Dessutom bor cirka 10,000 – 20,000 svenskar i New York, varav många rimligen har behov av konsulärt stöd. Nuvarande statsministern Stefan Löfven gjorde därför ett vallöfte att återupprätta generalkonsulatet och utsåg Leif Pagrotsky till generalkonsul. Konsulatet öppnades formellt 2016. annorstädes, så det är tänkbart att USA gör undantag för dessa när det gäller importtullar. Sedan tar Leif för givet att svenska företag som evenutellt skulle påverkas av ett fullskaligt handelskrig mellan USA och EU redan nu vidtar förberedelser för att lindra konsekvenserna. Som minister fick han egen erfarenhet av handelskrig och menar att de skapar ekonomisk och politisk ödeläggelse för alla inblandade. När det gäller för Sverige att försöka påverka Presidentens negativa inställning till ekologiska spörsmål i allmänhet och Parisavtalet i synnerhet, påpekar Leif att detta är svenska ambassadens

ansvarsområde snarare än konsulatens. Däremot har generalkonsulatet upprättat en dialog med relevanta och likasinnade lokala myndigheter, detta mot bakgrunden av att många amerikanska storstäder som t.ex. New York och Los Angeles bestämt sig för att ignorera Vita Husets helomvändning i klimatfrågor och istället fortsätter att verka för ett fossilfritt samhälle. Leif och hans familj trivs bra i New York. De utnyttjar helhjärtat det kulturella och kulinariska utbudet i staden. Dessemellan deltar de i evenemang som organiseras av den lokala svenska gemenskapen. Samtalet verkställt av Peter Berlin

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Swedish Press | June 2018 17

[Lifestyle]

Top Sju

1195

Popular contemporary music event “Summerburst” takes place on June 1-2 at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, with a subsequent venue at Östermalms IP in Stockholm on June 15-16. This is Summerburst’s eighth year in Stockholm and seventh year in Gothenburg. It features upbeat electronic music and some of the hottest names in pop and dance music, including Swedish DJ duo Axwell & Ingrosso, British/ Norwegian DJ Alan Walker and Dutch DJ and record producer Martin Garrix. A standard ticket costs 1195 SEK. Visitors must be age 18 or older to enter.

June 6 is Sweden’s National Day, and outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm is inviting the public to take part in the celebration. (Celebrations of Sweden’s National Day originally started at Skansen in 1893.) Get crafty by making a Swedish flag or, perhaps, have one painted on your face. Sing along to Swedish folk music or put your dancing shoes on and partake in traditional Swedish folk dances. Visitors may also join forces with the Swedish Royal Family during the festive concert on the Solliden stage.

10 Exchanging meats for vegetarian dishes during the week is becoming popular amongst Swedes. In a survey called Food & Friends Food Report 2018, 26 percent of Swedes said that they will continue to reduce their consumption of beef and pork. Fifty-two percent of Swedish women and 35 percent of men say they eat vegetarian at least once a week. The 10 most popular vegetarian dishes to cook among Swedes

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Swedish Press | June 2018 18

are vegetable soup, salad, vegetarian patties, falafel, vegetarian lasagna, quorn, other vegetable dishes, pancakes, pasta with sauce and, last but not least, lens stews.

53 Robotic lawnmowers are popular in Sweden during the summer. Reasons include lovely cut grass, more leisure time and less fuss over who’s to mow the lawn. According to a survey by Trädgårdsbarometern 2018, 53 percent of the respondents form close enough relationships with their robot to give it a nickname. 25 percent of participants consider them a new family member.

7 The Eurovision Song Contest final aired on May 12 from Lisbon in Portugal. The annual international televised song competition, which first took place in Switzerland on May 24, 1956, featured 43 countries this year. Singer/

songwriter Benjamin Ingrosso, 20, represented Sweden with his pop/electronic dance song “Dance You Off.” Ingrosso has previously participated in numerous musicals, plays and music events, such as “Nils Karlsson Pyssling”, “Lilla Melodifestivalen”, “Allsång på Skansen”, “Diggiloo” and “Karlsson på taket.” In 2015 he released his first single “Fall in Love.” Ingrosso finished 7th in the final. Netta Barzilai of Israel won the Eurovision Contest with the song “Toy”.

22 Midsummer Eve, celebrated in agrarian times to welcome summer, light and fertility, takes place on June 22. On this particular night, citizens all over Sweden celebrate by raising midsummer poles, making flower wreaths and putting boiled new potatoes, herring and (of course) schnapps on their tables. Civic solstice celebrations including dance and live music are free to the public. Check your local paper for listings.

135 Dance performance “Rêves de Jeunesse” (Four Daughters) and “Hansel and Gretel” takes place on June 1 and 2 at Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg. The colorful performance features students from Svenska Balettskolan (Swedish National Ballet School) and is filled with adventure, fantasy and humor. “Rêves de Jeunesse” and “Hansel and Gretel” are great for families. Tickets are 275 SEK for adults and 135 SEK for children and young adults up to 20 years of age.

INNOVATION

CHAMPION

Sweden

Opening both the roads and the skies

Two sets of laws enacted in 2017 helped Sweden cement its status as a top-tier Innovation Champion.

Sweden Named 2018 Innovation Champion

The first allows drone operators to fly drones equipped with cameras without first obtaining a license. The operators must still follow rules that protect privacy, but the law notes the importance of enabling the use Bydevelopment Peter Berlin and of camera-equipped drones in agriculture, rescue missions, journalism, and much else. Another law going into effect in 2018 will further ease restrictions on flying at night, out of line of sight, and with heavier drones. he Consumer Technology

The second new Association law paves the way(CTA) for easieristesting of self-driving vehicles. Swedish automaker Volvo is a a standards and trade leader in SDV innovation, and has ambitions to remake the country’s roadways. In November 2017, the company organization for the conagreed to sell Uber up to 24,000 self-driving Volvos in sumer electronics industry in the the hopes of creating a ridesharing fleet.

United States. It is also the largest

Still, ridesharing was handed a series of legal defeats tech trade association. inU.S. 2016 and faces significant restrictions atCTA the federal level. The same is true for short-term rentals. More than works to influence public policy, two years after a court ruled that a Stockholm woman was running a “hotel business”events, by sharing her apartholds international conducts ment, the short-term rental market has been stunted by market research, and helps its federal regulations.

members and regulators implement

But, impressively, in all but three areas graded in the technical standards. 2017 Scorecard, Sweden ranks among the best — receiving nearly straight-As across the board.

[Lifestyle]

Fresh WHAT DID WE DO RIGHT? Ideas

Nearly 30 percent of Swedish graduates earned degrees in STEM fields. The country has turned its base of highly-skilled workers into a handful of multibillion-dollar success stories, including global brands Skype and Spotify. Sweden allows largely unfettered use of drones and promotes testing of self-driving vehicles. CHAMPIONNEXT YEAR? WHAT CANINNOVATION WE DO BETTER

Sweden

Sweden can roll back equipment requirements on ridesharing vehicles, and laws that force the platforms to work with only licensed taxi drivers. The country can also lift restrictions on short-term rental operations. WHAT DID WE DO RIGHT? Opening both the roads and the skies

Two sets of laws enacted in 2017 helped Sweden cement its status as a top-tier Innovation Champion.

Diversity

The first allows drone operators to fly drones equipped with cameras without first obtaining a license. The operators must still follow rules that protect privacy, but the law notes the importance of enabling the use and development of camera-equipped drones in agriculture, rescue missions, journalism, and much else. Another law going into effect in 2018 will further ease restrictions on flying at night, out of line of sight, and with heavier drones.

Freedom

Broadband

The second new law paves the way for easier testing of self-driving vehicles. Swedish automaker Volvo is a leader in SDV innovation, and has ambitions to remake the country’s roadways. In November 2017, the company agreed to sell Uber up to 24,000 self-driving Volvos in the hopes of creating a ridesharing fleet.

Human Capital

Still, ridesharing was handed a series of legal defeats in 2016 and faces significant restrictions at the federal level. The same is true for short-term rentals. More than two years after a court ruled that a Stockholm woman was running a “hotel business” by sharing her apartment, the short-term rental market has been stunted by federal regulations.

Tax Friendliness

R&D Investment

But, impressively, in all but three areas graded in the 2017 Scorecard, Sweden ranks among the best — receiving nearly straight-As across the board.

A-

WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER NEXT YEAR?

A+

A-

Freedom

A+

Broadband

Human Capital

A-

Tax Friendliness

B-

R&D Investment

Entrepreneurial Activity

A-

Drones

Ridesharing

Short-Term Rentals

Self-Driving Vehicles

Environment

A+

Entrepreneurial Activity Sources: (Riksdagen) (BNA) (Transport Styrelsen) (The Local)

Diversity

ABA A-

Drones

Ridesharing

Short-Term Rentals

The Association recently named A Self-Driving Vehicles Sources: (Riksdagen) (BNA) Local) Sweden one of(Transport theirStyrelsen) 2018(The “Innovation A+ Environment Champions” for policies that support innovation and technological develop90 freedom and clean environments, ment. Some of the decisive factors and innovators are embraced,” said were legislative, including a law Gary Shapiro, president and CEO permitting the operation of drones of CTA. “Countries’ futures are tied without a license and another law to innovation, because it will bolster making it easier to test self-driving economic growth and provide future vehicles. Perhaps most surprising to generations with the jobs they want. foreign observers, Sweden’s corpoGraduates entering the workforce rate tax law was among the lowest today don’t necessarily want to of any country on the Innovation stay in the factory jobs of previous Scorecard at 22 percent. generations – they want to use their Social factors also played into creativity and curiosity to build Sweden’s high ranking – high perbrighter futures worldwide.” centage of graduates in science, Human Capital Outranks nearly every conducted other country in the ScoreCTA a comparative technology, engineering and mathcard for the amount of its workforce who classify analysis of 38 countries and theas ematics (“STEM”), an annual new highly-skilled, at 49.2 percent. Nearly 30 percent of European In addition to business rate of 6.87 per 1,000all people, Swedish degrees go toUnion. STEM graduates Sweden, CTA’s Scorecard named and high internet connectivity were Entrepreneurial Activity Australia, Austria, Canada, the also named as reasons for Sweden’s As the launchpad for global brands Skype and SpoCzech Republic, Denmark, strengths in innovation. tify, Sweden’s start-up sector has flourishedFinland, over Portugal, Singapore, the Nether“The trend lines are clear several – inno-years. Stockholm, in particular, is fertile ground for successful newZealand, companies. the lands, New theOverall United vation is encouraged where governcountry has an annual new business rate ofStates 6.87 peras Kingdom and the United ments, such as Sweden, are hospita1,000 people. Innovation Champions. ble to new ideas, people enjoy great

Tax Friendliness

Sweden’s 22-percent corporate tax rate is among the lowest rates of any country on the Scorecard.

Sweden cemented its status as a top-tier Innovation Champion with two laws enacted in 2017. The first allows drone operators to fly drones equipped with cameras without first obtaining a license. The operators must still follow rules that protect privacy, but the law notes the importance of enabling the use and development of camera-equipped drones in agriculture, rescue missions, journalism and much else. Another law going into effect in 2018 will further ease restrictions on flying at night, out of line of sight and with heavier drones. The second new law makes it easier to test selfdriving vehicles. Overall, Sweden earned nearly straight-A’s across the board. Almost 30 percent of Swedish graduates earned degrees in STEM fields, and the country has been a launchpad for global brands Skype and Spotify. Human Capital

Outranks nearly every other country in the Scorecard for the amount of its workforce who classify as highly-skilled, at 49.2 percent. Nearly 30 percent of all Swedish degrees go to STEM graduates

Entrepreneurial Activity

As the launchpad for global brands Skype and Spotify, Sweden’s start-up sector has flourished over several years. Stockholm, in particular, is fertile ground for successful new companies. Overall the country has an annual new business rate of 6.87 per 1,000 people.

Tax Friendliness

Sweden’s 22-percent corporate tax rate is among the lowest rates of any country on the Scorecard.

R&D Inves

Sweden invests nea GDP in research an highest share of any on the Scorecard.

STOCKHOLM Despite Sweden’s relatively small size, the country’s native companies have had an outsized impact around the world — and not only thanks to a certain furniture store. According to a Knowledge@Wharton article in Forbes, the capital city of Stockholm has become a veritable ‘Unicorn Factory,’ churning out billion-dollar startups second in number only to Silicon Valley.

R&D Music-streaming Investment service Spotify boasts a multi-billion-dollar valuation, teleSweden invests nearly 3.3 and percent ofSweden itshasGDP becomein known for punching above its weight communications company Skype was sector, fielding research and the highest share ofbillion-dollar any start=ups in numbers second bought firstdevelopment, by eBay for $2.6 billion in Valley. The capital city of Stockholm is responsible for inter 2005 and then byon Microsoft for $8.5 bilSpotify and Skype, both of which are valued at more than $ European country the Scorecard.

R&D Investment

Sweden lion sixinvests years later. nearly 3.3 percent of its GDPThose in research and development, the successes have in turn attracted attention for the more than 20,000 technology bus the cityshare home, and lured investment funds to the city. highest ofhave any European country on the Scorecard. In 2015, an estimated Swedish $800 million was pumped into Sweden Press | June 2018by private 19 equity and venture c

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the vast majority went to Stockholm companies. The city doesn’t appear to be ready to tak pedal. Stockholm is home to the Sting accelerator, which offers entrepreneurial coaching opportunities for the next generation of innovators , as well as help to find funding for their Sources: (OECD) (Invest Stockholm) (Fortune) (Sting)

[Politics]

Dra ditt strå till Sveriges framtid! By Peter Berlin Det drar ihop sig till riksdagsval i Sverige, närmare bestämt söndagen den 9 september 2018. Alla svenska medborgare som någon gång har varit folkbokförda i Sverige och är över 18 år får vara med och välja riksdagens ledamöter. Om du som utlandssvensk tappat kontakten med det politiska livet i Sverige eller inte hängt med i de många namnbytena hos riksdagspartierna, kanske du finner översikten nedan upplyftande. Således, i alfabetisk turordning:

Centerpartiet (C), vanligtvis kallat Centern, är ett socialliberalt och grönt politiskt parti. Partiledare är sedan 2011 Annie Lööf. Centerpartiet antog sitt nuvarande namn 1957 som ersatte det tidigare Bondeförbundet. På 1970-talet var Centerpartiet det ledande borgerliga partiet. Partiet ingick på 1950-talet i några socialdemokratiska koalitionsregeringar och stödde även 1995-1998 en socialdemokratisk regering. Sedan 2004 ingår Centerpartiet tillsammans med Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna och Liberalerna i den borgerliga Alliansen, som efter valet 2006 styrde Sverige 2006-2014.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 20

Sedan 2004 ingår Liberalerna tillsammans med Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna och Centerpartiet i den borgerliga Alliansen.

Kristdemokraterna (KD) är ett kristdemokratiskt och socialkonservativt politiskt parti. Partiledare är sedan 25 april 2015 Ebba Busch Thor. Kristdemokraterna antog sitt nuvarande namn 1996 som ersatte Kristdemokratiska Samhällspartiet. Partiet fick in sin första representant i riksdagen 1985 i en valsamverkan med Centerpartiet och kom in under eget namn 1991. Sedan 2004 ingår Kristdemokraterna tillsammans med Moderaterna, Centerpartiet och Liberalerna i den borgerliga Alliansen.

Liberalerna (L), tidigare Folkpartiet liberalerna och dessförinnan Folkpartiet, är ett socialliberalt politiskt parti. Partiledare är sedan 2007 Jan Björklund. Partiet bildades 1934 under namnet Folkpartiet genom en sammanslagning av riksdagspartierna Sveriges liberala parti och Frisinnade folkpartiet. Från 1940- till 1960-talet var partiet störst bland de borgerliga.

Miljöpartiet de gröna (MP), vanligen kallat Miljöpartiet, bildades 1981. Partiet har sitt ursprung i den gröna ideologin och förespråkar ett ekologiskt hållbart samhälle. Miljöpartiet har ingen partiledare, utan istället två språkrör, Isabella Lövin och Gustav Fridolin. Miljöpartiet bildades 1981, bland annat som en protest mot det dåvarande svenska fempartisystemets hantering av kärnkraften, och särskilt folkomröstningen om dess avskaffande 1980.

Moderata samlingspartiet (M), vanligen kallat Moderaterna, är ett liberalkonservativt politiskt parti. Partiledare är sedan 1 oktober 2017 Ulf Kristersson. Moderaterna samlingspartiet antog sitt nuvarande namn 1969 som ersatte det tidigare Högerpartiet.

[Politics] det tidigare Vänsterpartiet Kommunisterna.

Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti (SAP), vanligen kallat Socialdemokraterna (S), är ett socialdemokratiskt politiskt parti. Partiledare sedan 27 januari 2012 är Stefan Löfven. Socialdemokraterna har sitt ursprung i den socialistiska arbetarrörelsen och är dess främsta politiska gren. Partiet innehade regeringsmakten oavbrutet från 1936 till 1976. Partiet sitter efter valet 2014 i en koalitions-regering med Miljöpartiet, efter att ha varit i opposition sedan valet 2006.

Sverigedemokraterna (SD) är ett nationalistiskt och socialkonservativt politiskt parti. Partiledare är sedan 2005 Jimmie Åkesson. Sverigedemokraterna bildades 6 februari 1988 i Stockholm. Bland partiets grundare och tidiga medlemmar fanns flera personer tidigare verksamma i högerextrema och rasistiska partier och organisationer såsom Framstegspartiet, Sverigepartiet och Bevara Sverige Svenskt (BSS).

Vänsterpartiet (V), vanligen kallat Vänstern, är ett svenskt socialistiskt och feministiskt parti på ekologisk grund. Partiledare är sedan 2012 Jonas Sjöstedt. Vänsterpartiet antog sitt nuvarande namn 1990 som ersatte

Feministiskt initiativ (FI) är ett politiskt parti bildat i april 2005. Partiet har ställt upp i val sedan riksdagsvalet 2006, och senare även till flera landsting och kommuner samt till Europaparlamentet. Partiet har en feministisk ideologi. Partiledare är sedan 2018 Gudryn Schyman och Gita Nabavi. Men ovanstående översikt kommer knappast att underlätta ditt partival, med tanke på att deras partipolitiska plattformar är svåröversiktliga och ibland vacklande. Tursamt nog har TT Nyhetsbyrån utarbetat en ”valkompass” tillgänglig på nätet där du svarar på 25 frågor gällande den mest aktuella problematiken i samhället just nu, och som avslöjar vilket parti du bör rösta på. Istället för att svara ja eller nej på varje fråga, har du möjlighet som intelligent väljare att uttrycka dig nyanserat. Exempel: Inga fler religiösa friskolor ska tillåtas I Sverige har runt 1 procent av skolorna en huvudman med religiös anknytning. Det finns förslag om att skärpa reglerna för dessa 70 religiösa grund- och gymnasieskolor samt att inga fler religiösa friskolor ska få starta.

Argument för En huvudtanke med svensk skola är integrering - elever från olika miljöer ska mötas. Skolan ska inte sära på barn och föräldrar och organisationer ska inte kunna isolera barn från samhället. Därför ska inga fler religiösa skolor få starta. Argument mot De få religiösa friskolorna uppfyller kraven i skollagen. De bedriver en bra verksamhet utifrån goda värderingar. Inte sällan fungerar dessa skolor som andningshål för troende elever och föräldrar. Vid varje dylikt spörsmål inbjuds du att svara antingen ”Instämmer helt”, ”Instämmer delvis”. ”Delvis emot”, ”Helt emot” eller ”Ingen åsikt”. När du uttryckt din åsikt kring alla 25 spörsmålen, presenteras du med ett histogram – se nedan. Ovanstående simulerade användare av valkompassen bör allstå rösta på KD (Kristdemokraterna), eller eventuellt på L (Liberalerna). Han eller hon bör definitivt ta avstånd från V (Vänstern), FI (Feministiskt initiativ) och MP (Miljöpartiet)! Valkompassen är framtagen av TT Nyhetsbyrån tillsammans med journalisten Christer Isaksson och professor Tommy Möller. De har lång erfarenhet av att arbeta med valkompasser. Sök efter ”valkompassen” på svenska Google eller kolla www.svd. se/mer/om/valkompassen/.

Valkompassen, exempel på partisympatier i procent utifrån svar givna

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Swedish Press | June 2018 21

Hemma hos

John-Michael Ekeblad Creates Identity in New York By Kristi Robinson

hen it comes to design, it seems there are more similarities than differences in what Swedes and New Yorkers want, explains John-Michael Ekeblad, a Swedish designer who has been living and working in New York over the past two decades. They both appreciate newness and diversity, and design that’s smart. He finds his Swedish way of thinking – seeking clarity and simplicity by reducing something to its core essence – has John-Michael’s uses served him well iconic NY scenes to create storytelling in his adopted photo prints. home of NY, a city he feels is very inspiring for creative people and, much like Sweden, very democratic. Swedish Press had an enlightening chat with John-Michael about New York, his wonderfully diverse design career, his passion for cultural identity and, last but certainly not least, doggie smörgåstårta. Considering himself a stay-athome dog daddy first and a designer second, John-Michael made the decision years ago to forgo work with large corporations to focus on taking projects that allowed him to

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Swedish Press | June 2018 22

[Design]

stay home to care for his aging dogs. From his studio in Inwood, Upper Manhattan, John-Michael has etched out his career alongside John-Michael’s his endearingly handmade to order attitude-filled dog smörgåstårta. African Basenji ‘Keeyo’, who is the driving force in his life. Creative by nature, John-Michael’s spectrum of work is impressive – graphics, photography, product and website design, branding, and packaging, to name a few. His main focus is on what he calls “identity culture”. He describes this as “creating something that evolves over time”. The projects often start with a seedling of an idea for something like a logo and can evolve in many different directions over 2 – 4 years, sometimes ending up as an entire rebrand where John-Michael has imagined and reinvented a company’s products and image. John-Michael admits in a lighthearted tone how at times he can feel like a bit of a shrink and described a recent example of this. He was working with some high-level entrepreneurial women who were looking for a new enterprise. After much talk and getting to the core of what propelled them, it was discovered that both women loathed cleaning their kitchens. This is when Skura Style The bold prints and (skura means to colors of Skura Style scrub in Swedish) sponges designed by John-Michael. began to unfold.

John-Michael collaborated with the entrepreneurs to reimagine the everneglected kitchen sponge and infuse it with Scandinavian sensibility and style to make it a modern and wellperforming kitchen tool. In the process of this project John-Michael created the company’s logo, did the branding and marketing, packaging, and website design – in essence building Skura Style’s complete identity. He enjoys working with his clients this way, because he feels that design is never a static thing, and so it’s fun to see the changes and transformation that can happen. Where it ends up is hardly ever where it begins. Because of this, John-Michael’s dynamic design journey had led him to some especially interesting places along the way. When he merged his innovative side with his love of dogs, delicious dogfriendly treats were the result. After attending Ice Cream University he developed a dog-friendly version of the cool treat called ‘Frozen Forest’ with flavors like shoe and squirrel. He also designs and makes a gorgeously delicious canine version of the traditional Swedish smörgåstårta (sandwich cake). To check out John-Michael’s adventures with design, visit www. john-michael.com All photos and art © John-Michael Ekeblad

Hemma hos

Connecting to Our Roots By Donald John Oscar and Gary Petrus Johnson

ur father, Petrus Nikolaus Johnson (Johansson), was born at Bynäset, Västerbotten, Sweden in 1908 and immigrated to Canada in 1927 to join his brother Andrew (Anders), building grain elevators in Alberta. Dad later became a Grain Buyer and Construction Superintendent for Searle Grain in Saskatchewan.

Donald, Petrus, Lillian, Wendell and Gary with their Dog; Shorty. Nora, SK, 1946

Our mother, Lillian Johnson, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA in 1905 to Swedish born parents, Oscar and Cecilia Moe. Her mother, Cecilia (Jönsson), was born at Gyllemyra, Skåne, Sweden in 1879 and immigrated to the USA in 1900, and Mom’s father Oscar was born at Åhn, Jämtland, Sweden in 1880 and immigrated to the USA in 1902. They met in Minneapolis and were married in 1903. Our grandfather was a successful carpenter and contractor in Minneapolis where he built a large home for his family and a summer ‘stuga’ at Lake Darling, near Alexandria, Minnesota.

[Treats]

à la Johnson

Despite their success and good life in Minneapolis, Oscar and Cecilia wanted to have their own farm and moved to Canada in 1912 to homestead Poplar Grove Farm at SE20-39-13-W2, Nora, Saskatchewan. The land was covered with trees and there were no roads, railroad, schools or hospitals. The nearest railroad and the town of Wadena were about 30 miles away. Our mother and her brother Walter, born in 1907, immigrated to Canada with their parents in 1912, and their sister Astrid was born at Poplar Grove Farm in 1913. They spoke Swedish fluently and Swedish was one of Donald’s first languages. When he was 3 years old, he had trouble conversing with Englishspeaking playmates, so our mother explained he needed to speak English. Our parents bought Poplar Grove Farm in 1948 and our brother Wendell David Johnson bought it from them in 1972. Wendell operates the farm today and received the Century Family Farm award from the Province

Swedish Rosettes Ingredients: • 2 eggs • 1 cup milk • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 cup flour • 3 tsp sugar • vanilla

Back: Leora, Gary, Aurelia, Janise, Donald, Peggy, Wendell, Kara, Keora, Front: Ken, Sanna, Ella, Andrea, Lexa. Addison, Jessica, Kaleigh, Shari, Conor, Justin, Karin, Logan Johansson/Johnson Reunion, 2013

of Saskatchewan in 2012. Don had a long career in law enforcement and is now retired and living in Ottawa, Ontario. Gary had a long career in education and is a retired Public School Superintendent living in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. We were raised with a strong Swedish influence. Our grandparents lived nearby and there were many other Swedish immigrant families living in and around Nora. We are quite familiar with and enjoyed Swedish baking and cooking and we grew up using Swedish food names such as: potatis, lutfisk, fisk, sill, ost, smör, mjölk, gröt, bröd, struva, pepparkaka, knäckebröd, and so on.

Preparation: Beat eggs slightly with sugar and salt. Add milk and flour. Beat until smooth. Heat the frying fat to 375ºF in a deep frying pan. Set the rosette (struva) iron in the fat to heat through. Place batter in a small loaf pan. Drain the fat off the iron (or blot on absorbent paper), then dip it in the batter so as to coat it almost to the top edge. Immerse it in the fat covering completely and fry until foamy bubbling stops or until golden brown. Remove from fat, loosen edge carefully with a fork so that rosette drops off and drain on absorbent paper. Cool with the more open side down. If first rosettes are not crisp, thin batter with a little milk. Reheat iron (iron must be hot) and fry remainder of batter in same manner. Keep the batter cool and stir from the bottom so it stays evenly blended. If the batter does not adhere to the iron the latter is probably too cool. For success in making rosettes it is important to keep both the iron and the batter at a constant temperature. Dip rosettes in sugar or sprinkle with sugar. Makes 40.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 23

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Swedish Press Connects

Swedish Council of America

SCA Scholars are heading to Sweden By Gregg White, Executive Director

trengthening contemporary cultural and educational ties between North America and Sweden is a key element of SCA’s mission. SCA believes there is no better way to do this than to support North American students as they broaden their global perspectives by studying in Sweden or vice versa for Swedish students wanting to study in America.

Photo caption: Annika Shroder and Jared Morningstar in the Gustavus library. Photo: JJ Akins

Listed below are three American students who will soon be leaving for Sweden with the help of scholarships from SCA. While their fields of study vary greatly, their desire to incorporate their appreciation for Swedish culture into their academic studies is prevalent throughout. “My overarching goal is to combine my passions in geography and business,” says Sarah Blount of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. “Attending a liberal arts college to become an agronomist seems unfathomable to some,” she continues. In August, Sarah will use her SCA Humanities Scholarship to attend the International Conference on Food and Agricultural Engineering in Stockholm followed by visits to dairy and fish farms in the Gothenburg area, where she will compare Swedish land management practices with those in America. This year’s SCA Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholar, Annika Shroder, already has strong ties to Sweden. Her

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Swedish Press | June 2018 24

father is from Sweden and Swedish culture was always prominent in her home. “I decided to attend Gustavus Adolphus College because it is a Swedish Heritage College where I could both learn Swedish and develop my passion for science,” says Annika. After graduating from Gustavus, Annika plans to return to Sweden to pursue a Masters in Medical Research or Infection Biology in Uppsala before she heads to medical school. “Receiving the SCA Glenn T. Seaborg Scholarship will provide me with the support I will need to further my academic and professional paths in Sweden,” she concludes. Immigration studies is a hot topic worldwide these days and perhaps no more so than in Sweden. “In recent decades, Sweden’s influx of Muslim immigrants has had significant impact on the cultural makeup within the country. As a result, questions of multiculturalism, religious identity and Swedish cultural identity have been prominent in public discourse,” says Jared Morningstar, another SCA Humanities Scholar. As part of his research, he plans to record the stories and perspectives of Swedish Muslims. “The interviews will focus on the life stories of members of the Stockholm Mosque community, allowing them to openly discuss their experiences as a religious minority within Swedish society.” Jared plans to incorporate the interviews and photographs from his research in Sweden into an article in an interfaith journal after his return to Gustavus Adolphus College. Authorized SCA Scholarships SCA Curtis L. Carlson Swedish American Scholarship SCA Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship SCA Ulla Dagert Muther Medicine or Public Health Scholarship SCA Humanities Scholarship (Co-sponsored by Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota)

SCA Swedish Language Scholarship SCA Peace and Conflict Resolution Scholarship SCA Economics or Entrepreneurialism Scholarship SCA is Swedish America’s community foundation. Our mission is to promote knowledge and appreciation of Swedish heritage and culture in North American life and to strengthen contemporary cultural and educational ties between North America and Sweden. We achieve this by providing grants to organizations, scholarships to youth, recognition to leaders and communications to the community – all focused on furthering our mission. www.swedishcouncil.org

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Swedish Press Connects

Swedish Women’s Educational Association international

SWEA International, Inc. utnämner Årets Svenska Kvinna och delar ut 250 000 kronor till framstående företrädare för svensk kultur och tradition i världen

WEA International har vid sitt årsmöte den 21 april 2018 i San Francisco utsett 2018 års stipendiater samt tilldelat utmärkelsen Årets Svenska Kvinna. Utmärkelsen Årets Svenska Kvinna och SWEAs tre stipendier kommer att delas ut vid Sverigemiddagen i Västerås den 2-3 augusti. Västerås ligger vid Mälarens norra strand cirka 10 mil västnordväst om Stockholm. I Västerås finns en mångårig tradition av innovativa lösningar och ett brett tekniskt kunnande. Men här finns också det trygga och trivsamma Västerås. En stad där samverkan i olika former föder framgång. En stad där människan och tekniken lever i en framgångsrik symbios. SWEA Västerås, en av SWEAs 72 lokalavdelningar har förberett ett intressant 2-dagars program för att visa upp sin stad för Sweor och gäster från när och fjärran. Torsdag kväll inleds med mingel på anrika Västerås Slott där får vi känna historiens vingslag i Erik XIV:s anda. På fredag blir det en härlig båtutflykt på Mälaren och stipendieutdelning med efterföljande middag på Västerås Stadshotell. Mer information om Årets Svenska Kvinna och stipendiater finns på www.swea.org Presskontakt: Christina Hallmert, SWEA Internationals ordförande E-post: president@swea.org Webb: swea.org

FAKTA OM SWEA SWEA är ett GLOBALT NÄTVERK med 7 000 svensktalande kvinnor i ett 70-tal avdelningar och ett 30-tal länder. SWEA är den största ideella Sverigefrämjande organisationen utanför Sverige och vårt syfte är att främja det svenska språket samt sprida svensk kultur och tradition. SWEA ger ut donationer och stipendier för över två miljoner kronor per år.

Årets Svenska Kvinna 2018 Ulrika Hydman Vallien, allkonstnär och internationellt framgångsrik som glasformgivare, har postumt blivit utsedd till Årets Svenska Kvinna.

Agneta och Gunnar Nilssons stipendium för studier av interkulturella relationer tilldelas språkforskaren Tove Larsson, forskare inom engelsk språkvetenskap, undersöker vad som utgör framgångsrik interkulturell kommunikation då personer med olika modersmål kommunicerar på engelska i internationella sammanhang. Sigrid Paskells Stipendium i Scenkonsterna tilldelas skådespelaren Nils Wetterholm, skådespelare från Stockholm, slutför nu sin utbildning på Teaterhögskolan i Luleå och visar stor framåtrörelse i sin utveckling. SWEAs Stipendium för forskning i svenska språket, litteraturen och samhället tilldelas doktorand Heidi Synnøve Djuve, doktorand vid University of Aberdeen, UK., mottar stipendiet för avhandlingen The Scandinavian Medieval Specula. Projektet avser jämföra två s.k. furstespeglar, från medeltiden: den norska Konungs skuggsjá från 1200-talet och den svenska Konungastyrelsen från 1300-talet.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 25

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Road to 2045

In the Road to 2045 series, Swedish Press explores climate change issues in Sweden and how the country deals with this major challenge. Swedish Press has entered into a collaboration with Forum for Reforms, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (Fores) who are experts in this area. In the coming months you will see updates on activities and regulations in Sweden, case studies on interesting companies, and interviews with leading climate profiles.

Cleantech and Greentech: Is Green the New Gold? By Jakob Lagercrantz The Swedish government is proposing a legislation that all fuel pumps must have a climate label, defining the climate impact of the fuel. A heated struggle is brewing in Sweden whether origins of fuels should be marked on the fuel pumps to allow the customer to choose alternatives to undemocratic regimes.

weden, like most countries, is depending on foreign fuels. 40% percent comes from Russia, the same amount from Norway, 10% from Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the most criticized oil producing countries, with the largest need of restoration after decades of ruthless oil exploration.

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Swedish Press | June 2018 26

Road to 2045 Eco-labelling can trace its origins to North America, where mandatory requirements for “green stickers” focusing on energy- and fuel consumption were introduced in the 1970’s. Today we are used to different eco labels, we take it for granted that ecolabelled milk, wine or batteries are available. In the electricity sector it is slightly more difficult. Electricity is produced in several places, and is mixed and distributed through the grid to the end user. At the appliance in our home we do not know exactly where “my” electrons come from, we have to accept a different model. By paying for eco labelled electricity the customer allocates more financial resources to new production of for instance wind and solar electricity, thus improving the financial situation for the electricity we would like to see produced. It is the same with fuels, different origins being mixed in the refineries. Sweden and North America are markets where ecolabelling is playing an increasingly important role. It is an important means of supporting a greener production thorough market mechanisms. Eco labelled electricity was introduced in Sweden in 1996, and has worked well since then. Labelling fuel pumps has been proposed in cities in California and Ottawa, but is still debated in court. The Swedish Government has recently proposed a legislation that will force fuel providers to put a label on the fuel pump with climate impact on the fuel. This is a far-reaching proposal, unique in the world, and will be a welcome support to customers wanting to choose the best alternative for their cars. The proposal emanates from an idea put forward by the Swedish Green

Motorist organization Gröna Bilister, and has received widespread support from transport companies and retailers. It will allow customers to select a fuel company that can provide low carbon fuels. But the Government has, in its current proposal, backed down from specifying origin. They have listened to parts of the fuel industry, who claim that the European Commission in the Fuel Quality Directive(FQD) allows origins to be confidential. The Swedish 2030-secretariat challenged this view, and asked the European Commission directly. The answer came a few weeks later and stated unequivocally that the FQD doesn’t impact consumer information. “The requirement on the confidentiality of the information reported by suppliers to the Member States concerning the origin of fuels applies for the specific purposes of the Directive, which are different from providing consumer information on the origin of fuels. It has no implications for potential national legislation to provide consumer information on the origin of fuels”, clarifies Andreas Gumpert from Directorate C of DG Climate in Brussels. In 2019 we will have a label on all pumps outlining climate impact, and hopefully origin. This will open for more countries to follow, and will be an integral part of increasing the customer’s power over business as usual. The 2030-secretariat will continue to push for more transparency to allow customers to play an even more important role. Fores (which includes the 2030-secretariat) is a Swedish think tank devoted to questions related to climate and environment, migration and integration, entrepreneurship and economic reforms, as well as the digital society.

Canada, US & beyond

Swedish Events around the World

Minneapolis

Chicago

Midsommarfests in Illinois – The Swedish American Museum in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood will sponsor its 53rd traditional Midsommar-fest from June 8 to 10 along Clark Street north of Foster Avenue. The Museum will also participate in two other annual celebrations. In Chicago the Museum will present several musical performances on its Swedish Stage and encourage crowd members to join the traditional dance around the majstång. Admission to the Museum will be free during all three days. The annual Midsommarfest celebration in Chicago began in June 1965, a year after the neighborhood was officially named “Andersonville.” In Rockford, the Swedish American Museum will join Midsommarfest activities on Saturday, June 16. Events around the historic Erlander Home Museum include a market, crafts, exhibits, music, dancing and enjoying Swedish food. In Geneva, IL, the Museum will be part of the annual Swedish Days, which are scheduled for June 19 to 24. On Saturday, June 23, the staff of the Chicago store will market gift items under a tent. 8

The Fantastical Worlds of Kim Simonsson – On view at the American Swedish Institute through July 15. Sculptor Kim Simonsson of Fiskars, Finland, crafts innocent, yet beguiling life-sized figures of children and animals in “mosscovered” ceramics, often found in natural settings that lead the viewer into an imaginative, fairytale-like world inspired by the forests of Finland. Selected as one of Artnet’s “Nine Fascinating Objects” at 2016 Design Miami, the “Moss People” sculptures are the result of a unique technique combining stoneware, paint and green nylon fiber, which gives the figures their smooth and mossy surface. Every sculpture is handmade and created in the artist’s studio in Fiskars Village. Simonsson’s work illustrates the Moss People community, with reason to believe that the children living in the forest have experienced

difficult rites of passage as part of their growth and development. If you had to draw comparisons, Simonsson’s works evoke an emotional sense of a world concocted from a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Lord of the Flies with a splash of Peter Pan and the Hunger Games. The children and animals he depicts are at once whimsical and evocative, yet lonely and, yes, slightly disturbing. They exude a sense of determined strength. “As I carried on, I could be sure what mattered the most was with me,” says one. Simonsson’s distinctive work has been exhibited globally and been collected by more than 20 museums and foundations around the world, in addition to being shown at galleries and art shows in New York, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Belgium and Korea. The Fantastical Worlds of Kim Simonsson continues ASI’s 2018 year-long exploration of The Handmade. Photo: ASI

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Swedish Press | June 2018 27

Calendar & Events

A guide to fun and interesting Swedish events outside Sweden

ASTORIA PO Box 34, Astoria, OR 97103 Tel: Loran – 503-325 6136 www.astoriascanfest.org Jun 15 to 17 – Fri to Sun: Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds located at 92937 Walluski Loop in Astoria, Oregon. CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org ONGOING: “Outside the Lines: A History of Swedish Comics,” in the Main Gallery through Jun 24; also “Dreams of a Swedish Summer” by master gardener Lamanda Joy, in the Wallenberg Gallery through Jul 29. Jun 8-10 – Fri-Sun: Andersonville MidsommarFest along Clark Street; free admission to the Museum. Jun 19-24 – Wed-Sun: Geneva’s Swedish Days include participation by the Museum Store on Sat. Jun 29 – Fri 5 pm: Dinner and 6 pm Jenny Lind Concert by singer Kine Sandtro. Jun 30 – Sat 2-4 pm: The Museum will join the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago in presentation of an Art Design Chicago event. DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan 22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Jun 3 – Sun 12:45 to 2:30pm Swedish Flag Day Observation & Buffet Jun 16 – Sat 9 am to 1:15 pm: Midsommar Festivities including Swedish Pancake Breakfast. Decorate the Midsommarstang, Arpi & Scandia Concert Singing, Dancing & Swedish Midsommar Buffet. Raffle & Swedish Imports Sale. MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org Ongoing through Jul 15: Exhibition – The Fantastical Worlds of Kim Simonsson. Jun 16 – Sat 10 am to 5 pm: Midsommar Celebration 2018. 8

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PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Ongoing through Aug 26 – Sami – Walking with Reindeer – Erika Larsen introduces the day-to-day lives of modern Sami families through her acclaimed photography. Jun 6 – Wed 10 am to 3 pm: Swedish National Day celebration Jun 23 – Sat 4 to 7 pm: Midsommarfest. PORTLAND New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society PO Box 80141 Portland, OR 97280 www.newsweden.org June 2 – Sat: Portland Star Light Parade with the Swedish League's 90th Anniversary Viking Ship float June 9 – Sat: Portland Midsummer Festival 90th Anniversary, Oaks Park, Portland SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org June 2 – Sat 12 noon to 4 pm: Annual Classic Swedish and American Car Show. June 3 – Sun 8 am to 1 pm: Swedish Pancakes. Music and dancing, plus authentic Swedish pancakes. Music by the Gnomes, Lillaspelmanslag, and Smilin’ Scandinavians. CALGARY Swedish Society of Calgary 739 20 Ave. N.W. Calgary, AB T2M 1E2 Tel: 403-284 2610 | www.swedishsociety.ca May 26 – Sat: Bus Trip (Sponsored by The Swedish Society of Calgary) – A day long bus trip to the East of Ponoka region and also the Wetaskiwin museum. More info contact Ros-Marie at 403 275 3551 or roslars@outlook.com. WISCONSIN Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin Tel: 414-352 7890 | www.sahswi.org Jun 24 – Sun 1 to 4:30 pm: Celebrate the Summer solstice the Scandinavian way at Heidelberg Park, 700 West Lexington Blvd., 18

Glendale. Visit www.sahswi.org or call 414-352-7890 for further information. TORONTO Svenska kyrkan i Toronto 25 Old York Mills Road, Toronto ON M2P 1B5 Tel: 416-486 0466 | toronto@svenskakyrkan.se www.svenskakyrkan.se/toronto Jun 3 – Sun 4 to 6:30 pm: Sveriges Nationaldag at Swedish Church in Toronto. Jun 4 – Mon 7 pm: Jenny Lind Concert at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, 106 Trinity Street, Toronto. Jun 23 – Sat 12:30 to 3:30 pm: Midsommargudtjänst and celebration at Swedish Church. VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scandinaviancentre.org | www.swedishculturalsociety.ca Jun 23 to 24 – Sat 10 am to 11 pm, Sun 10 am to 4 pm: Scandinavian Midsummer Festival – Saturday features include on-stage entertainment, Market Place, children’s games, Viking Village, raising the May Pole, cultural displays, Scandinavian food. Sunday features also include a pancake breakfast and the famous wifecarrying contest. VICTORIA Swedish Club of Victoria 2438 Amherst Avenue, Sidney, BC V8L 2G9 Tel: 250-656 9586 Jun 24 – Sun 11 am to 2 pm: Midsummer celebration at IslandView Beach Regional Park, Vancouver Island, BC WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | Reservations at: svenskclub17@gmail.com Jun 2 – Sat: The Swedes Are Coming to Lac du Bonnet, “Road Trip”; Midsommar Parade, Maypole, Museum and Cemetery tour, local speakers, picnic lunch. Jun 24 – Sun 11:30 am: Midsommar – Old Vasa Lund, maypole decorating with parade at 1:00 p.m. Dancing, games, food and markets. Beautiful outdoor event. 28

[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified Alberta Organizations Svenska Skolan i Calgary bedriver undervisning för barn 3-15 år gamla på lördagar kl 9:30-12. Alla barn är välkomna. Undervisningen sker på svenska. Kontakta Svenska Skolan genom Scandinavian center 403-284-2610 eller skicka epost till contact@swedishschool.com. Läs mer om vår skola på www.swedishschool.com BC Organizations Scandinavian Business Club Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238. Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca Scandinavian Community Centre Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scandinaviancentre.org 604-294-2777 www.scandinaviancentre.org Svenska Kulturföreningen Ordförande Ellen Petersson 604-970-8708. Kassör är Linda Olofsson, 604-418-7703 www.

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Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283-1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org

Swedish Canadian Village Beautiful Assisted Living Residence & Senior Subsidized Apartment Buildings Located in Burnaby, British Columbia. Ph# 604-420-1124 Fax# 604-420-1175 www.swedishcanadian.ca

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GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN

Nordic Museum has moved to a beautiful, brand-new building! In Seattle, 2655 N.W. Market St., Ballard; 206-789-5707; Grand Opening ceremony and activities begin at 12pm Saturday, May 5.

June 2 Zalea Malik, 8 år June 3 Markus Neugebauer, 11 år June 27 Anna Lidberg, 14 år

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Sista ordet

“My title: Messenger. My salary: $50 a week...” A Swedish Teenager in New York By Peter Berlin

n 1960, although not many Swedes had been to America, most people thought they had a clear idea of what America was like, impressions garnered mostly from Hollywood movies. Americans lived in palatial homes, drove luxury cars, and had more money than they knew what to do with. In Europe young people dreamed of going to America someday, but transatlantic travel was expensive and few could afford to make their dream come true. In the Spring of 1960 I graduated from high school in Sweden. Immediately after graduation, my classmates and I were interviewed by a panel of military officers for our military service assignments. I was excused – rejected, actually – because of a leg injury. Going straight on to university was an option, but I needed a break from the tedium of lectures and exams. Moreover, the previous summer I had met an American girl at a summer school in Geneva; she looked like Elizbeth Taylor, and she had let me know that I would be welcome to stay with her family in Rye, New York. In short order I obtained a U.S. visa, boarded a ship in Gothenburg destined for England, embarked on another ship in Southampton, and was on my way to New York. Rye was a posh town with grand homes in affluent Westchester County, an hour by train north of New York City. My American hosts were exceedingly welcoming and generous, yet after three wonderful summer weeks in Rye I became restless. A friend of my parents offered me a job in

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Manhattan with the world’s third largest advertising company. My title: Messenger. My salary: $50 a week. My distinction within the company: Being the lowest paid among its 3000 employees – in spite of which they obliged me to wear a suit and a necktie. I found accommodation in a rundown hotel on 47th street at $4 per night. The outside temperature was in the high 80s. There was no air conditioning, so I kept the window open but slept badly because of the humidity and the traffic noise. I also felt very lonely in the evenings. A couple of women with heavy make-up sometimes took pity on me and invited me to join them at the bar, even though I was below the legal minimum age. I later found out that they were prostitutes and that the hotel doubled as a “house of ill repute.” As a messenger I travelled all over Manhattan carrying packages containing advertisement props. There was hardly a corner of Manhattan I didn’t get to know. I stumbled on poverty and wealth beyond my wildest Swedish imagination which had been

tempered by my upbringing in a highly egalitarian society. The contrast between the frigid air conditioning in the offices I visited and the sweltering heat out in the streets was too extreme for comfort. Dressed in my suit, I was constantly soaked in sweat and finally came down with pneumonia. After witnessing a shoot-out between the police and a bank robber on Sixth Avenue I finally asked myself if the time had come to leave New York. Besides, my Elizabeth Taylor look-alike was going off to college in Massachusetts, so our romance was clearly doomed. Heartbroken, I went to the office of United States Overseas Airways in Manhattan and spent $99 on a one-way ticket to Burbank near Los Angeles, where I had a standing invitation from another American family. The USOA was a so-called unscheduled airline, i.e. they flew mostly at night and took off as and when they had enough passengers to fill the plane. They called me from La Guardia at 11 pm in the evening, telling me they were ready to roll. A few hours later I was airborne. Beside me on the plane sat a middleaged lady who resembled a Swedish påskhäxa and who entertained me throughout the night with stories about her medical and marital problems. At some point I interrupted her to ask the stewardess what time we were scheduled to land in Burbank. “We’re not flying to Burbank, we’re going to Oakland,” she said. “Where?” I yelled. “To Oakland, across the Bay from San Francisco.” “But my ticket says Burbank,” I objected. “Sorry sir,” she replied, “we aren’t going to Burbank. We’re only flying as far as Oakland.” And that is how I ended up spending a year in San Francisco.

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