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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News: The 2017 “Alternative Nobel Prize” Awarded 7 Swedes in the News 8 Landskapsnyheterna
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Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Movie: The Square – A Matter of Humanity
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E S T . 1 9 2 9
CONTENTS ( November 2017 )
EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com
ADVERTISING visit www.swedishpress.com/advertise-us for advertising rates. Call +1 360 450 5858 or +46 725 607800.
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Swedish Press
Feature 12 Sweden 2045: The World’s First Fossil-Free Welfare State Interview 14 Anna Soltorp and Jonas Åkerman Global Swedes 16 Erik Brandsma – Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency
Swedish Press Connects 22 SCA – Swedish Council of America 23 SACC – Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce 24 Embassy of Sweden 25 SWEA – Swedish Women’s Educational Association International 26 MIG Talks – Migrationsverket Road to Community 27 Mitt Liv – A Company Challenging Norms in Office Diversity In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet Citizen K Returns in 2017 with Seconds Thoughts Cover image: A future city with renewable energy. © Alexandra Gl. Left: Earth graphic © Amarosy
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Swedish Press | November 2017 3
Letters to the Editor Hejsan Peter Berlin, I want to tell you that after probably 30 years we still enjoy receiving Swedish Press, särskillt när jag kan läsa på svenska så att jag inte glömmer språket som jag lärt mig av mina svenska föreldrar. Keep up the great job! Yours truly, Hans Kottmeier West Vancouver, British Columbia
Founded in 1981
Swenson Center
Augustana College Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 Phone 309-794 7204 sag@augustana.edu www.augustana.edu/sag
Editor’s comment: Hejsan Hans – fantastiskt att Du kommer ihåg Din svenska så bra, med tanke på att Du lärt Dig språket ”i andra hand”, som vi säger. Vi har noterat Din adressändring och hoppas att Du kommer att läsa Swedish Press i minst 30 år till!
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Dear Claes, A letter to the editor from Nellie Hohnsen in the May issue of Swedish Press requested more information about the historic Swedish institution in Chicago that was known as Café Idrott. Stephen Anderson of the Swedish American Museum has provided the following details. The Cooperative Temperance Café Idrott, an early haven for Swedish immigrants in Chicago, was established by a group of 75 young Swedes who met in 1913 to implement plans for a clubhouse. Named for a Viking sporting event, Idrott was located initially on the third floor
PO Box 152 • 201 N Main St Lindsborg KS 67456 USA
at 930 Belmont Avenue, known then as “Herring Lane.” In time, funds were raised to build a new home across the street at 3206 Wilton Avenue. The ornate structure opened in 1923. In addition to operating a profitable restaurant, a goal of the organization was to promote temperance and athletics, and to provide an environment for speaking and reading in the native language. Alcoholic beverages were neither served nor permitted. Many immigrants used Idrott as a mailing address until they found permanent housing. This feature also offered privacy to men who had fled Sweden, some changing their names, to avoid military service or personal obligations. The unique building eventually housed a bakery, a meat department, a library, a game room and overnight accommodations in addition to mail delivery. Surplus funds were used for expansion and educational efforts. As the Swedish population moved northward in the city, an Andersonville branch was opened September 20, 1925, at 5248 N. Clark. This storefront became the inaugural site in 1976 of the Swedish American Museum, now located in the historic Lind Hardware building at 5211 N. Clark. Depression years in the 1930s ended Café Idrott, along with most businesses in the Swedish enclaves. The building at 3206 N. Wilton was demolished in 2006 to make room for future expansion of the Belmont rapid transit station. The North Clark Street location now houses a health club. Stephen Anderson Chicago, Illinois
Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedish-press.com and we’ll be happy to publish them.
Reader Kevin Michael. Photo: Birgitta Lauren
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from the Editor’s Desk
Finding Safe Anchorage in a Turbulent World We need your support!
Swedish Press strives to create a high quality magazine for you, but the costs are considerable and ever-increasing. Given that the subscription rates have remained unchanged since 2014, we are compelled from 2018 to increase the various rates by 13 percent. Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on page 29. Tack!
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he word unprecedented has become ever more prevalent in the news media, whether it refers to the ferocity of successive hurricanes, the unravelling of economic treaties, or the vitriolic exchanges between certain Heads of State. In the midst of all this turmoil, Sweden is making a valiant contribution towards the survival of humanity by taking a lead in the implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The aspiration is to switch to 100% fossil-free energy generation and product manufacturing by 2045. If Sweden is successful in this endeavour, will it really make a difference to global warming and ecology? Perhaps not in and of itself; the real point is to set an example, so as to persuade other nations that a totally fossil-free society is both technically feasible and economically defensible. In this issue of Swedish Press we feature interviews and articles on Sweden’s road to a fossil-free society, along with related sustainability projects. Innovation in the medical field is captured in our profile of the Swedish company Tobii Dynavox which has developed a device that allows people who have lost their voice to regain their ability to communicate by translating their eye movements to synthetic speech (page 10). We cover other original Swedish inventions in the Heritage section (page 11), and discuss the award-winning Swedish movie “The Square” in Lifestyle (page 19). In the Hemma Hos department we discover a touch of Swedish in a Dutch shop on Whidbey Island, of all places (page 21), and in Road to Community our contributor Caitlyn Lee describes the challenges of integrating immigrants into Swedish society (page 27). On top of all this we offer you interesting stories and updates on current events in Sweden and in Swedish-American communities. We are now busy planning the main themes for 2018 which are likely to include, among other things, Education & Learning, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Wine-Growing Swedes, and City Highlights. We are also entertaining the idea of inviting our readers to contribute short stories for publication in recurring contests with prizes awarded for the best submissions. The rules for the stories would be simple: They should be set in a Swedish-North American context, and they should not exceed a certain number of words. We would be happy to hear your views on this idea. In any event, 2018 promises to be another good year for Swedish Press. With the active participation of our readers, it may even prove unprecedented!
Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com November 2017
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Swedish Headlines
] Only the sky is the limit
The 2017 “Alternative Nobel Prize” Awarded By Peter Berlin
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he awkwardly named Right Livelihood Award is a lesserknown Swedish alternative to the Nobel Prize and is given to “honour and support courageous people and organisations that have found practical solutions to the root causes of global problems.” More specifically, the prize goes to selected champions of environmental protection, human rights, sustainable development, health, education, and peace. The prize founder, Swedish-German businessman Jakob von Uexkull, initially tried to persuade the Nobel Prize Committee to widen their remit to include environmental protection, sustainable development and human rights, but the Committee declined. According to the Right Livelihood Award website, the institution differs from the Nobel Prize in that “it is not an award for the world’s political, scientific or economic elite, but an award for the people and their work and struggles for a better future.” Since 1980, the prize has been given to a diverse group of individuals and organisations, including none other than American whistle-blower Edward
Snowden. This year’s ceremony took place on September 26 at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Three laureates shared the 3 million kronor award ($374,000), namely Colin Gonsalves, an Indian human rights lawyer; female journalist Khadija Ismayilova for revealing government corruption in Azerbaijan; and Ethiopian female human rights lawyer Yetnebersh Nigussie. In addition, environmental lawyer Robert Bilott from the United States received an honorary award for exposing a decades-long history of chemical pollution and winning substantial compensation for the victims. Nigussie, now aged 35, has been blind since the age of 5. In an interview on BBC Radio 4 the day after receiving the award, she described how her blindness had been a blessing in disguise. Given her handicap, her parents deemed her ineligible for marriage and hence incapable of bringing in a sizeable dowry. So they sent her off to get an education at a Catholic boarding school for disabled girls. She went on to take a law degree at Addis Ababa University. Since then she has been a powerful campaigner for eliminating discrimination against people with handicaps. “I have one disability but I have 99 abilities,” she says – a fitting motto for all people with disabilities.
Sweden flying high Sweden is one of the few countries in the world with a launch site for space rockets. The ESRANGE site just above the Arctic Circle is equipped to launch so-called sounding rockets which travel a few hundred kilometers into space and then fall straight back to Earth. No satellites are injected into orbit, but this may soon change. The government has instructed the Swedish National Space Board to study the possibilities of using ESRANGE to launch small satellites into orbit using small rockets – a rapidly growing niche in the global space sector. The study is to be completed by the end of 2017. The nearby city of Kiruna, of Ice Hotel fame, has also set its sights on space. The city is in negotiations with Virgin Galactic to use Kiruna Airport as a base for space tourism onboard SpaceShipTwo. Assisted pedalling The popularity of electric bicycles is growing like wildfire in Sweden. Last year 45,000 electric bikes were sold, and 2017 looks to surpass that number. The Swedish government is now instituting subsidies amounting to 25 percent of the price of new electric bikes, up to a limit of 10,000 kronor each. Some local councils are also giving electric bikes to their staff, so as to encourage a healthier and more ecological daily commute to work than taking the car. Electric bikes currently make up 7 percent of all bicycles in Sweden, so the county is trailing far behind Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany and Austria where the figure is around 25 percent, but it is hoped that the state subsidy will allow Sweden to catch up. Yetnebersh Nigussie. Photo: Didier Casagrande
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Swedes in the News
Swedish politics, entertainment and etiquette The king of revue Swedish actor Tomas von Brömssen, 74, takes on the role as Swedish revue legend Karl Gerhard on November 3 at Göteborgs Stadsteater. Brömssen, born in Örgryte, Gothenburg, became a household name in 1976 when starring as scrap dealer son “Herbert” in the popular TV series “Albert & Herbert.” Brömssen has since starred in numerous Swedish plays, TV shows and movies. “Karl Gerhard” takes place in the 1940’s as WW2 looms large on Sweden’s doorstep. The new musical revue features a wealth of singing and dancing. Gerhard is critical of the Swedish government, and in his revue “Gullregn” he brings up their ambiguous attitude towards Nazi Germany. His revue song “Den ökända hästen från Troja” was, for example, highly disliked by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Gerhard’s dear friend and collegue Göthe Ericsson is played by Eric Ericson, and the acclaimed Swedish singer/actress Zarah Leander is portrayed by Carina M Johansson.
Adieu Magdalena Ribbing
Björklund for the party leader post. Ohlsson said that no matter what role she takes on in the future, she will continue to fight for liberal ideas. “It” man
Magdalena Ribbing. Photo: Ronnie Ritterland/Sveriges Radio
M
agdalena Ribbing, the popular writer, journalist and leading authority on etiquette, manners and style, succumbed to her injuries after being hospitalized in Stockholm as a result of a fall in her home on September 29. Ribbing, who was well-known for her popular etiquette column in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, started as a political reporter for that publication in 1970. Gradually she transitioned into writing about etiquette, and in 1985 she published her book “Etikettboken: allt man behöver veta för att kunna strunta i” along with Swedish designer Sighsten Herrgård. Ribbing has since published 15 books on etiquette and manners and could often be seen on television commenting on etiquette in connection with major festivities such as the Nobel Banquet and Royal Weddings. She was also invited by the Swedish court to give lectures. Ribbing, 77, is survived by her sisters and husband journalist Thomas Hempel. Ohlssons steps down Swedish politician Birgitta Ohlsson has announced that she is quitting public service. The announcement came after a poll revealed that Ohlsson would most likely not be chosen as the Liberals’ new party leader. The recent poll, conducted by her party in Stockholm, showed that Jan Björklund, the Liberals’ current party leader, had received far more
votes than Ohlsson. The vote is advisory, but has been described as crucial for Ohlsson who challenged
Bill Skarsgård’s acting career is in full bloom. Currently, the 27-year-old Swedish actor is starring as “Pennywise the Clown” in the latest version of “It,” Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel. He’s also number one on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) list of most sought-after actors in the world. Skarsgård grew up in Stockholm and is the son of acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård. Bill’s breakthrough came in 2010 when he starred in “I rymden finns inga känslor” – a role which earned him a nomination for the Guldbagge Award for best male actor. “It” is directed by Argentine film director and screenwriter Andy Muschietti and premiered on September 8 in the US and on September 13 in Sweden.
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[Landskapsnyheterna] HALLAND Räddningstjänsten larmades nyligen till en gård i Jonstorp, Halmstad efter att en häst av oklar anledning fastnat i lera och inte kunde ta sig upp. – Hästen var i lera, så man såg halsen och huvudet och lite av något ben, säger Peter Karlborg, inre befäl på räddningstjänsten i Halmstad. Lyckligtvis kunde räddningstjänsten, med hjälp av djurambulans och veterinär, efter två timmar få upp hästen. – Den låg där och kunde inte ställa sig upp på egen maskin och var väldigt medtagen när den kom upp, säger Karlborg. Enligt Karlborg är räddningsarbetet riskabelt och kräver försiktighet. – Det kräver så klart många resurser, vi har en bandvagn. I det här fallet lyckades man lyfta den med handkraft. Vi lyfte den med remmar som man stoppar under. Man får gräva sig under hästen och sedan få under band och remmar så man kan lyfta den, säger han. ÖSTERGÖTLAND Lunnevads folkhögskolas danslinje firade nyligen 15 år. Utbildningen startades av Åse Wallberg som ansåg att det behövdes fler folkskoleutbildningar i dans. Cirka 80 personer söker sig varje år till linjen, men endast 18 antas till utbildningen. – Många i Sverige som jobbar med dans har gått på Lunnevads. Nu när det har gått 15 år kan man se det här arvet. Det är fint, säger Wallberg. Jubileet
firades bland annat med mat, film och dans. Skolans dansare underhöll publiken med modern och street dans. Efter dansframträdandet firade skolan med middag och filmvisning. – Vi ska duka fram lite gott och se på tidigare slutproduktioner och föreställningar.
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NORRBOTTEN
VÄSTERBOTTEN
SÖDERMANLAND Ett explosivt föremål kastades nyligen in i en frisörsalong i Södertälje. Explosionen ska ha skett tidigt på morgonen. – Jag vaknade med ett ryck. Det small otroligt högt. Hela skyltfönstret blåstes ut på gatan, säger ett vittne till Aftonbladet. Polisen larmades kort därefter till platsen. Lyckligtvis befann sig ingen i frisersalongen när föremålet, som kan ha varit en handgranat, kastades in. Förstörelsen i salongen var dock tydlig, bland annat syntes hål efter glassplitter i lokalens väggar, och salongens alla speglar hade krossats. Polisens kriminal- och bombtekniker har undersökt salongen, och en anmälan gällande allmänfarlig ödeläggelse har upprättats. VÄRMLAND En man i 50-årsåldern är anmäld försvunnen hos polisen i Gräsmark, Värmland efter att han gett sig iväg på en fyrhjuling och inte återvänt. – Det är ett område som mannen kan väl, men han brukar inte vara borta så här länge utan att säga till, säger Per Vikman, vakthavande befäl. Polisen söker nu intensivt på det skogsområde dit man lyckats spåra
Foto: Lunnevads folkhögskola
Swedish Press | November 2017 8
LAPPLAND
JÄMTLAND
HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND
UPPLAND
SÖDERMANNÄRKE LAND
DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE
Stockholm
GOTLAND ÖLAND
BLEKINGE
Malmö
mannens mobiltelefon. Polis och hundpatruller deltar i sökandet och man använder sig även av helikopter. – Det är kallt, och både terrängen och mörkret gör att det blir kritiskt, säger Per Vikman. MEDELPAD En taxi körde nyligen in i en Coopmatbutik i Sundsvall. Föraren uppges ha skadats lindrigt. – Det är oklart om det är ett sjukdomsfall eller vad det beror på, säger Niclas Forsslund, RLC-befäl på polisen i region Nord. Olyckan ska ha inträffat sent på kvällen innan Coop-butiken skulle stänga. I taxin befann sig föraren samt en passagerare. Passageraren klarade sig utan skador. Taxichauffören ska ha förts till sjukhuset för att se över sina skador. Det är ännu oklart vad som orsakat olyckan. – Vi är där med bärgare och grejer nu, säger Niclas Forsslund på polisen.
[Business] News Come Along for the Ride Soft Landing for Hardy Entrepreneurs
Ericsson Roller-Coaster
I
n the October issue of Swedish Press we featured an interview with Gudrun Giddings, President and Chair of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) in the Los Angeles Area. When asked how SACC-LA might evolve in the future, Gudrun suggested that the collaboration with other like-minded Scandinavian institutions in Los Angeles should be intensified, because together they would be stronger. This thought has taken root in Silicon Valley under the roof of Nordic Innovation House (NIH), a semi-governmental initiative established in 2014 so as to pool the resources of all five Nordic countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. NIH has the mandate to promote Nordic products, technology and services. The concept is to provide a “soft-landing space” for newly arrived entrepreneurs and to create a community of peers, partners, investors and service providers. More than 180 enterprises currently use NIH – Silicon Valley as their base. Inspired by the success in Silicon Valley, the Nordic countries launched a new Nordic Innovation House in New York City on September 20, 2017. Like its Silicon Valley counterpart, NIH – NY offers start-ups desks, conference rooms, wifi, printers, and expert advice for a modest monthly fee. Members also have access to experienced mentors, advisers and coaches through an extensive local network.
Nordic Innovation House facilities. Photo: NIH
Mobile telephony network antenna mast. Photo: Ericsson
R
eading about the twists and turns in the fortunes of the Swedish telecom giant Ericsson is like riding a rodeo horse. Up until recently, the company had the world by the tail in the areas of telephone switchboards and mobile telephones. By the year 2000 it had become one of the biggest mobile phone producers in the world and employed 110,000 staff, mostly engineers. Then the company lost control. The financial losses grew steadily. The first quarterly report for 2017 showed a loss of 12 billion kronor ($1.5bn), the company’s shares are in free-fall on the stock market, the CEO has been replaced, the Chairman of the Board has stated that he will not seek re-election, and 14,000 staff will soon be let go worldwide as part of a planned austerity package. So what happened? The inventor Lars Magnus Ericsson set up shop in a 130 sq.ft backyard shed in Stockholm on 1 April 1876 to tinker with “mathematical machines” – and this was no April fool joke. Before long he hired some staff, moved to bigger quarters, hired yet more staff, moved to ever larger premises… well, you can see where this is going. During the following decades, his “tinkering” led to the development of telephones and associated switchboards. The company LM Ericsson was born. Acquisitions and mergers with other
firms followed in an effort to cover all aspects of telecommunications. Towards the end of the 19th century, Lars Magnus Ericsson sold his company which took on a life of its own. Some of the acquisitions and joint ventures did not work out, such as the excursions into the manufacturing of computers and typewriters in the 1980s, but others were highly successful and ultimately landed the company in the field of mobile communications. By 1988 it held 40 percent of the global market in cellphones. LM Ericsson seemed unstoppable. The company’s first serious nosedive occurred in the year 2000 when the so-called global telecom bubble burst. Sales plummeted and company divisions were sold off. The competitors in the mobile telephone market proved more aggressive and imaginative than Ericsson. In a draconian austerity move, Ericsson laid off half of its 110,000 staff. This is when the dizzying roller-coaster ride started in earnest, because business picked up again during the next few years, only to plummet once more. In 2013 the US Securities & Exchange Commission, along with the Justice Department, initiated corruption investigations into the company’s business dealings around the world. These proceedings continue to this day and present an unwelcome distraction in the already dire corporate environment. Hanging on to the tail of a rapidly spinning world is no easy task. Centrifugal market forces can throw even the biggest and most succesful telecom corporations off balance, as we have seen e.g. in the cases of Australia’s One.Tel, Canada’s Nortel, and WorldCom in the United States. Going by past experience, the Ericsson trajectory may still offer many ups and downs. Stay tuned, and hang on.
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Company File
Eye-catching Communication Aids By Peter Berlin
I
n the 1990’s, French author, actor and editor JeanDominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke at the age of 43 that left him completely paralyzed physically, except for one eyelid. Even though he retained his mental faculties, he was unable to speak or write, and hence seemed doomed to remain imprisoned inside his inert body and unable to communicate for the rest of his life – the so-called “locked-in syndrome.” Unfazed, Bauby decided that the time had come for him to write his memoirs. His friend Claude Mendibil sat down by his bedside and slowly recited the letters of the alphabet over and over again. Each time Bauby heard a letter that formed part of the word he had in mind, he blinked his eyelid, and his friend wrote down the letter on a notepad. Do you see where this is going? Incredibly, over a period of 10 months Bauby painstakingly
Tobii Dynavox Indi. Photo: Tobii Dynavox
dictated his memoirs, letter by letter. The net result was The Diving Bell and the Butterly, published in 1997 to rave reviews. Sadly, Bauby died of pneumonia only two days after the book’s release. Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems have come a long way since that time and are now helping hundreds of thousands of people with speech impairment to communicate. The impairments may be caused e.g. by cerebral palsy, autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease. A good example is physicist Stephen Hawking who suffers from ALS. He communicates by using a single cheek muscle linked to an electronic speechgenerating device. Other devices feature a computer screen showing
Photo: Tobii Dynavox
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multiple matrices of icons representing words or concepts, at which the person can point using a device – a finger or a laser gun mounted on the head, for example. The latest technology allows the eye movements of the person to be measured as he or she looks at the screen; the movement is associated with the observed icon and is translated into words. This is where the Swedish company Tobii enters the story (www.tobii.com). The company was founded in 2001, is based in Danderyd outside of Stockholm, with offices in the US, Japan, China, Germany, Norway and the Ukraine, and has around 600 staff worldwide. One of its divisions, Tobii Dynavox, specializes in facilitating human communication with computers through eye-tracking which measures eye movement so as to determine where the person is looking on the computer screen. Hence the eyes become a “virtual mouse.” Only the sky is the limit when it comes to practical applications, ranging from word processing and texting to speech in conjunction with a speech-generating device. There are two ways of clicking the “virtual mouse”: Either blink, or focus on a particular part of the computer screen for a set duration. The eye-tracking works regardless of whether one wears glasses or contact lenses, or is cross-eyed or wall-eyed. It performs well in normal daylight but might get distracted by reflections in certain illumination conditions. Even moderate involuntary head movements are tolerated.
H E RI TAG E
“Larsson wore a total of 26 pacemaker devices...” Swedish Physicians Behind Implantable Pacemaker By Sofie Kinnefors
M
illions of heart patients in the world are able to lead normal lives because of the implantable pacemaker. The small electronic device, which stimulates the heart muscle to regulate its beat, was developed by Swedish physician and engineer Rune Elmqvist in 1958. On October 8, 1958, Swedish heart patient Arne Larsson, born in 1915, became the first person in the world to have a pacemaker implanted in his body. Larsson suffered from severe cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and was in great need of a heart device to save his life. Larsson’s wife Else-Marie had read in a Stockholm newspaper that cardiologist Professor Åke Senning (1915—2000) and doctor and engineer Dr. Rune Elmqvist (1906-1996) were working on an implantable pacemaker. The Larssons were motivated and prepared to take a big risk even though the technology wasn’t quite ready. The patient’s need for a quick life-saving effort caused the first pacemaker to be developed under strong time pressure. The procedure was performed at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden, using a pacemaker designed by Rune Elmqvist and surgeon Åke Senning, the latter being the first doctor to perform a pacemaker operation.
Swedish physician and engineer Rune Elmqvist.
The operation was successful, but the implanted pacemaker only lasted for three hours. Elmqvist had, however, prepared yet another unit. It was inserted the next morning and lasted for about a week. Larsson wore a total of 26 devices throughout his life. He became a loyal supporter of the pacemaker and enjoyed campaigning on behalf of other patients in need of the device. Larsson died in 2001, at the age of 86, and literally outlived both Senning and Elmqvist.
The first clinical implantation into a human of a fully implantable cardiac pacemaker was in 1958 at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden. Credits: Lars Lundberg/imagebank. sweden.se
Elmqvist, who worked as an inventor and engineer at ElemaSchönander (later Siemens-Elema,) had previously worked as a medical doctor. Siemens, in its products history, points out that “the original pacemaker was created by coating the components of the first device with epoxy resin in a simple plastic cup. Two electrodes connected to the pacemaker provided the energy to stimulate the heart. This first model had to be replaced by a new one after only a few hours. The technology however rapidly improved and models of increasing complexity met the specific requirements of a malfunctioning heart. Today, pacemakers with a life of ten years are standard in modern cardiology.” Elmqvist earned many prestigious awards for his accomplishments. In 1957 he became Honorary Doctor of Medicine at Lund University and in 1974 Honorary Doctor of Technology at the same university. Elmqvist was also awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) gold medal in 1976, as well as the Erna Ebeling Prize for his efforts in medical physics and technology. At a congress in Vienna in 1983, Dr. Rune Elmqvist spoke about the development of the pacemaker. “I must admit that at first I viewed the pacemaker more or less as a technical curiosity. So it was fantastic to see its tremendous development,” he said. Elmqvist and Senning’s gift to humanity lives on as approximately 44,000 people in Sweden use a pacemaker, according to Swedish government health records.
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Swedish Press | November 2017 11
Sweden 2045: The World’s First Fossil-Free Welfare State By Marcus Andersson
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wenty-eight years from now, Sweden will be entirely free of fossil fuels. The government recently passed legislation to eliminate CO2 emissions by 2045, making Sweden the most ambitious of all countries striving to transition to renewable energy. The European Union’s target is currently set to an 80-95% reduction by 2050 to keep global warming below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Earlier this year, however, Sweden decided to accelerate the process and become a role model for other European nations to follow. All parties in the Riksdag, with the exception of the Swedish Democrats, are united in this initiative to pass legislation that will come into force on January 1, 2018. Though it sounds idealistic, Sweden will likely achieve its goal, as it is already a remarkably clean country. In 2016, for example, Sweden placed third on the Environmental Protection Index, outperformed only by Finland and Iceland. Furthermore, in EU scoring systems like Carbon Market Watch and Transport & Environment, Sweden received the highest score in Europe: 67 out of 100 points. As Erik Brandsma, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency, points out, “Sweden has a good starting position through its virtually CO2 free energy system,” which is “a pre-condition for a green economy.” At least 83% of the country’s electricity is already generated by non-fossil fuel energy sources, such as
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Swedish Press | November 2017 12
hydroelectric, wind, and nuclear power. Not only does Sweden have an advantageous starting point, it also has the cultural strength of having a “long history of co-operation between societal sectors such as government, business, societal interest and academia,” says Brandsma. Many of these co-operative groups are already hard at work to meet the 2045 deadline. On the national level, Parliament has formed several coalitions between government, business, and scientific institutions. The government created Fossil-Free Sweden, for instance, which is a partnership of 200 actors from the private sector, local government, and non-governmental organizations. The Energy Agency is another crucial player in the proposal, having been given the task of working on analysis, scenarios, statistics, and policy instruments in a wide variety of areas such as energy efficiency, climate change and renewables. Think tanks are also vital to Sweden’s future green society by educating the population and influencing public opinion. FORES (Forum for Reforms, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability), one of the major think tanks dedicated to reduced carbon emissions, is an independent agency but still works closely with the government, particularly the Center Party, their most significant investor. In the coming years, several other coalitions will be formed to meet the demands of the formidable 2045 plan.
Inspired by the national dedication to sustainable energy, local governments are beginning to set even stricter deadlines than Parliament has proposed. Västra Götaland, a region with approximately 1.6 million inhabitants (16% of Sweden’s total of 10.1 million inhabitants), is currently the most determined. Gerda Roupe, spokesperson for Västra Götaland’s local government, explains that the region’s goal is to reduce “the national emissions by 80% already by 2030.” Roupe and her team will work closely with Fossil-Free Sweden to become the first CO2-free region in the country. According to Roupe, “Västra Götaland has historically been a forerunner when it comes to developing industries and knowledge” and is currently “the region with the highest amount of energy produced from wind power.” The coastal region is optimistic about the future, seeing great potential to expand fossil-free energy together with industry and commerce. For Västra Götaland and Sweden as a whole, the most serious obstacle to the 2045 target date is the transportation sector. The government has discussed cutting 70% of emissions in the domestic transport sector by 2030, which relies on a rapid electrification of vehicles and the transition to biofuels. The emissions that the Swedish transport sector continues to release will be offset by planting trees or by sustainable investments abroad. As Erik Brandsma stresses, government, academia and business will work together to develop and implement new sustainable solutions to solve the issue. Sweden’s new radical environmental position goes beyond mere technical innovation and government policy. The 2045 fossil-free initiative has encouraged Swedish institutions to invest their funds more responsibly, avoiding corporations that harm the environment. For example, Sweden’s
largest pension fund, which manages the pensions of 3.5 million Swedish citizens, has pulled its assets from fossil fuel companies such as ExxonMobil, Westar, Southern Corp, Entergy, Gazprom, and TransCanada. As the country approaches total fossil fuel independence, other institutions will likely follow this example. The Swedish Democrats are currently the only party resisting the policy, but their minority position is unlikely to cause future delays. Martin Kinnunen, the environmental spokesperson for the party, says the Swedish Democrats aren’t against the proposal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; in fact, the party supported the previous target date. Kinnunen and SD, however, find the new deadline problematic, since they believe it’s too radical and inflexible. “We are pretty close today,” states Kinnunen, “and we might become a fossil-free society before 2045. The point is simply that we shouldn’t be bound to the new deadline.” Critics like SD argue that there’s a risk that reducing CO2 in Sweden might only move emissions to another part of the world and be too restrictive for the domestic economy. If the party receives a majority vote, it could be less willing to create strategies to meet the 2045 deadline. Sweden is taking giant strides toward creating a world free of CO2 emissions. Roupe is hopeful that Sweden’s advances will inspire other nations to follow. “We don’t see this as a zero sum game, where our success becomes a disincentive for somebody else to reach this common goal.” To attain the objectives of the Paris Agreement, says Roupe, and maintain global warming below 1.5°C, “all actors and countries need to do their very best… that’s why it is so important that, those who can, show and inspire others that it is possible to become independent of fossil fuels.”
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Swedish Press | November 2017 13
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Några Tankeställare för oss Flygresenärer Intervju med Anna Soltorp och Jonas Åkerman
tillförlitlighet, t.ex. risken att få motorstopp under flygningen.
ed mindre än 7 procent av den outnyttjade årliga skogstillväxten i Sverige skulle hela det svenska inrikesflyget kunna bli fossilfritt. Så menar Anna Soltorp, hållbarhetschef på flygbolaget BRA som är en svensk avgrening av det norska flygbolaget Braathens. Swedish Press pratade med henne för att höra om hennes planer att vidareutveckla bolagets roll som ekologisk förebild inom flygbranschen. Liknande frågor ställde vi till Jonas Åkerman, trafikforskare vid KTH som fördjupat sig i flygets klimatpåverkan. Han ser utmaningar med biobränsle för flyg. ”För att nå en hållbar flygsektor krävs att flygresandet inte ökar från dagens nivåer”, poängterar Åkerman.
Biobränslet lär vara 5 gånger dyrare jämfört med fotogen. BRA har därför infört ett system där man omvandlar bonuspoäng till biobränsle och lanserar crowdfunding för ett fossilfritt inrikesflyg. Hur fungerar detta? AS: Vi har startat ett initiativ så att våra kunder får bidraga till att öka efterfrågan på biobränsle, varigenom en inhemsk produktion kan komma att bli lönsam. Det handlar om såkallade Gröna Avtal med storföretag, varigenom de köper biobränsle genom oss, och vi åtar oss att tanka det inköpta bränslet. Därmed kan storkunden se exakt hur mycket koldioxid man har sparat och lägga in resultatet i sin rapportering. Även privatpersoner kan bidra genom att växla in sina lojalitetspoäng hos BRA till biobränsle istället för gratis övernattningar på hotell eller gratisresor. Dessa initativ kommer inte enbart från BRA, utan det är faktiskt våra kunder som trycker på och säger att vi måste göra någonting för att underlätta möjligheterna att flyga ”klimatsmartare”. Alla tycks vilja vara med! JÅ: Jag tycker inte att det är något fel på den väg som BRA valt. Däremot ska man kanske inte ha alltför höga förväntningar på att den förenklar tillgången på biodrivmedel. Metoden är därför värd att pröva; frågan är bara om den räcker till.
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Berätta lite om dig själv, och vad som fick dig att bli intresserad av ekologi i allmänhet och flygsektorn i synnerhet. AS: Jag är jurist från början och har bott utomlands i många år. Fick en son med funktionsnedsättning 1999, vilket gjorde att jag valde att flytta hem till Sverige. Sedan gjorde omständigheterna att jag började jobba som chef för ett nystartat litet flygbolag, Kalmarflyg, och då handlade det mest om försäljning och marknadsföring. År 2008 sökte jag och fick tjänsten som ansvarig för hållbarhetsfrågor. Och det var ett av de bästa besluten jag någonsin fattat, för det gav mig anledning att sätta mig in i miljöarbete. För min egen del har det också handlat om att utvecklas som människa. När
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Swedish Press | November 2017 14
Anna Soltorp. Foto: Lena Gunnarsson
man blir lite äldre så upptäcker man att man blir mer intresserad av sociala frågor, hur vi ska bygga ett samhälle som är tillgängligt för alla, och där alla har möjlighet att delta. Sedan övergick Kalmarflyg till att bli BRA, där jag blev chef för hållbarhetsfrågor. JÅ: Jag är civilingenjör i farkostteknik på KTH och har dessutom läst ekonomi och lite annat. Mitt engagemang i hållbarhet inom transportväsendet har pågått i närmare 25 år och har täckt alla aktuella områden, således inte enbart flygbranschen. Flygplan använder ju vanligtvis en typ av fotogen som bränsle, med allvarliga konsekvenser för miljön genom utsläpp av växthusgaser. Är biobränslet för flygplan samma bränsle som etanolen för bilar? JÅ: Nej. För att slippa modifiera flygmoterer så har man utvecklat ett biobränsle som är så likt fossilbränsle som möjligt rent kemiskt. För närvarande får man blanda in högst 50 procent biobränsle på flygplan. Skälet till att man inte ännu får fylla på 100 procent är att man inte vet säkert hur rent biobränsle påverkar motorernas
Svenska regeringen vill införa en ny flygskatt ovanpå priset för flygbiljetten, vilket BRA bestämt motsätter sig därför att den kommer att motverka snarare än främja användandet av biobränsle. Hurså?
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AS: Vi på BRA agerar på en marknad som inte har vuxit sedan 90-talet, men där biljettpriserna har gått ner rejält. Konkurrensen har blivit stenhård. Vi är ett svenskt bolag med svenska kollektivavtal. Vi sysslar alltså inte med outsourcing, dvs vi utnyttjar inte lågavlönade utländska besättningar. Allt detta kostar pengar, vilket gör att vår förtjänstram är väldigt snäv och begränsar våra möjligheter att anskaffa nya flygplan. Vår ägare är villig att investera tre miljarder kronor för att byta ut våra turboprop-plan mot nya jetflygplan av typ Bombardier C-Series vilka är 6 ton lättare och minskar utsläppen med 35 procent. Utbytet skulle ha startat 2018, men på grund av hotet om flygskatt har vi skjutit upp anskaffningen med två år. JÅ: Man får se på saken både på kort och lång sikt, och tillgripa olika styrmedel för att åstadkomma en minskning av skadliga utsläpp. På lång sikt är det bästa medlet att införa en koldioxidskatt. Det finns ett internationellt avtal som säger att man inte får beskatta drivmedel för flygplan, och det kommer att ta 20 – 30 år att få en ändring. Eftersom klimatfrågan är akut, så måste man hitta styrmedel som fungerar på kort sikt. En metod vore att göra avdrag från flygskatten för de flygbolag som använder biobränsle. En annan metod är att helt enkelt införa ett krav på flygbolagen att succesivt öka andelen biobränsle. Struntar inte de flesta flygresenärer i om planet kör på fotogen eller biobränsle, bara priset är konkurrenskraftigt?
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målet. Även om priset på biobränsle minskas i framtiden, så kommer det sannolikt fortsatt att vara betydligt dyrare än vad fossilt bränsle är idag.
Jonas Åkerman. Foto:Katarina Ahlfort
AS: Jag genomförde en liten enkät bland drygt 800 av våra stamkunder, där jag frågade om de vore villiga att betala högre biljettpriser för flygresor baserade på biobränsle. 32 procent svarade ja, och 22 procent svarade nej, medan återstoden låg någonstans mitt emellan. Detta stämmer bra med den officiella statistiken över hela landet när det gäller allmänt miljöintresse. Man kan därför med rätta påstå att trycket för införandet av miljövänligt flyg kommer från allmänheten lika mycket som från myndigheterna. Kommer det vara möjligt i framtiden att flyga med biobränsle mellan Sverige och Amerika? JÅ: Rent tekniskt, absolut, och det är troligt att taket på 50 procent blandning kommer att höjas till närmare 100 procent så småningom. Men inte minst av det skälet kommer tillgången och priset på biobränsle att bli problematiska, för biobränslet är en begränsad resurs, och flyget måste konkurrera med vägtrafiken, sjöfarten, byggsektorn och industrin som alla vill använda biobränsle för att nå klimat-
Jonas Åkerman, du har gjort uttalanden i stil med att gemene man kan bidra till att rädda klimatet genom att granska sina egna resvanor – t.ex. att ta tåget istället för att flyga. Men man kan ju inte ta tåget för interkontinentala resor, och på korta inrikesresor så flyger ju planen inte så högt att de orsakar den miljöfarliga såkallade höghöjdseffekten. JÅ: Det stämmer i och för sig, men en stor del av koldioxidutsläppet sker under starten och stigningen, så ur det perspektivet är flyg på korta avstånd egentligen lika miljöskadliga per flygkilometer som långdistansflyget. När det gäller affärsresor så kan man ju tänka sig att utnyttja videokonferenser som alterantiv. Visserligen är det personliga mötet viktigt om man vill lära känna någon, men när man väl gjort bekantskapen så är det lätt att fortsätta samarbetet via videolänk. Det svensk-finska företaget Telia Sonera har varit en föregångare i det avseendet, för där har man en policy att man ska träffas ”virtuellt” – alltså per video typ Skype eller liknande. Det är även tillåtet att företa resor, men man måste i så fall uppvisa goda skäl. Genom policyn har man halverat antal tjänsteresor per anställd under en tioårsperiod. Samtidigt får de anställda mer fritid att tillbringa med sina familjer. Så det handlar verkligen om en win-win situation! Intervjuad av Peter Berlin
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Swedish Press | November 2017 15
[
Putting Sweden on the Map At Home
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‘To hand over our society and planet to...’
Global
Erik Brandsma, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency
Erik Brandsma, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency, is fighting for a greener world. Having worked at different institutions in Paris, New York and Vancouver, his career has focused on energy management and sustainability. Swedish Press recently spoke to him about his mission and the importance of green living. How did you get involved with sustainable consumption and production? I grew up in the Netherlands. After earning a degree in forest management, I continued my studies in Vancouver, Canada, where I earned a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Management.
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Swedish Press | November 2017 16
My first real job was with the Dutch Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning with a team that prepared the second National Environmental Policy Plan (199093). My next assignment was at the Environment Directorate at the OECD HQ in Paris, where I was responsible for issues and a work program related to sustainable consumption and production. After three years in Paris, I was asked to join the United Nations. We packed our bags and moved to New York to work for the Commission for Sustainable Development. I was with the UN for four years. From New York I moved to Sweden with my family in 2000 to continue working in different capacities with sustainable development strategy and implementation. In 2006, I signed on with two major European power and gas companies as Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Sustainability Officer, respectively. Since energy management and sustainability had been the two common threads in my professional life, becoming Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency was a logical next step. What does your job as Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency entail? The Swedish Energy Agency’s long-term mission is to work for a sustainable energy system in
Sweden. This includes society in general, as well as transportation and industry. Our agency focuses on analysis, scenarios, statistics and policy instruments in a wide variety of areas, such as energy efficiency, climate change and renewables. We have a significant research and innovation budget and a wellestablished program for business development. I manage a fantastic team of almost 400 experts within all these areas. I need to make sure that our employees enjoy their job, deliver quality results and get home safely to their families and loved ones at the end of the day. It’s a privilege to work on an issue that is so crucial for our future well-being and all the while be connected with Sweden’s political policy-making arena. What does sustainability mean to you? In essence, it means that we hand over our society and planet to our children in a better condition than when we lived on it. It is unsustainable to borrow from our children for our own benefit and without the possibility to pay back our debt. In which areas do you feel Sweden contributes most globally? If we use the current 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDG’s),
Swedes
‘...our children in a better condition.’
Sweden has the responsibility to contribute and share experiences on all of them. I would say that we are amongst the leaders in the development related to clean energy, sustainable transport and cities, innovation, working conditions and equality. We also have a long history of co-operation between societal sectors such as government, business, societal interests and academia. This can be an inspiration for others since co-operation and partnership (Goal 17) are a key ingredient in achieving sustainability. How do you think the image of Sweden is changing and developing internationally and particularly in North America? I don’t know if it is changing very much. Sweden is seen as an open and innovative society that values human rights, equality and sustainability. I hope that this is still the case.
stable and open society. Sweden has a long tradition of providing security and tolerance mainly through government policy and societal values. The fact that we rank high on innovation (e.g. number of unicorns/capita), quality-of-life and sustainability listings underlines this. I can also conclude that Swedish prosperity is advanced by the openness and tolerance in society and the mix of dependence and interest in international relations. We succeed because we work so well with other countries. We are a small country but we, as a nation, realize that we need the rest of the world for our future development. And we do that through trade, knowledge, resources and respect. Sweden came out on top in a recent ranking of 80 countries in the Global Green Economy Index (2016) established by consulting firm Dual Citizen Inc. to measure national performance in green economy. Sweden’s first place reflects its ongoing commitment to climate change, mitigation and sustainable policies and practices. Why are Swedes so good at being sustainable?
Sweden has a good starting position through its virtually CO2-free energy system. This is a precondition for a green economy. Our major challenge regarding climate change is the transport sector, and here government, academia and business work closely together to develop and implement new sustainable solutions – not only for our planet but also purely from a competitive perspective. A green “sustainable” innovative economy is globally competitive and a pillar for a prosperous society. How can all of us become more sustainable? There are, of course, many things one can do for environmental sustainability, such as minimizing your carbon footprint. Think about how you travel, eat and live. Relations and curiosity are also very important. They are drivers for a sustainable society. Meet someone new and listen to his/her stories! Inspire and be inspired. The world will be a better place. www.energimyndigheten.se
Interviewed by Sofie Kinnefors
How do you think Sweden has achieved the success it has despite being such a small country, population-wise? Being a small country in population is not a handicap. People need to feel confidence and trust to develop new ideas, new business and new relations. This in turn requires a
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Swedish Press | November 2017 17
[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
37 Swedish criminologist and novelist Leif GW Persson was voted the Swedes’ favorite neighbor in a recent poll conducted by Hyresgäst föreningen (the Swedish Tenants Association). “Incomprehensible” said Leif GW Persson in an interview with the magazine “Hem och Hyra.” Participants choose from a list of 37 well-known Swedes when deciding who they would rather live next door to. Comedienne Mia Skäringer and author/TV host Mark Levengood came in second place, closely followed by Crown Princess Victoria.
4 Lighting candles on family graves on Allhelgonadagen (All Saints’ Day) is still widely practiced in Sweden. The Christian holiday, which falls on November 4, has been celebrated since the Middle Ages in remembrance and honor of martyrs and saints. Most Swedes take All Saints’ Day off and make time to wander the churchyards in the evening to admire the beautiful lights and revered graves adorned with flowers and wreaths.
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Swedish Press | November 2017 18
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Do you or someone you know have Sweden’s most common surname? Name trends vary over time, but chances are you have heard these Scandinavian names before. According to SCB (Statistics Sweden), the most common Swedish surnames are: 1. Andersson 2. Johansson 3. Karlsson 4. Nilsson 5. Eriksson 6. Larsson 7. Olsson 8. Persson 9. Svensson and 10. Gustafsson.
The Vasa Museum’s exhibition “Kvinnorna” (The Women) unveils the fascinating story of several women living in the early 17th century. Visitors can, for example, get acquainted with Margareta Nilsdotter, a shipyard and property manager who, after her husband passed away, took over the responsibility of building the Vasa ship. The exhibition also tells the story of Ylva and Beata who were onboard the Vasa when she sank.
12 Pencil in some special time with dad on November 12. The celebration, widely known as Father’s Day, was introduced in 1910 when Sonora Smart Dodd decided to honor her father William Smart, a single father raising six children on his farm in Washington DC. The celebration reached Sweden in 1931 and has since been an important day to honor father figures and their influence in society.
55 After presenting a sculpture made from a 55kilogram heavy chocolate block, as well as ice-cream cakes and chocolate desserts, Sweden was elected the 2017 Nordic champion in konditori (pastry.) During the annual Nordic championships of pastry and bakery, national teams compete against each other in several disciplines. The Swedish national pastry team, con-
sisting of confectioners Jessica Sandberg and Martin Morand, assistant Emelie Karlén, coach Jesper Långström and teamleader Tony Olsson, practiced 14-18 hours per day for about one month and a half prior to the championship. The team’s dedication paid off; according to the jury the Swedish team won because of their consistency and excellent use of flavors.
64 Get up and move! According to a survey by Weight Watchers and Swedish research company Sifo, 64 percent of Swedes state that they spend half of the day or more sitting. A third stay seated half of the day and almost six percent of Swedes claim that they remain seated almost all day – a trend that is particularly noticeable amongst younger ages. Nearly three out of four people between the ages of 15 and 34 stay seated half of the day or more compared with 56 percent of those in the age range 56 to 79.
[Lifestyle] Movie The Square – A Matter of Humanity By Alice Shih
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he Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring. Within it we all share equal rights and obligations.” These words are inscribed within the Square outside Vandalorum Museum for Art and Design in Värnamo, Sweden. Initially, it was the brainchild of director Ruben Östlund and his producer, Kalle Boman. Inspired by the same idea, the Norwegian film director Gunhild Enger has constructed a second square in Grimstad, and a third one is in the works at Vestfossen. According to Östlund, they
Director Ruben Östlund. Photo: Thomas Johansson
were hoping to improve people’s attitude towards strangers. Having entered the Square, strangers would be obligated to assist should someone inside need help. The ambition was that this contract of kindness might end racism, prejudice and class struggle. Claes Bang, our protagonist, plays the flawed curator of a contemporary art museum. When his phone and other sentimental
valuables are stolen, he locates the thief in a building on the poor side of town. Unable to determine which unit is housing the thief, he adopts the strategy to accuse everybody and sends each unit a note demanding the return of his valuables. The real thief responds, but so does an innocent boy who demands an apology from our protagonist, as his father thinks that he has stolen the phone and has punished him. He wants to get the protagonist to apologize to his father to clear his name. Justice is restored and violated by the same act. Instead of exploring justice and humanity in a solemn manner, The Square hits the audience with absurd humour to stimulate our thoughts. The American arts reporter (Elizabeth Moss), who has a strange relationship with Bang, is an enigmatic character. Her pet is an orangutan, and she herself is an avid sperm collector. The tug-
of-war between these two people is wonderfully portrayed so as to express distrust and civility. Terry Notary, the method actor who fails to get out of his character while performing as an ape, hauntingly surprises fund-raising guests when he loses his humanity to violence. To stop this animosity, the audience retaliates using violence against this beast who is out of control. Is humanity restored or lost as a result? Bang gradually loses control on all fronts. Apart from his ape performer going haywire, his overzealous art exhibition promotion strategy totally backfires when his new advertisement acquires mega internet hits for all the wrong reasons. People find it offensive when
Terry Notary as Oleg in ‘The Square’.
humanity disintegrates in a flash right in front of our eyes, literally. The Square, which garnered the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for its excellent exploration of wits, morality and civilisation, will represent Sweden to vie for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. Break a leg! Alice Shih is a Toronto-based film journalist, and an advisory board member of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
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Swedish Press | November 2017 19
Hemma hos
Herrestaskolan is Sweden’s First School Built Almost Entirely of Wood
[Design]
By Kristi Robinson
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he competition invited four Swedish architecture firms to design a new school in Barkarbystaden, Järfälla, a rapidly developing community in the Stockholm area. The brief given was that it had to include a preschool, a library, and a sports hall, in addition to the main school for children 6-12 years old. The
Street view of the front entrance of Herrestaskolan.
winners were Liljewall Architects with their proposal for a sustainable school. If the architects’ name sounds familiar to you, it may be because Swedish Press recently did a feature on the House of Knowledge school in Lapland, also designed by Liljewall who found their inspiration in the Malmberget mines. It’s fair to say these architects aren’t afraid to explore radically different ways of building a school. In the case of the Herrestaskolan, ingenuity and perseverance led to the construction of Sweden’s first school made almost exclusively of cross-laminated timber (CLT). Being the first of its kind in the country didn’t come without challenges. Liljewall’s head architect
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Swedish Press | November 2017 20
Wood makes up the interior details too in the colorful cloakroom.
Lars Olaussen said the biggest obstacle was the lack of knowledge. They had to look for expertise elsewhere, and travelled to England to meet with a construction engineer who had already built two big CLT schools in the UK. Back at home, Liljewall Architects had to do much of the testing themselves to find solutions for large-scale wood construction. Although wood is an abundant building material in Sweden, there weren’t enough trained consultants and builders because until the mid 90’s building codes didn’t allow for wood structures to be more than 3 stories high (ie. houses) due to fire risk, so concrete was the preferred material. Now that newer materials like CLT exist, along with ways of minimizing potential fire hazards by treating the wood with fireproof varnish and installing sprinkler systems, we’re now seeing wood used for much larger applications. After two years of design, and another two of construction, the
The sports hall is fitted with a 14-meter high climbing wall.
Herresta School has now been in operation for two years. As an indication of Liljewall Architects’ success in achieving sustainability on such a grand scale, this year Sweden’s Green Building Council awarded them the gold certification ‘Miljöbyggnad Guld’. Ironically, the criteria for certification didn’t consider the fact that the school was built using 3,100 cubic meters of timber (but will next year), which Olaussen pointed out is the most sustainable part of Herrestaskolan’s design. Instead things like energy recovery, acoustics, and materials
Brightly painted wooden posts and beams line the walkway around the courtyard.
were all taken into account. The roof of the school is covered with an impressive 1,400 square meters of solar panels, taking it mostly off the national grid because it produces all the electricity the school needs, making the building almost completely carbon neutral. The role the school plays in the community also contributes to its high level of sustainability. Designed to be a gathering place for local residents, the sports hall and library are shared facilities between the school and the neighbourhood. Besides this, the school’s activity park with sports fields/courts, a stage, and a playground are also open to the public. All photos © Liljewall Architects
Hemma hos
A Dash of Swedish at A Touch of Dutch
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Treats
à l’A Touch of Dutch
By Janine Verhulst
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or over twenty years, A Touch of Dutch in Coupeville, Whidbey Island, Washington, has been part of the staple diet of the local community and beyond. A family-run enterprise, a Dutchman and his wife originally sold their daughter’s fashion line alongside a touch of Dutch goodies to keep the bellies of fellow Dutchies satisfied. Under its third ownership and still a family-run affair, the shop has flourished and grown to be a one-stopshop for many European goodies from not just The Netherlands but also Sweden, Germany, Norway, Finland, the UK, France and more. Well-known for its 60+ kinds of licorice, liquor chocolates, cakes, handmade local sea-glass jewelry, rare Heritage Lace, European regalia, and all-natural solid lotion bars, we have something to stimulate every sense, rekindle memories and spark new ones. And no other time is better to create such memories than now as we enter the Jul/Sinterklaas/Christmas season. In October we began taking pre-orders on our website for all our delectable European Christmas goodies. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, as we want you to get all the treats you and your loved ones need before tomte or Sinterklaas arrives bearing gifts. Janine Verhulst (American/ Australian) and her husband, Bastiaan (Dutch/Australian), were seeking a new and exciting adventure when Janine acquired the store in
June 2016. They got it, and plenty of new challenges, too. Inheriting a wonky website, a 1938 old post office with structural challenges and an unlicensed refrigerated section, they were sadly forced to remove the cold products and then close in March 2017 for a two-week turned six-week remodeling. With all these momentous changes, local Swedes and Whidbey Nordic Lodge members have told us that, whilst they like our tinned Abba products, they still “starve” for their fresh herring, anchovies and
other Abba delicacies. We promise you that we are working very hard to bring these back in the new year. We want to guarantee that what we receive and what we offer to you is in such perfect condition that your tummy growls with desire! A Touch of Dutch is located in Coupeville, WA at 11 NW Front Street. For more information about our products and how to order, get in touch with us at: www.ATouchOfDutch.com, or email Janine at atouchofdutch. store@gmail.com. But best of all, come and visit us in person where you will receive a warm Välkommen into our newly remodeled store!
Cream Cake with Berries Ingredients: • 4 eggs • 2/3 cup/150 g sugar • 7 tsp/60g flour • 6 tbsp/60g potato starch • 1 tsp cream of tartar • Butter, flour for the pan • 1½ cups/400ml heavy cream • 2 tbsp vanilla sugar • Generous 1 lb/ 500g mixed berries • Optional: Cocoa powder and chocolate shavings
Preparation: (Gräddtårta med blandade bär) Makes 1 Cake (12 slices) 1. Whisk the eggs with the plain sugar in a bowl until frothy. 2. Sieve the flour, potato flour and cream of tartar together and stir into the beaten eggs. Grease a circular spring form cake tin and dust with flour. 3. Preheat the oven to 355 F/180 C. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for about 40 minutes. Cool and slice horizontally into three layers. 4. Beat the cream and vanilla sugar together until very stiff. Use half the whipped cream to cover two of the cake layers. Trim, wash and drain the berries, then distribute a third of them over the cream covered cake layers. 5. Re-assemble the cake with the plain third layer on the top. Cover completely with the remaining cream. Decorate with berries, a dusting of cocoa powder and chocolate shavings, if desired. Chill the cake before serving it with tea.
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Swedish Council of America
How to Spend a Million Dollars By Gregg White
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ust imagine that you had $1,000,000 to give to worthy projects as they promote knowledge and appreciation of all things Swedish in North America. How would you make the greatest impact? Would you focus on the big institutions, known for their professionalism and large audiences, or would you seek out smaller groups who might be slightly less polished but represent a perhaps overlooked grass-roots constituency? Since it first started providing grants over 40 years ago, Swedish Council of America has grappled with this dichotomy. In 1975, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra was to perform in the United States in conjunction with a royal visit. This was a very expensive enterprise and SCA provided $5,000 in support. The next year, Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church in Philadelphia was hosting a concert by a traveling Swedish choir. SCA was pleased to provide $500 in support of that project. Both grants were proportionate to the projects in question, and both had significant impact on their respective audiences. Some SCA grants have been offered to start-up groups, such as the $500 given in 2012 to the American Association of Runic Studies. Their president, Lorraine Jenson, loves to tell anyone and everyone that the organization wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for that initial indication of trust from SCA. Other larger regional institutions, such as the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia and the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, have received a series of SCA grants in support of special exhibits, performances, residencies and more. In fact, both of these notable centers of Swedishness have each received over 20 SCA grants totaling around $60,000.
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SCA grants have been the catalyst for some remarkable achievements far beyond any expectations based on the amount of funding received. For example, a $2,000 grant to the Joe Hill CD Project in 2015 led to “live performances at several locations in Chicago, including a concert attended by Swedish trade union officials visiting Chicago for the annual May Day celebration, and additional performances in, among others, Madison, Green Bay, Sheboygan, Kenosha, Oshkosh and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; St. Paul, Minnesota; Carterville, Chicago, and Chillicothe, Illinois; and Peterborough, Ontario. These concerts brought the songs and writings by Swedish labor songwriter and martyr Joe Hill (1879 – 1915) to audiences who knew little about Hill or his music, other than “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill”, sung by Joan Baez at Woodstock. In total, nearly 40 artists have been part of the CD effort and several thousand people have heard Joe Hill’s music and learned about his life.” That’s a whole lot from a $2,000 grant! Since 1975, SCA has made 388 grants to 184 organizations and projects in 35 states or provinces. These grants have totaled $1,000,000 in promoting and strengthening Swedishness in North America. No matter where you are as you read this magazine, chances are there is a nearby group or project that has received financial support from SCA. Isn’t this what you would have done with your million dollars? 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-American Chambers of Commerce
Green Connections 2017 – Smart Water and Renewable Energy By Gustav Klinton
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very year for the past five years, SACC San Diego has hosted the cleantech conference, Green Connections, in collaboration with the FinnishAmerican Chamber of Commerce San Diego. Dedicated to innovation and cleantech, the conference brings together business leaders, academics and the public, in order to discuss how to best tackle the severe environmental challenges that lay ahead, and what role technology plays in this. Cleantech came to the world’s attention around the turn of the millennium and has grown rapidly since, due to a shift in oil prices and new climate change policies which encouraged investment in renewable energy. In 2018, the UN predicts that the three main technology sectors – wind power, biofuels and solar photovoltaics – will generate a revenue of $325 bn. These recent developments are further reflected in Green Connections, as one of the themes for this year’s edition is renewable energy, with the other theme being smart water. This incorporates both the ongoing shift towards alternative energy sources as a result of climate change, and the ongoing water crisis. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, one billion people across the globe lack access to water, and 2.4 billion find water scarce. Green Connections will feature several interesting and exciting speakers. One of them is Katarina Veem from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), home of the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize which is handed out by Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden. Katarina has a long career in environment and sustainable resource policy from both public and private sectors. Her career began at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences with preparations of the United Nation summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Furthermore, she has an MA from Harvard in intellectual
history with a focus on natural resource use. The title of Katarina’s talk at Green Connections will be “Dialogue and Collaboration = Water Governance” and will tie in to her work with SIWI. The conference will also feature Andrea Altmann, Senior Energy Analyst at San Diego County Water Authority. Andrea currently manages a multi-million-dollar energy capital improvement and is involved in both state and federal regulations. Furthermore, she seeks innovative opportunities to leverage the water-energy nexus in order to reduce energy costs. This will also be the topic of her talk during Green Connections. The conference will be held on November 16 at SDG&E Energy Innovation Center in Clairemont, San Diego, one of the first ten buildings in the world that received a double LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Energy Innovation Center is a community resource for energy efficiency, technology and green building practices, hosting workshops, conferences and classes. It is undoubtedly a great venue for Green Connections, and ties in very well with this year’s themes of Renewable Energy and Smart Water. All in all, Green Connections 2017 is going to be a day full of several exciting speakers, interesting panel discussions and excellent networking opportunities. Visitors will also get an opportunity to meet our sponsors, such as Volvo Cars and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. So, don’t wait, get your tickets now! For more information about Green Connections, tickets and sponsorship opportunities, follow this link: http://www. sacc-sandiego.org/greenconnections1.html About the SACC-USA Network: SACC-USA consists of 20 Regional Chambers across the U.S. Our mission is to promote trade and investment in both directions between Sweden and the U.S. www.sacc-usa.org. SACC San Diego promotes the exchange of business, trade, investment, technology and culture between Sweden and the Greater San Diego area. The chamber is niched towards life science and cleantech. Green Connections is the flagship project, and is arranged every November. The themes this year are smart water and renewable energy. www.saccsandiego.org.
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Swedish Press Connects
Embassy of Sweden
Sweden’s new Ambassador to the United States – Karin Olofsdotter
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am very excited to be Sweden’s new Ambassador to the United States. I am happy to return to Washington DC and the Embassy, where I previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission. Sweden and the USA share important values and our long-standing bilateral relationship with regard Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter. Photo: Andrea Belluso to areas such as trade and global security has served our two nations well. I intend to advance our relationship further during my tenure,” says Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter. “The United States and Sweden have ties that go back almost 380 years, when the first Swedish settlers established the colony New Sweden on the banks of the Delaware River. Sweden was also the first country – outside of the countries involved in the American Revolutionary War – to recognize the United States as a sovereign republic. Today, Sweden is one of the largest foreign investors. In 2017, investments total 54 billion USD. Advanced technology combined with manufacturing skills make Sweden a unique business partner. Swedish affiliated companies and their subcontractors directly support more than 500,000 jobs in all fifty states. 1,400 US companies have invested in Sweden, and more than 7,000 Swedish companies trade with the United States. By working together, global challenges can be tackled. In areas where Sweden and the USA do not fully agree on solutions, I hope that we can have a constructive dialogue and share our experiences in trying to find common ground,” says Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter. “For me, it is important to continue with the work to promote Sweden, Swedish culture and Swedish trade throughout all of the United States. We are happy to have House of Sweden in Washington DC, which is an important venue for the public to experience and learn about Sweden through events and exhibitions. But I also intend to travel
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to different places and meet people across the USA. That includes supporting the great work by our 30 consulates, numerous Swedish-American organizations and successful companies all over the country to put Sweden on the map,” says Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter. Bio: Karin Olofsdotter was the Director-General for Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Prior to that, she was head of the MFA’s Department for Promotion of Sweden, Trade and CSR, Ambassador to Hungary, and head of the MFA’s Ministers Office. She has also worked for the Embassy in Moscow, the Mission of Sweden to NATO, and the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU in Brussels. Olofsdotter served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Washington DC between 2008 and 2011. Exhibitions on Display in House of Sweden Open Saturdays & Sundays 12 – 5 pm Witnesses by Anna U Davis September 9 – December 10 Anna U Davis is known for her bold, colorful, graphic mixed-media work, where she explores her fascination with gender relations. Summertime Iceland: Light as a Metaphor by Nancy Libson September 16 – December 10 Nancy Libson is a photographer whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Stories of Migration – Sweden Beyond the Headlines This exhibition aims to add new perspectives to the story of Sweden and migration, and to give insights into the current situation in the country. Beyond headlines of chaos and collapse, beyond politics and public authorities, there are people trying to build a life in a new country. Curated by: The Swedish Institute and Rebecca Ahlstedt. For more information please follow us at: @SwedeninUSA @OlofsdotterK Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter
swedenabroad.com/washington
instagram.com/swedeninUSA
youtube.com/EmbassyofSweden
flickr.com/embassyofswedenwashingtondc
facebook.com/swedeninUSA
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Swedish Women’s Educational Association international
Fira Jul med SWEA
Lucia- och jularrangemang 2017
WEA (Swedish Women’s Educational Association International, Inc.) är ett globalt nätverk med 7000 svensktalande kvinnor i ett 70-tal avdelningar i ett 30-tal länder. SWEA är den största ideella Sverigefrämjande organisationen utanför Sverige med syfte att sprida svensk kultur och tradition Varje år arrangerar SWEA-avdelningar runt om i världen julmarknader för att sprida svensk kultur och julstämning i form av luciatåg, julmusik, svensk fika och så säljer man förstås tomtar och annat traditionellt julpynt. Inkomster från julmarknaden möjliggör för avdelningarna att ge stipendier, exempelvis till studenter som vill studera svenska eller svensk kultur. SWEA donerar också till svenska skolor och svenska kyrkan till stöd för diverse Sverigefrämjande evenemang. SWEA ger donationer och delar ut stipendier för 2 miljoner kronor varje år!
För mera information kontakta:
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USA: Arizona • 2 dec kl 10.00-14.00 • arizona@swea.org Austin • 10 dec kl 16.00-18.30 • austin@swea.org Boston • 9 dec kl10.00-16.00 • swedishyuletide@swea.org Chicago • 2-3 dec kl 10.00-17.00 • chicago@swea.org Dallas • 2 dec kl.11.00-15.00 • dallas@swea.org Denver • 2 dec kl 10.30-15.00 • denver@swea.org Los Angeles • 3 dec kl 10.00-17.00 • losangeles@swea.org Minnesota • 18 nov • minnesota@swea.org Michigan/Detroit • 19 nov kl 09.30-14.00 • julbasar@sweamichigan.org New Jersey • 19 nov kl 10.00-16.00 • newjersey@swea.org North Carolina • 2 dec kl 10.00-17.00 • northcarolina@swea.org Orange County • 19 nov kl 11.00-17.00 • orangecounty@swea.org Philadelphia • 2 dec kl 10.00-17.00 • philadelphia@swea.org Portland, OR • 2-3 dec kl 9.00-17.00 • portland@swea.org San Francisco • 2 dec kl 09.00-16.00 • sanfrancisco@swea.org South Florida • 2 dec kl 11.00-15.00 • florida@swea.org Washington DC • 2 dec kl 11.00-17.00 • washingtondc@swea.org Kanada: Toronto • 25-26 nov • toronto@swea.org Japan: Tokyo • 27 nov • japan@swea.org Tyskland: Köln/Bonn • 8-10 dec hela dagen • kolnbonn@swea.org Spanien: Barcelona • 25 nov hela dagen • barcelona@swea.org Mer information finns på www.swea.org • office@swea.org
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Swedish Press Connects
Migrationens ansikten – människorna bakom statistiken
Johanna Sawalha: ”Mina rötter är i Sverige, men kulturellt och professionellt är jag en New Yorkare”
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ad gör ungdomar när de är 17 år? De vill ut och se världen! När jag själv var i den åldern flyttade jag till Kalifornien för att Sverige kändes trångt. Det kanske också var en mindre dynamisk plats att leva på då, Sverige hade till exempel ännu inte gått med i EU, men framförallt handlade det nog om att jag var ung och äventyrlig. De flesta på den tiden åkte iväg och kom tillbaka efter en kortare period utomlands, men för mig tog det 25 år att återvända. När jag var i USA första gången som 17-åring arbetade jag i bomullsplantagens Kalifornien – området mellan San Francisco och Los Angeles. På dagarna jobbade jag och på kvällarna gick jag ut med mina vänner – varenda kväll! Jag förstår inte hur jag orkade det. Andra gången jag flyttade till Kalifornien var det till Santa Monica i Los Angeles. Där studerade jag musik och livet var väldigt annorlunda. Efter lektionerna drog alla studenter till stranden och pluggade. Santa Monica State Beach andades rock ’n roll och där levde vi liksom för dagen. Det var i Santa Monica som jag köpte min första bil, en begagnad Chrysler Le Baron Turbo. Pearl Jam hade precis släppt skivan Ten och jag lyssnade på den medan jag körde i Brentwood Hills och kände mig fri. Det var härliga tider. Jag älskar Kalifornien och hade inga planer på att flytta därifrån, men när jag erbjöds en plats på American Musical and Dramatical Academy i New York City kunde jag inte tacka nej. Jag hade en pojkvän i Kalifornien och trodde att jag skulle flytta tillbaka, men en dag klev jag av tunnelbanan och insåg att New York var mitt hem. Den staden har verkligen en förmåga att sluka en på det sättet. Det var jättesvårt att lämna New York år 2010 när min make gick med i en startup i San Antonio, Texas. När jag tänker tillbaka inser jag att de kulturella skillnaderna är större mellan Texas och New York än vad de är mellan New
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York och Sverige. I början kämpade jag emot de kulturella skillnaderna. Jag var van med öppenheten i storstaden, men i Texas är invånarna mer stoiska och spiller inte sina problem till vem som helst. Så jag försökte se det som en lång semester istället och fokusera på de positiva aspekterna. Vi fick ändå många vänner i Texas och födde våra tvillingar där. Fem år senare motiverade familjelivet oss att flytta till Sverige. Jag hade lämnat landet för väldigt länge sedan och var orolig för att landet skulle kännas litet igen. Men när jag pratade med min pappa om det sade han att jag lämnade Sverige för att det kändes trångt, men att jag kommer tillbaka till Europa – inte bara Sverige. Och det stämmer – i dag är det mycket lättare att röra sig utanför gränserna. Sverige är inte lika litet längre. Hur möten mellan olika kulturer kan berika är däremot något jag gärna skulle se ett större fokus på. Efter alla mina år i USA, och framför allt efter tiden i New York, inser jag hur kulturen där har påverkat mig. Mina rötter är i Sverige, men kulturellt och professionellt är jag New Yorkare. Jag skulle vilja smälta ihop det allra bästa från alla dessa kulturer till en. FAKTA: Varför flyttar människor till Sverige?
Sexton av hundra nya invånare mellan åren 2010 och 2015 var utflyttade svenska medborgare som flyttade tillbaka till Sverige igen. Fram till 2013 var återinvandrarna den största gruppen, men från och med 2014 kom den största andelen nya invånare, cirka 20 procent, från Syrien. Många som återinvandrar har varit bosatta i Norge, Storbritannien och USA. * Statistiken över nya folkbokförda grundar sig på siffror från Statisiska Centralbyrån, SCB. MIG Talks är en kommunikationssatsning, initierad av Migrationsverket i mars 2016. En rad samhällsaktörer står bakom satsningen som vill främja kunskap om migrationen till Sverige genom att sprida fakta och synliggöra människorna bakom migrationsstatistiken. MIG Talks digitala kanaler: www.migtalks.se | Facebook.com/migtalks
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Road to Community
Road to Community Mitt Liv – A Company Challenging Norms in Office Diversity By Caitlyn Lee
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n 2008, the idea was born to start a company that would help thousands of newly migrated Swedes into the labour market, by their own volition. Mitt Liv is not a charity and is not funded by any governmental organization. Mitt Liv, which translates to “My Life”, is a profit-making company providing a service to the job market aimed at active social and economic diversification. The company has three major components geared towards this goal. Swedish Press spoke with founder Sofia Appelgren to learn more about Mitt Liv and its significance to Swedish society. The company’s mentorship program was designed to help skilled immigrants develop their own network in Sweden. This constitutes the first component. For six to eight months, each mentee is paired up with a mentor from one of the partner companies that have investments in Mitt Liv; the pair is matched based on their roughly equal education or employment background. The mentor is there to introduce the partner company’s network and help the mentee acquire working Swedish language skills. A key aspect of the program is the fact that it is free for all mentees, thus providing a service to those in search of employment and skills on the Swedish labour market. Appelgren said that approximately 64% of all mentees who participated last term got jobs, and 54% of those were hired into the field of their relevant competencies. As the second component, Mitt Liv is a consulting agency which serves its
paying clients with leadership programs, diversity strategy consulting, research analysis, and other information pertaining to inclusivity and progressiveness in the workplace. The goal with the consultancy program is to build awareness of the many positive effects of creating diverse environments. When asked about these potential outcomes, Appelgren asserted that the diversification of offices leads to fresher ideas and varying perspectives, which in turn can help companies reach out to new markets. Mitt Liv’s consultancy program also helps bridge cultural gaps, which can be difficult to overcome. From small things like handshakes to larger miscommunications, Mitt Liv enables multicultural companies to work through finicky details that can otherwise prevent integration. The third component to Mitt Liv is the recruitment program, where companies pay for access to the company’s database containing of thousands of curricula vitae written by potential employees of foreign backgrounds. Mitt Liv cannot place everyone in the mentorship program,
so the solution was to provide companies with a way to reach this specific talent group. In the year the recruitment database was registered, over 12,000 CVs were uploaded. There is a huge potential for this database to grow in the future. The first thing one does to change something in people’s life is to take action. This is the fundamental message for Mitt Liv. Individuals who are newly migrated to Sweden can take the future into their own hands, work to build a network, and reach their potential. The mentorship program is excellent for people with foreign backgrounds to pursue their agenda at a time when media maintain that most migrants are overcome with hopelessness. It is refreshing to learn that companies are also taking steps towards creating more diverse working environments, thereby seeing promise in accessing new talents. Mitt Liv is an excellent example of what happens when established structures are actively challenged. The mentees and mentors at the Mitt Liv mentoring program graduation ceremony. Photo: Mitt Liv/Helena Pataki
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A guide to fun and interesting Swedish events outside Sweden
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CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org ONGOING through Nov 19 – “Sidewalks and Lampposts,” Chicago street collages by Gordon Strömberg; through Nov 26, “Roots: Source of Inspiration,” works by artist Christina Juran. Nov 4 – Sat 6 pm: “Aspire!” the Museum’s annual benefit gala will take place in Sunset Ridge Country Club, Northfield. Nov 11 – Sat 10 am to 5 pm: The Museum will participate in the fourth annual Chicago Estonian House Christmas market in Riverwoods. Nov 17 – Fri 7 pm: “Got Glögg?” the Museum’s Christmas tasting and competition among brewers. Nov 24 – Fri: Opening of an exhibit related to “Kalle Anka” (Donald Duck in Scandinavia); closes Jan 14. Nov 25 – Sat 10 am: Swedish American Genealogical Society program on treasured family recipes from the past. DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan 22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Nov 5 – Sun 1 to 2:30 pm: Autumn Buffet.
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MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org Nov 1-Jan 8, 2018: Fest! Merry Mansion – Nordic Holidays at the American Swedish Institute – Explore the unique and interactive displays of customs and traditions from the five Nordic countries, all set under one elaborately decorated roof, the historic Turnblad Mansion! PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Nov 4 – Sat 8:30 am to 3 pm: New Sweden History Conference: New Sweden Beyond the Delaware, 1638-1776 – The 8
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2017 theme will explore the migration of Swedish colonists from the original landing point of Wilmington Delaware to the greater Delaware Valley and east coast region. Registration includes breakfast and lunch, located at the Lazaretto Ballroom 99 Wanamaker Ave, Essington, PA 19029. SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Nov 4 & 5 – Sat and Sun 9 am to 3 pm: Scandinavian Holiday Bazaar. Holiday shopping at its best with vendors selling hand-made and/or Nordic items. Two floors of crafts, gifts, baked goods, and fun! Smörgås, pea soup, waffles and meatballs on Saturday, Swedish pancakes on Sunday. Nordic Heritage Museum 3014 N.W. 67th Street, Seattle, WA 98117 Tel: 206-789 5707 | nordic@nordicmuseum.org www.nordicmuseum.org Ongoing through Nov 12 – Exhibition: Susan Ringstad Emery – Seattle-area artist explores the duality of her family heritage through contemporary native artworks, from cave-art-inspired mixed-media works on panel to paintings to graphite on paper. Nov 18 & 19 – Sat and Sun 10 am to 5 pm: Yulefest – a Nordic Christmas celebration. Vendors sell handcrafted wares, and traditional Scandinavian Christmas food and drinks are sold. There is music and dancing, plus a visit from Santa, a raffle with fantastic prizes, and a Silent Auction. WASHINGTON, DC Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se Ongoing through Dec 10 – Exhibition: Stories of Migration – Sweden Beyond the Headlines – aims to add new perspectives to the story of Sweden and migration. Ongoing through Dec 10 – Exhibition: “Witnesses” by artist Anna U Davis. Anna explores her fascination with gender relations through for her bold, colorful, graphic mixed-media work. 18
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CALGARY Swedish Society of Calgary 739 20 Ave. N.W. Calgary, AB T2M 1E2 Tel: 403-284 2610 | www.swedishsociety.ca Nov 6 – Sun 2 to 6 pm: Candle Making at Scan Centre. Contact Ros-Marie at roslars@shaw.ca or 403-275 3551. Nov 13 – Sun 10:30 am to 3 pm: Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar – lunch of open sandwiches, coffee, tea and sweets for sale downstairs. A wide variety of unique homemade baking, handmade & Scandinavian crafts, toys, woodworking, knitting, painting, jewelry, pottery and much more! 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 Nov 11 – Lör: Kyrkans julbasar Nov 25 & 26 – Lör-Sön: SWEA Julmarknad på Harbourfront VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scandinaviancentre.org | www.swedishculturalsociety.ca Nov 18 & 19 – Sat and Sun 11 am to 4 pm: 2017 Christmas Fair – Coffee, drinks, sandwiches and pastries available to feed you while you are shopping. Dec 2 – Sat 6 pm: Scandinavian Business Club’s Annual Christmas Dinner and Dance Dec 3 – Sun 6 pm: First of Advent Service at Danish Church at 6010 Kincaid Avenue, Burnaby. Coffee is served after the service. WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | Reservations at: svenskclub17@gmail.com Nov 3 – Fri 11:45 am: Svensk Lunch, SC Nov 5 – Sun 10 am to 2 pm: Waffle Breakfast, Charleswood Legion Nov 16 – Thurs 7 pm: Fika and Tomton Night, SC Nov 19 – Sun 11 am to 2:30 pm: Christmas Market, SC Nov 26 – Sun 10 am to 1 pm: Swedish Brunch, SC 28
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[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified: the fast & inexpensive way to buy, sell or tell 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
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Swedish Press | November 2017 29
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Sista ordet
“Citizen K gives Sir Paul a run for his money...” Citizen K Returns in 2017 with Second Thoughts By Robert Silverstein
I
n my liner notes for the 2017 Citizen K double CD release, Second Thoughts, I mention it in the same breath as the famous Beatles 1968 double album, known as “The White Album”. Okay, you’re thinking that’s pretty far-fetched but, it has been nearly 50 years since 1968 and you might be in the market for a fresh option by now. Seriously, Citizen K, also known in Sweden as Klas Qvist, gives Sir Paul a run for his money on Second Thoughts. A couple of singles came out prior to the release but that in no way gives the full picture behind Second Thoughts. It has taken a while since the Citizen K breakthrough album, Meet Citizen K — Somewhere Up North in late 2009. Several EP titles followed but, lo and behold, released on CD and DL in early 2017, the 23 track double CD set Second Thoughts is well worth the wait.
Speaking about the new double album, Klas explains, “There are some songs on the album that I wrote in the late 1980s and throughout the ‘90s. This project actually started when I went through some old tapes that were either recorded at home or at a friend’s 8-track studio while I was still living in Stockholm. The idea was to record proper versions of the songs, just to hear what they would sound like. Initially, I didn’t have that many new songs for the project. They came later in the process, almost like punches, fast and hard. Recording
began almost immediately after the release of Somewhere Up North in late 2009. I just couldn’t wait. ‘Mind Expander’ is an early one. I wrote it in 2002. Recording of the track went on for ages, somewhere between 2009 and 2016.” Refining his position as Sweden’s premier pop maven, Citizen K’s songs and voice are in prime form throughout Second Thoughts. The lyrics, in English, are excellent but they’re not printed in the booklet, so you’ll have to search online. Despite downplaying his guitar chops, Citizen K’s fretboard skills are proven as impeccable as ever, and he also adds in all the keyboards.
A number of musicians fill in the spaces, including long time CK drummer Kim Gunneriusson, and the CD sounds quite well produced for an independent album. Try to find the double CD version as it’s pressed on black vinyl on CD and is incredible with good artwork and liner notes. Fans of Sir Paul, Zombie Colin Blunstone and even Al Stewart will enjoy the Citizen K approach to blending folk and rock into a most appealing progressive sonic wavelength. www.paraplyrecords.se For more information contact: Robert Silverstein @ www.mwe3.com Thanks to Citizen K and Peter Holmstedt @ www.hemifran.com
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Swedish Press | November 2017 30
Svenska Kulturföreningen Swedish Cultural Society
LUCIA PROCESSION
SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS CLUB OF BC
Lucia 2017: Annika Petersson
Christmas Party
Afternoon performance 1:00 pm Dinner performance 6:00 pm
www.sbc-bc.ca
December 9, 2017
Order your tickets through www.eventbrite.ca under “Swedish Cultural Society” All events take place at 6540 Thomas St, Burnaby, BC For more information, contact us at: SwedishLuciaVancouver@gmail.com www.SwedishCulturalSociety.ca
December 2nd, 2017
Tickets $80, early bird $10 discount, if paid before November 15th, 2017 ALL ARE WELCOME!
ANNUAL GALA Saturday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m. Sunset Ridge Country Club, Northfield, Ill. JULMARKNAD Saturday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ST. LUCIA DAY CELEBRATION AT THE DALEY PLAZA Wednesday, Dec. 13, noon ST. LUCIA CELEBRATION AT THE MUSEUM AND EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH Wednesday, Dec. 13, 4:45 p.m. at Swedish American Museum Wednesday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. at Ebenezer Lutheran Church SVENSK JULGUDSTJÄNST (CHRISTMAS SERVICE) EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH Sunday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m. JULMIDDAG – TRADITIONAL SWEDISH CHRISTMAS FAMILY DINNER Sunday, Dec. 17, 5 p.m. Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago SwedishAmericanMuseum.org
Beautiful and functional, the Intermezzo collection with it's distinctive blue drop in the stem has captured the hearts of both critics and consumer through the years. Designed by Erika Lagerbielke in 1985. Handmade in Sweden.
For more information on pricing and our full line of products please contact (800)-433-4167 and also visit our websites www.orrefors.us and www.kostaboda.us