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Sweden strives for world peace
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Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 YouTube: Pewdiepie Hemma hos 20 Design: Time, love and tears – the 26th ICEHOTEL 21 Treats à la Sofie 22 Lär Dig Svenska 23 Comic: Svensk Jul
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Lucia concert at Skansen. ©Marie Andersson
Cover image: Inspired by classic Christmas card produced by Axel Eliasson Konstförlag, Stockholm in 1906.
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A New Era for Peace and Diplomacy By Lara Andersson
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weden has long been looked upon as a beacon of peace and equality in the international landscape, and for good reason: the nation celebrated its 200th anniversary of non-violence last year, having abstained from war since its 1814 peace treaty with Norway in the Convention of Moss. While Sweden is not officially neutral ( joining the EU in 1995 it instead opted for a policy of non-alignment) it has been dedicated to avoiding armed conflict at all costs. Perhaps one of the nation’s most recognizable commitments to international peacekeeping efforts is the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, outlined by inventor Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will. In addition to prizes awarding outstanding accomplishments in physics, chemistry, economic science, medicine and literature, Nobel created the Peace Prize to honor those who “have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Over the years the award has been bestowed upon the likes of Mother Theresa, Desmond Tutu and one of its most recent recipients, Malala Yousafzai; and it continues to honor extraordinary contributions to peace efforts today.
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Shortly after the first distribution of Nobel Prizes in 1901, a man who was to become one of Sweden’s most important political figures was born. Dag Hammarskjöld, born in Jönköping in 1905, was a diplomat, economist and author who served as the second Secretary General of the United Nations from April 1953 till his death in 1961. At the time of Hammarskjöld’s UN service, the political concept of Folkhemmet, or “The People’s Home” was often used to characterize the Swedish government, presenting the image of the state as a home and citizens as family members within that structure. Such a political concept, which emphasized the role of the individual in contributing to the wellbeing of the collective, colored Hammarskjöld’s political philosophy and, consequently, his approach to international relations. In a 1953 United Nations Radio Broadcast, Hammarskjöld outlined his formula for world peace: “Our work for peace must begin
Dag Hammarskjöld, 1959. Photo: UN/DPI
within the private world of each one of us. To build for man a world without fear, we must be without fear. To build a world of justice, we must be just. And how can we fight for liberty if we are not free in our own minds? How can we ask others to sacrifice if we are not ready to do so?” Hammarskjöld’s legacy lives on through the Dag Hammarskjöld foundation. With headquarters located in Uppsala, the foundation frequently hosts seminars
Stockholm’s 2015 International Peace Talk. Photo: Interpeace.org
and dialogues as it strives to make “possible the meeting of minds, experiences and perspectives” through unique conversations. Over half a century later, Hammarskjöld’s beliefs regarding peace were echoed in Stockholm’s 2015 International Peace Talks. The Peace Talks is an event series co-organized by the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and the United Nations, with its first ever event taking place in Switzerland in 2013. As described on the organization’s webpage, the “spirit of the Peace Talks is one of collaboration and reinforces that each and every person has a role to play in peace… the audience will look at what peace means within their own lives and have a better sense of what they can do to play a more active role in promoting peace.” Video archives present visitors with access to the talks that took place at each of the events, including a talk delivered by Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations Jan Eliasson, who meditated, amongst other topics, upon the connection between the national and the international. “Building a good and strong society at home,” he emphasized, “is a contribution to peace.” This message is an important one. With the advent of new technologies and the incredible ease with which we can access social media, international communication is
something that takes place on a daily basis for a majority of the world population. News travels at the speed of light, and calls to action can arrive in the form of tweets, Facebook invites and text messages. In this dynamic social context where something as insignificant as a two-minute video clip might go viral, reaching millions of people in a matter of hours, the notion of peace beginning at the level of the individual (and the national, for that matter) takes on a new weight – individuals truly do have the capacity to reach the masses. Technologically innovative, Swedish diplomats and organizations are at the forefront of this technological evolution. In January 2014, around twenty diplomats gathered in Stockholm for a 24-hour conference and workshop called DiploHack, where they discussed ways to encourage a new era of digital diplomacy. Carl Bildt, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, presented DiploHack at TedXStockholm following the conference. “Diplomacy is about communication between nations and we live, thank god, in a much more open world where the voice of individual people means much more. Governments are becoming more open... thus public diplomacy and digital is becoming more important.” As optimistic as they are, Swedes are also weary of the risk for inefficacy. UNICEF Sweden produced three poignant
Carl Bildt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. Photo: Catarina Axelsson
commercials targeting the trend of online activism, pointing out that a Facebook “Like” does not qualify as a charitable donation. “Likes,” reads the campaign slogan, “don’t save lives.” The digital realm offers new terrain for digital diplomacy, which will undoubtedly flourish in the near future. We can be sure that Sweden, with its inventive technological spirit and commitment to peace efforts that start from the inside out, will continue to pave the way.
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Many readers will relate to the immigrant experience...
Global
Elinor Barr, author of Swedes in Canada: Invisible Immgrants
Photo: Bev Soloway
Elinor Barr was raised in Ignace, Ontario, Canada by Swedish parents. She earned a B.A. in Canadian history from Lakehead University. In Barr’s new book Swedes in Canada: Invisible Immigrants Barr explores her Swedish roots. Swedish Press sat down for a chat with the author to discuss immigration, Swedish traditions, and ethnic consciousness in Canada. Please tell us a little about your book Swedes in Canada: Invisible Immigrants. It is the first history of the 100,000 Swedes who settled in Canada, and includes Swedish-speaking immigrants from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ukraine and the United States. The time line is from the first known immigrant in 1767 through the heaviest immigration 1885-1929
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to the lengthy period after the Second World War. Quotes from memoirs and family histories illustrate historical information gleaned from archives in Canada, Sweden and the United States. Women are treated on an equal footing with men, a significant departure from traditional histories. Many readers, Swedish or not, will relate to the immigrant experience, and to the overwhelming Anglo-conformity at all levels of government which affected all immigrants except those from the British Isles. I am happy to say that Charles Wilkins contributed an article about a very important group, Swedish hockey players. There are photos, maps and genealogies, and the appendices list Swedish place names, firsts in Canada, Vasa lodges, and Swedish ambassadors and consuls. Why did you decide to write this book? Because it needed to be written. As a young girl I wondered why so little was taught in schools about countries other than England. Even as an adult I found very few print materials or radio programs about Sweden. Of course my immigrant grandparents and aunts and uncles spoke with a Swedish accent, and I really missed hearing it after the last one passed away. Then in 1987 we held a family reunion and a cousin, Per Ersson, attended from Sweden. It was he who introduced me to
Sweden and to our relatives there. The awesome experience of meeting new cousins piqued my interest, and I turned from researching and writing local history to concentrate on Swedes. As part of a university course I compiled a bibliography of books about Swedes in Canada, which was published in Sweden, in which I stated that it would be unlikely that a history of Swedes in Canada would ever be written. Then one evening I received a phone call from Don Sjoberg, who was unknown to me but who had read my bibliography. He disagreed with my statement and offered to raise funds for such a history if I would write it. I agreed, and this book is the result of our fruitful partnership. Despite many accomplishments, Swedish ethnic consciousness in Canada is low. Why is that? Scholars have put forward too many reasons to list here, but they can all be found in the first chapter of my book. One scholar felt that the desire to assimilate was so strong that immigrants kept their ethnic feelings to themselves. The combined impact of Angloconformity, discrimination during the First World War and the threat of deportation reinforced the need
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Putting Sweden on the map abroad
Swedes
‘... and to the Anglo-conformity discrimination.’
for a low profile. But the tremendous response to my request for memoirs and family histories belies the claim that Swedish ethnic consciousness in Canada is low. My final chapter predicts that current immigrants from Sweden will upset this welldocumented myth. Is Swedish consciousness greater in America? If so, why do you think that is? Swedish consciousness is much greater in the United States for several reasons. Immigration started more than a generation earlier, and immigrants often settled in close proximity, for example in Chicago and in Minnesota. The large number of immigrants, more than a million people, favored the establishment of ethnic educational and religious organizations which in themselves were a source of pride and gave Swedes an opportunity for upward social mobility and for connecting with the old country. In addition, high profile Swedes in industry, literature, politics, movies and in the military allowed immigrants to identify with famous people. Finally, many Swedes took on the characteristics of other Americans in order to boost their own ethnicity.
You were raised in Ontario, Canada, by Swedish parents. Have you held on to your Swedish culture and traditions? Very few Swedish traditions were practiced in my childhood home. Dad would have done so, having been born in Sweden, but my mother was born in Canada. She adopted English customs and traditions before her marriage. She often took me to visit relatives and spoke Swedish to them, but refused to teach me the language. She never cooked Swedish food. Dad cooked his own lutfisk and ate it alone. So it was fantastic to meet Per Ersson at our 1987 family reunion, and with him to experience modern Sweden. In which areas do you feel Sweden contributes most globally? Sweden contributes a great deal to international trade and commerce. Swedish inventors in many fields develop innovative and environmentally friendly products which are manufactured in Sweden and sold throughout the world. How do you think the image of Sweden is changing and developing internationally and particularly in North America? Sweden’s image is becoming increasingly positive with high profile international music groups like ABBA, and contemporary authors like Stieg Larsson. In North America, the conduct of Swedish hockey players has provided a positive image many times since the 1970s.
How do you think Sweden has achieved the success it has despite being such a small country, population-wise? It is my belief that many Swedes are afraid of dying from boredom. That is why the government provides free education, and that is why citizens take full advantage of it. Most Swedes have a very high work ethic, and take pleasure in working together to achieve common goals. What aspects of Swedish culture and life are you personally most passionate about promoting? I am passionate about promoting the Swedish appreciation of nature, healthy outdoor lifestyle, and caring attitude toward others less fortunate. Are there any other current or upcoming projects or events that you would like to mention? It is my fervent hope that my book will be translated into Swedish so that Swedish-speakers will be able to read it in their first language. My website, www.SwedesinCanada.ca, has always been bilingual in both Swedish and English.
Interviewed by Sofie Kinnefors.
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