Arkiv för kategorin ‘Kommande evenemang’

On Friday 21st May UF visited Stockholm to attend two stimulating events at two of the most important development organisations in Sweden.  In the morning we attended sessions on the theme of Millenium Development Goal 8: Creating Global Partnerships at the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) in Stockholm.  We saw a speakers from Bangladesh talk about the possibilities for media organisations around the world to work in partnership to promote positive gender images  – but she stressed this would only happen with global civil society pressure.  We then saw representatives from two Swedish political parties – the centre-right Folkpartiet and the environmentalist Miljopartiet debate Sweden’s role as a provider of aid and development.  Both affirmed commitments to Sweden’s generous aid budget (although the Miljopartiet would like it to increase from 1% to 2% of GNP, the USA, by contrast, gives 0.17%); improving the treatment of asylum seekers in Sweden and pressing other countries to prioritise gender as a political concern.  The fact it is an election year in Sweden means both were clearly trying to curry support amongst those concerned with development at the SIDA session, nevertheless, both representatives provided a refreshingly progressive view on the importance and necessity of rich countries to support those poorer than themselves.
UF then dashed across the city to a glorious historic building in Gamla Stan (which was looking beautiful as the bright sunlight reflected off the old cobblestones and the water that runs through the city) where the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) have their offices.  We had a session introducing us to IDEA’s work assisting democracies around the world from fledgling systems in Sudan to historic democracies in Britain.  We were then shown how IDEA provides support to every stage of the democratic process from elections, to the implementation of policy by elected governments, through to the prevention of conflict that might break out when election promises are perceived to be broken (we all know that feeling).  As well as being involved in democracy projects around the world, IDEA is also an impressive source of data on democracies and elections.  It was an very interesting session that left many of our group determined to go home and check how their country rated on IDEA’s State of Democracy reports…
Mentally stimulated but physically exhausted the UF delegation boarded the train back to Göteborg – thanks to everyone who came on the trip and Johanna for organising everything so well!
//Rosa

On Monday 24th May fourteen eager UF members journeyed to Krossekärr on the island of Orust, Sweden’s third biggest island, which lies 30km to the north of Göteborg.  After travelling on three buses, we arrived at a little wooden sign reading “Utsikten Ekoby” which roughly (and badly) translates as ‘The Outlook Eco-village’.  Wandering up a little path we encountered a cluster of beautiful wooden cottages and Marie, a sixty-something part-time photographer, full-time sustainability radical.  She lead us to the pump house which formed the heart of the village and told us how Utsikten was born nine years ago when a group of peace activists decided to found a sustainable community on the island of Orust that they knew well as the base for ‘Fredsrörelsen på Orust’ an organisation which supports peace campaigners throughout the world.

As the years went by more and more people moved to Utsikten and built themselves sustainable houses.  There are now 17 houses in the village, all built using materials in innovative ways.  One cottage was built using trees chosen for their thickness so, even in the harshest Scandinavian winter, heat remains trapped in the house.  Marie, meanwhile, was building herself a wooden house which used straw coated in clay and mussel shells under the floor as insulation.  She guaranteed us it was fire, wind and big bad wolf-proof.

Marie told us that eco-villages are a growing phenomenon in Europe, with almost 50 in Sweden alone.  She thought the EU was not doing enough to support the efforts of such communities, providing little financial or technical help so Usikten has used the international sustainability movement to help it develop. Over the years it has brought experts from the Christiania commune in Copenhagen and the Findhorn eco-village in Scotland to help with the building, agriculture and water systems whilst many other eco-communes have expressed an interest in working with them, so she had hope for the future of sustainable communities.

With a ring of her iPhone (environmentalists need smartphones too) Marie was called away on other eco-business so ran away down the valley shouting back at us that we must come back next year see how the crops they plan to grow are doing and how her finished house looks ….Join us then if you can!

Thanks to everyone that came on this trip!

For more information on Utsikten Ekoby see: http://www.utsikten-ekoby.se/

//Rosa and Xantippa