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Swedish Press N Y A
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Sweden strives for world peace
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December 2015/January 2016 Vol 86:10 $4.95
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Dag Hammarskjรถld Foundation New IceHotel YouTube star PewDiePie
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God Jul och Gott Nytt År
Skeppsbron at Christmas. Photo: Henrik Trygg/imagebank.sweden.se
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Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $39 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com
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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk 6 6 7
Swedish Headlines Headline News: Swedish fire fighting tactics for refugee crisis News at a Glance Swedes in the News
Business 8 Business News: Nya svenska sedlar och mynt med flera världskändisar 9 Company File: Securitas
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Feature 10 A new era for peace and diplomacy
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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
Interview 12 Henrik Hammargren: Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation Heritage 15 Heritage: Lucia celebrations shine bright
‘Elephant in the Room’ by AnnaSofia Mååg. Photo: ICEHOTEL
29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet Reunion of descendants of Petter and Sara Lena Persson
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CONTENTS ( December 2015 January 2016 )
ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com
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Swedish Press
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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Letters to the Editor God Jul och Gott Nytt År
ät
Britl Crunch äkta svenskt knäckebröd bakat av
Leksandsbröd
Fira Jul och Nyår med
Crispy Cups
from
Walter, Betty, Vicky, Bob and Cheryl Gustafson Gustafson’s Resort Kenora Ontario www.gustafsonsresort.com
Hello Claes I am a first generation Swede living in Alberta. I was born and raised in Manitoba. My mother was born in Sweden and I have visited Sweden 12 times. I had släkt ifran Sverige i sommras and we organized a reunion of 2nd cousins in Port Coquitlam on Oct 4th. There were 24 in attendance. My cousin’s daughter and son are from Sweden and actually did most of the work. They contacted all of these people and made the arrangements. Debbie Hill of Port Coquitlam hosted and we all met there. I had not met most of these people before and it was a great occasion. Lots of reminiscing about aunts and uncles and parents. Our family originated in Västmanland. They came from a small area around Gunnilbo. The actual place is Bockhammar. Several of my relatives including my grandmother worked at Färna Herrgård which is in the immediate area. My greatgrandparents were Petter and Sara Lena Persson. Four of the children immigrated to Canada and the attendees at the reunion all stemmed from these four people. I am in the process of writing an article with pictures from the reunion and wondered if you would like to review it and perhaps consider it for the press. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Walter B Syslak Calgary, Alberta
Editor’s comment: Happy to hear from you! We are pleased to publish your article, already in this issue (page 30). Dear Joan and Claes, Thank you so much for letting me take part in your lovely magazine; it is such a privilege to write to fellow Scandinavians! Having left Sweden 20 years ago, my slumbering “hemlängtan” has been truly awaken by reading your publication! Keep up the great work and tack så mycket igen! Kajsa Kinsella Arklow County Wicklow, Ireland Dear Joan, Thank you for sending the copies of Swedish Press. I really appreciate it. They are very nice. Cordially, Tom Weber Kearns, Utah Hi Joan! Thank you for the digital copy of Swedish Press. The whole issue looks great! The story by Birgitta about Lena and I on a double page spread! Wow! Thank you again for making us look good. And a big thank you to Birgitta as well who made us feel important for 2 hours. . . All the best, Thomas Engström Bangkok, Thailand
GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN Dec 7 Chelsea Dahl, 5 år Dec 10 Alarik Lawrence Rask, 16 år Dec 11 Mila Granberg, 11 år Dec 12 Alec Anders Malhotra, 5 år Dec 12 Cloe Rowell, 16 år Dec 14 Hanna Carson, 15 år Dec 15 Chloe Dahl, 7 år Dec 20 Victor Spentzas, 13 år Dec 22 Ella Karolina Lee Sheppard, 12 år Dec 31 Erika Serhan, 11 år Jan 1 Collin Mueller, 14 år Jan 1 Olivia Mueller, 14 år
God Jul & Gott Nytt År önskar Ellen Boryen
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Jan 2 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 6 Jan 8 Jan 10 Jan 12 Jan 14 Jan 22 Jan 23 Jan 25 Jan 29
Sofia Eaton, 11 år Patrik Nymark, 15 år Justin Horel, 16 år Summer Thornquist, 15 år Sofia Carson, 12 år Linnea Moutray, 13 år Louise Eriksson, 16 år Matthew Dahl, 5 år Linnea Granberg, 13 år Niklas Lofstrand-Davey, 6 år Asia Thornquist, 10 år Keora Alayne Boeve, 16 år
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from the Editor’s Desk
‘May the light of Christmas shine upon you.’ We need your support! Swedish Press strives to create a great magazine for you each issue, but the costs are considerable and everincreasing. So please consider a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on p.29. Tack!
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s the year 2015 comes to a close, there is much to be thankful for. Joan and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our writers, contributors, and advertisers for working with Swedish Press, with a special thank you to our many loyal readers. Our sincere thanks to Ellen Boryen who has been our representative in Manitoba, Canada, for many years. Ellen will be relocating to Sweden and we wish her all the best in her new venture. We are also grateful for the role our country, Sweden, plays in championing peace on the world stage. According to the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency), the number of people displaced by war, conflict or persecution reached a record of nearly 60 million around the world at the end of 2014 . Sweden carries a heavy load of the European migration crisis, with 10,000 asylum-seekers arriving each week, and is quickly running out of space to house them. We are proud that Sweden is continuously finding peaceful solutions to make life better for its citizens as well as for those seeking a new life in Sweden. In light of peace, Lara Anderson’s feature “A new era for peace and diplomacy” on page 10 explores how Sweden has been regarded as a beacon of peace and equality internationally. Swedish Press also spoke to Henrik Hammargren, Executive Director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, about how the foundation continues their mission “to generate new perspectives and ideas on global development and multilateral cooperation for a socially and economically just, environmentally sustainable, democratic and peaceful world in the spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld”. Read the interview by Sofie Kinnefors on page 12. In these challenging times when hostility and violence have captured the attention of the world, let the brilliant light of Christmas shine upon us. To quote Dag Hammarskjöld, “Our work for peace must begin within the private world of each one of us. To build for man a world without fear, we must be without fear.” Let us continue forward with hope and love, and share the true spirit of Christmas with our loved ones, our families, our neighbours and everyone in our community. God Jul och Gott Nytt År!
Claes Fredriksson Editor-in-Chief Claes@Swedishpress.com December 2015
Reminder Please help us make Swedish Press better by answering the 2015 Reader Survey on the inside back cover or online at www.SwedishPress.com.
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Swedish Headlines
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‘We need another system – That is obvious.’ Swedish fire fighting tactics for refugee crisis
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he most challenging refugee situation in modern times is currently under way. Sweden is predicted to receive 170,000 asylum seekers before the end of 2015 with another 100,000-170,000 estimated for 2016. Together these two numbers surpass the population of Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden. Intensive work is in progress to find solutions to the major challenges that are arising, such as registration and housing. An important task for the Swedish Government is to make it easier for public authorities to manage the situation in both the short and long term. As a means to tackle the domestic security risk and to maintain law and order amidst the influx of refugees to Sweden, the Government temporarily reintroduced internal border controls on November 12. It plans to test them for an initial ten-day period before deciding whether or not the controls require extension. The Government has also proposed additional provisions according to the Ship Safety Ordinance. Under the proposal, shipping companies will be required, in certain cases, to conduct identity checks to ensure that the information registered on passenger lists is correct. Sweden joins several other members of the EU’s passportfree Schengen Area who have imposed temporary controls in the rise of the refugee crisis. Austria and Germany put such regulations in place in September and October, with France following lead in the spring.
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News at a Glance
Sweden’s Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, insisted that Sweden was not erecting “a fence” but was seeking to gain control of who enters the country. “If you don’t have good control of who is coming here – what people are actually entering the county – that is a risk,” said Löfven. Apart from border control, extra funding is needed in response to the refugee situation. In an amending budget submitted to the Riksdag on November 12, the Government is proposing an expenditure increase of SEK 11 billion ($1.3 billion US). The main part of this amount consists of temporary support to municipalities and civil society in order to handle the current refugee situation. “These extra funds in the budget for 2015 are primarily the result of the measures that the parties agreed to on 23 October in response to the refugee situation,” says Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson. “These funds will alleviate the work of municipalities and civil society organisations.” The Government proposes that SEK 9.8 billion ($1.1 billion US) is provided as one-off funding to municipalities and county councils, while civil society is to receive SEK 200 million ($23 million US) extra. In addition, the Government proposes that the appropriation for allowances and housing costs for asylum seekers is increased by SEK 961 million due to the increased number of refugees. If the Riksdag adopts the Government’s proposal, the allocated funds are expected to be available in December and can be used to cover increased costs in both 2015 and 2016.
Refugee crisis stresses staff to the limit The current refugee crisis has put the Swedish police and immigration staff under extreme pressure. The Swedish police union recently announced that if extra resources are not provided soon, the police themselves are heading toward a crisis situation. According to Anna Nellberg-Dennis, first vicechairman of the Swedish police union, and chair of Eurocop, the European police union, more officers are needed along with more equipment and education, which has been drastically cutback in recent years. At the same time, under pressure immigration staff at the Swedish Migration Agency in Gothenburg have recently written a letter of protest to the Director General of the Migration Agency, expressing their frustration with the management for not informing them about any changes in the work routines. Instead they have been left with often stressful, chaotic and long hours of work in handling the influx of refugees. Zlatan vs Bendtner in 2016 play-off Sweden scored two quickfire goals on either side of halftime to beat Denmark 2-1 in the first leg of their Euro 2016 play-off encounter on November 14, but Denmark coach Morten Olsen believes his side can overturn the deficit in the return match on Tuesday, November 17. Billed as a Scandinavian clash between rival strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic` and Nicklas Bendtner, the more direct approach of the Swedes paid dividends while the Danes put on a remarkably flat performance until their late goal. Friends Arena in Solna was lit up in blue, white, and red to show solidarity with France following the terror attacks in Paris on November 13. Both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute of silence before the match.
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Swedes in the News
Talented Swedish stars shine bright A Swedish Hollywood star
Alicia Vikander is taking Hollywood by storm. The Swedish actress is starring in three movies due out next year; Tulip Fever, The light between oceans and Bourne 5 with Matt Damon. Vikander was born in Gothenburg in1988. She attended the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm and is a trained ballet dancer. The actress got her breakthrough in Till det som är vackert in 2010. The role earned her a Guldbagge for Best Actress. Vikander achieved international success with her role in the Danish film A Royal Affair in 2012. The popular actress is also starring in Louis Vuitton’s fall/winter collections ad campaign. Guldbollen and a church Zlatan Ibrahimovic` recently won a record 10th Guldbollen (Golden Ball), the award given to the best male footballer in Sweden. The soccer star is well-known for his smooth moves on the playing field, but lately his moves in the real estate
market have been drawing attention. Most recently, Zlatan personally invested 110 million SEK in an old Stockholm church called Elimkyrkan (in Styrmansgatan, Östermalm), according to Swedish newspaper Fastighetsvärlden. The vintage church was built in ` who also 1898. Ibrahimovic, resides in Paris, owns other properties in Sweden. In 2012, he bought land in Åre where a luxurious house is currently being built. He also owns a summer house in the Stockholm archipelago close to Vaxholm. Ibrahimovic` recently sold his house in Malmö for a reported 30 million SEK to National Hockey League star Carl Söderberg.
Paolo’s fighting spirit Paolo Roberto was appointed speaker of the year in 2013 by Talarforum. The elite boxer, author, motivator, entrepreneur, pasta manufacturer and pizza chef is well known for his ‘can do’ positive attitude. Roberto has struggled with exclusion and criminality and knows what adversity
known for his performances in the musicals Kristina från Duvemåla, Evita, Chess and Jesus Christ Superstar. Ekborg’s Christmas Concert tour kicks off on November 19 in Växjö and ends in Stockholm on Dec 20. Please see: andersekborg.nu for more information. and resistance means, but he also has the ability to turn it into something positive. In his new book Paolos Budord (Paolos commandments) Paolo lists 100 commandments that can hopefully change your life for the better. One of his many words of wisdom reads: “Ignore the rules. Do as everyone else and you become as everyone else”.
Christmas with Ekborg Anders Ekborg has brightened Swedish churches, theatres and concert houses with his Christmas concert En Stilla Jul for many years. This year will be no different. The concert, which is based on afterthought, love and compassion, features Anders Ekborg along with a trio of talented musicians on guitar, cello and piano. Ekborg is
Coping with a crisis
Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson. Photo: Kristian Pohl/ Government Offices of Sweden
Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson (S) has gone on record suggesting an increase in savings along with reducing aid and borrowing money to cope with the ongoing refugee crisis. Several economists are critical of the measures proposed by Andersson. They would rather see other solutions, such as a new property tax. Andersson quickly responded by saying that Swedish people would not support the new property tax. The debate is ongoing as Sweden and Europe in general seek ways to cope with the added influx of war refugees from the Middle East.
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[Business] News Sagan om hur en Garbo blir två Taube Nya svenska sedlar och mynt med flera världskändisar Av Henric Borgström
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en tid när kontanterna minskar kraftigt lanserar Sveriges Riksbank en rad nya sedlar tryckta på Tumba pappersbruk söder om Stockholm, ägare amerikanska Crane. Dock är det bomullsmaterial istället för papper. Därefter sprids tre nya mynt, en-, tvåoch fem-kronor, präglade vid Myntverket i Finland. Endast den gula lilla tiokronan behålls oförändrad. De nya sedlarna blir svårare att förfalska. Visserligen förekommer numera ganska få förfalskningar. När det sker, oftast i barer och i taxi där det kvällstid är mörkt, är det vanligen enkla kopior på papper ur kopieringsmaskiner. Under förra året hittades dock totalt endast 250 förfalskade sedlar, en liten andel av de totalt över 300 miljoner sedlar som är i omlopp. Utvecklingen av säkerheten har gått snabbt under 2000-talet. För femton år sedan hittades ofta förfalskade sedlar i bensinautomater och liknande. Huvudorsaken till att både sedlar och mynt byts ut är just att sedlarna inte motsvarar dagens krav på säkerhet. 5-kronan anses vara för stor och tung, dessutom innehåller den nickel som kan framkalla allergi. Ett mått på hur snabbt kontanter har minskat i förhållande till den ekonomiska aktivititeten i landet är att 1990 hade Sverige nästan 10 procent av BNP i sedlar och kontanter, nu är andelen cirka 2 procent. Toppåret 2007 cirkulerade 109 miljarder kronor, nu knappt 78 miljarder.
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Det är naturligtvis kort, betalningsappar och andra digitala öveföringar via bank och postgiro som medfört minskningen av kontanter. Kort är överlägset vanligast, numera även vid mindre summor som under 100 kronor (drygt 11 dollar). Banköverföringar sker mestadels vid betalning av fakturor, hyror och andra räkningar. Betalningsappen Swish ökar snabbt för de minsta betalningarna. Endast vid torghandel dominerar kontanter stort. Nu tas succesivt cirka 335 miljoner sedlar och 1,9 miljarder mynt ur bruk och ersätts med nya. Sedlarna makuleras i Riksbankens lokaler och bränns därefter i värmeverk. Mynten smälts ned och säljs i lagom portioner på metallmarknaden så att de inte stör den vanliga prissättningen. Från 1 oktober började de nya sedlarna levereras, nya mynten kommer först i oktober nästa år. Rimligen är det en välkommen beställningen för Myntverket i Finland som dragits med förluster de senaste åren. För övrigt har Sverige i historisk tid också hämtat nya mynt från dåvarande östra rikshalvan Finland. Under åren 1523-57 präglades i Åbo 1, 2, 8 och 16 öre samt en halv mark, bland annat för att finansiera Stora ryska kriget 155457 som slutade med freden i Novgorod. En handfull av Sveriges tidigare världskändisar pryder de nya sedlarna tillsammans med olika landskapsblommor, FN:s generalsekreterare Dag Hammarskjöld (1000 kr), opera-
sångerskan Birgit Nilsson (500 kr), film- och teaterregissören Ingmar Bergman (200 kr), skådespelerskan Greta Garbo (100 kr) och författarinnan Astrid Lindgren (20 kr) samt trubaduren Evert Taube (50 kr) som väl är mest känd i de nordiska länderna. Sveriges Riksbank har möjligen fått en viss goodwill genom uppmärksamheten kring de nya sedlarna. Det kan behövas sedan den under flera år haft dålig träffsäkerhet i prognoserna för inflation och tillväxt, senast när den nyligen såg sig tvingad att införa minusränta och kort därefter öka på minuset sedan åtgärden inte visat någon påtaglig effekt. Riksbankens huvudmål är 2 procents årlig inflation. Men under en femårsperiod när priserna därmed borde ha stigit med ca 10 procent har de endast ökat med ca 4 procent, tidvis med deflation. Med stolthet räknar sig Riksbanken annars som världens äldsta centralbank, grundad 1668. Därför kan det tyckas märkligt att den sålt sedeltillverkningen till amerikanska Crane, som dock behållt tillverkningen vid pappersbruket i Tumba. Värre gick det vid försäljnigen av myntslageriet i Eskilstuna som 2001 såldes till finländska statliga Rahapaja Oy. Från 2008 flyttades viss tillverkning av svenska mynt och medaljer till Vanda. Det blev snabbt lätt komiskt när 200årsminnet av Sveriges förlust av Finland till Ryssland firades 2009 med utgivandet av ett särskilt jubileumsmynt tillverkat i Finland. Och 2011 stängdes tillverkningen i Eskilstuna för gott. Artikeln publiceras i finlandssvenska Forum för Ekonomi och Teknik i Helsingfors. Foto: Sveriges Riksbank
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Company File
Another way of upholding peace (of mind)
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he founder of Securitas, Erik Philip-Sørensen, established the company in southern Sweden in 1934 when he bought Hälsingborgs Nattvakt, a small guarding company with three guards and a contract portfolio of SEK 534 per month. The company quickly grew organically and through acquisitions of smaller, regional companies. In 1972, the Group adopted the name Securitas and established its logotype with the three red dots. After almost 50 years in the hands of the PhilipSørensen family, the company was sold and in 1991, Securitas was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. International expansion started cautiously in the late 1980s and increased rapidly from the mid-1990s, with Europe as the primary market. The company entered North America in 1999, followed by Latin America in 2000. In 2007, the first steps were taken in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Today the group is based in Stockholm and has more than 300,000 employees in over 60 countries worldwide. Securitas serves a wide range of customers in a variety of industries and customer segments. Customers vary in size from the ‘shop on the corner’ to global multibillion industries. The service offering categories are specialized guarding and mobile services, monitoring, technical solutions and consulting and investigations. Securitas provides tailored solutions based on customer-specific needs.
Securitas is divided into three main business segments, “Security Services North America,” “Security Services Europe,” and “Security Services Ibero-America.” Operations outside of the Americas and Europe are reported in a separate category called “Other,” which also includes central expenses.
In general, the group operates under the brand Securitas for all business segments. Specialized services including due diligence, background checks, security assessments, brand protection, intellectual property protection, executive protection, investigations, cyber surveillance, computer forensics, social compliance and IT security are performed worldwide under the brand “Pinkerton.” These operations are reported as part of the North American business segment. The Swiss market is an exception, in that general security services are provided under the brand Protectas. Securitas emphasizes the importance of values to the corporation. The fundamental values are defined as “Integrity, Vigilance and Helpfulness.” The organized use of values for managing the group began in 1958, when a number of workshop meetings with employees took place. One of the aims was to reach consensus on the everyday implications of integrity, vigilance and helpfulness, which were by then already established as corporate keywords. The result was the document “Basic Values for Guards” (Handlingsnorm för väktare), a list of 20 theses describing how a security guard should act, which over the years has evolved into the group’s current basic values for employees guide. Photo credit: Securitas/www.securitas.com
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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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December 2015/January 2016 11
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HENRIK HAMMARGREN
Henrik Hammargren Henrik Hammargren, Executive Director for the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, has an impressive background in international development cooperation. Hammargren has served as manager, policy analyst and advisor for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), as well as advisor at the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). Swedish Press sat down for a chat with the peace actor to discuss peace programs, armed conflicts and the power of the mind.
Interview by Sofie Kinnefors
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December 2015/January 2016 12
Please tell us about the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. Two days after the tragic crash at Ndola when Dag Hammarskjöld and 15 others lost their lives, an informal meeting was held at the highest level in the Swedish government discussing different ways in which Dag Hammarskjöld’s contributions to international politics and development could be acknowledged and remembered. Six months later, in March 1962, The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation was officially formed. The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation is an independent foundation. We have our headquarters at the Dag Hammarskjöld Centre
(Geijersgården) in Uppsala, Sweden. It serves as a unique venue for informal gatherings where difficult issues can be debated and discussed. The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation also operates with a liaison office in New York for engagement with UN and other partners. Our mission is to catalyze dialogue and action for a socially and economically just, environmentally sustainable, democratic and peaceful world. In the spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld we aim to generate new perspectives and ideas on global development and multilateral cooperation. What projects is the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation currently working on? The work of the Foundation is centered on five different program areas. 1. UN Renewal. Through this program we work directly with the UN on the ECOSOC process with the aim to deliver a set of recommendations to the UN management on how to realize the renewal of the development system. 2. Building Peace. The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation is working closely with the UN Peace Building Support Office in the Review of the UN Peace Building Architecture. This workstream also focuses on the importance of Inclusion in Peace Processes. Ensuring participation of women, youth, marginalized groups, and the
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R F O R T H E D A G H A M M A R S K J Ö L D F O U N D AT I O N private sector. (From this perspective, we were pleased that the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia.) 3. A third program is related to the new International Development Agenda; The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a specific focus on sustainability and the new goal on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This goal provides a unique opportunity for the UN to re-define its role, actions and instruments for building and sustaining peace. 4. The fourth program focuses on Global Disorders; in this work-stream we focus on converging global challenges that require new approaches to international cooperation and multilateral governance, issues such as Antibiotic resistance and defense of International Humanitarian Law. 5. The fifth and final program is focusing entirely on the legacy of Hammarskjöld. Activities include the Annual Lecture held here in Uppsala and seminars reflecting on Hammarskjöld’s vision, mission and achievements. We are also developing work together with the UN on how to strengthen the integrity of the international civil servant (including the so-called whistleblowers) an issue that Hammarskjöld insisted on in his management of the UN secretariat. Which are the biggest challenges the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundations are facing? Our work intends to reflect specific challenges (but also opportunities) related to international development efforts. One main challenge is the new and negative trend in relation to armed conflicts – an increase in armed conflicts and with changing dynamics.
Armed conflicts are increasingly complex with regional and international implications and involvement. Furthermore, the conflicts include changing characteristics with religious radicalization and violent extremism. International response to both this new landscape of armed conflicts and its consequences is stretched to an extreme and the UN is not capable of upholding and implementing the UN Charter. Despite achievements, poverty and inequality remain at unacceptable levels. Our world today is more interconnected than ever before – in challenges and in development. It is in this volatile environment that the Foundation derives guidance from Dag Hammarskjöld’s efforts “to create peace and goodwill among nations and men” for which he was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time developments also hold opportunities; The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goal on peace, justice and strong institutions (Goal 16) provide a unique opportunity for the UN to re-define its role, actions and instruments for building and sustaining peace. The UN and member states should seize this opportunity to move forward. To be relevant, the UN must have and apply the right instruments and the Foundation is working in close collaboration with the UN Peace Building Support Office in a review of UN’s capacities to sustain peace. What can we as individuals do to help address today’s complex global challenges? It is said that there are two kinds of fools – those who think it’s impossible to try to change the world and those that consider it possible – I personally prefer the latter category.
From experience I know it is possible to work and contribute to a positive development. Everyone has a role to play; all actions matter and these can take many forms. A key to all engagement is awareness. There are so many issues and levels where people can get engaged; local, regional and international. Activities may be in the form of humanitarian work, social work and work against polarization and for cultural understanding. Other ways of engagement can be in assisting in fundraising and by directly engaging in local, regional and international organizations. Besides Dag Hammarskjöld, who inspires you in your work? Individuals determined to make a change; all persons working in humanitarian organizations and contexts that realize that something must be done and that we all have a role to play. It is important to remember that in crisis situations it’s often local capacities, individuals, who play the most important roles and whom take on the most difficult tasks. Which is your favorite Dag Hammarskjöld quote? There are many quotes that I turn to both in terms of providing examples for our work and for inspiration. This is one of my favorites: “The pursuit of Peace and Progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks can never be relaxed and never abandoned.”
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December 2015/January 2016 13
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December 2015/January 2016 14
H E RI TAG E
‘Natten går tunga fjät...’ Lucia celebrations shine bright By Sofie Kinnefors
D
uring a bitter cold, wet and snowy Nordic winter we welcome a festive celebration that lights up the dark. The very popular event of Saint Lucia is celebrated in many Swedish homes on December 13. By tradition, Lucia, her terns (tärnor), star boys (stjärngossar), elves (tomtar) and chimney sweepers (sotare) will be performing traditional Lucia and Christmas songs and poems throughout the country. For example, celebrations will occur in Nyloftet, Seglora Church and Ordenshuset Brofästet at the open-air museum Skansen on Djurgården, Stockholm during November and December 2015. The celebration of Lucia has been recognized at Skansen since 1893. This year is no different. Stockholm-based chamber choir Cantare and Skansen’s restaurants will be honouring Lucia as done in the mid 1900s with a rich and colourful performance at Nyloftet December 12 and 13. The performance is described as variegated
Lucia at Skansen. © The German Wanderer
and as something close to what it would have looked like when the youth sang for friends and family in the Swedish farms where they resided. A ticket for this Lucia celebration includes a bowl of porridge, coffee, a saffron bun and some ginger bread cookies. Skansen will also be hosting old fashion Lucia performances featuring traditional songs and hymns by different choirs in its beautiful Seglora church, built in Västergötland in 1729-30. The festivities start on November 28 with a performance by Uppsala Cathedrals Youth Choir under the direction of Margareta Raab. That performance also features song and chant ( jojk)
by Swedish – Saami artist Cariola Rosdotter Eriksson. Atmospheric Advent concerts will be held on November 29, December 5 and 6 featuring Skansen’s Choir, Stockholm’s Boys’ Choir and music by other singers and musicians. A Lucia concert by the allfemale choir SALT will be held on December 12. Tekniska Högskolans Student Choir is performing on December 13 and on December 19 another Advent concert is being held by the Catholic Cathedral in Stockhlom’s children and youth choir Pueri Cantantes Cathedralis Choir under the direction of Elisabeth von Waldstein. Last but not least, Stockholm-based adult choir Stockholms Singers will be giving an advent concert on December 20. Skansen is also hosting a Lucia celebration in Ordenshuset Brofästet, a house built in Tierp, Uppland in 1895. Children from the Spektrum Choir portray what a Lucia celebration might have looked like in the 1920s. Atmospheric music, mulled wine (glögg) and gingerbread cookies guaranteed! For tickets and opening hours please see: www. skansen.se Glad Lucia!
Lucia and her terns at Skansen. Photo: Ola Högberg
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December 2015/January 2016 15
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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December 2015/January 2016 16
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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December 2015/January 2016 17
[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
1
55 300
Swedes now rank as the best English speaking country in the world outside countries having English as their first language, according to Swedish language company EF. In a language test with more than 900,000 adults in 70 countries Sweden had the best result – ahead of the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Last year, Sweden ranked as the third best nation. Europe dominates the top of the list, while countries in the Middle East and North Africa are at the bottom. The report also shows that women are generally better than men in English.
Help turn the trend around! Sweden is importing an increasing amount of dairy products. In 2005 Sweden imported 32,900 tons of milk and cream and in 2014 the number has risen to an astonishing 55,300 tons. In 2005 Sweden also imported 58,400 tons of cheese compared to 125,500 tons in 2014. The import of fermented products like yogurt has increased from 48,300 tons in 2005 to 106,400 tons in 2014. The statistics are from The Swedish Agriculture Department.
4 962 000
Norway ranked number one, for the seventh consecutive time, on The Legatum Institutes annual list over the world’s most prosperous countries. Sweden climbed one place from last year and ranked fifth thanks to its continuing thriving business environment. Denmark
Good news! Employment has increased in Sweden. If one compares the first quarter to the second quarter the number of employed aged 15-74 years old has increased by 99 000 to 4 962,000. All counties except for Södermanland and Jönköping have had an increase. Stockholm County has seen an increase in employment from 1,156,400 in the first quarter to 1,171,100 in the second quarter. Source: SCB.
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December 2015/January 2016 18
5
ranks number three. The ranking, which includes 142 countries, is based on a number of factors such as personal freedom, political governance, entrepreneurship, health, education, security, economy, and how satisfied residents are with the authorities.
2.7 The British-Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca is offering an impressive $2.7 billion for American biotech company ZS Pharma. ZS Pharma has approximately 200 employees in California, Texas and Colorado and will according to plans become an affiliated company to Astra Zeneca. The Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion has also showed interest in ZS Pharma, but ZS Pharma’s Board of Directors has unanimously agreed to Astra Zeneca’s bid. ZS Pharma is expected to contribute to AstraZeneca’s sales starting next year.
1939 Swedish Criminologist Leif GW Persson continues to push for the police to establish a statue of Persson’s world-famous predecessor Harry Söderman. Harry Söderman, aka “Revolver Harry” was a Swedish engineer officer and forensic scientist. He was also President of SKA, the National Forensic Institute, between 1939 and 1953 and was involved in establishing a Norwegian police force in Sweden during World War II. Persson added that he would be willing to donate some money for the establishment of the statue.
4 What better way to celebrate the New Year than with a festive concert in one of Sweden’s concert houses by the world famous Schönbrunn Slottsfilharmoniker from Vienna! The ensemble from the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria will tour Scandinavia with a holiday repetoire of classical Vienna Music. The ensemble kicks off their tour on January 4, 2016 in Jönköping and then stops in Växjö, Malmö, Helsingborg, Göteborg, Stockholm and Västerås.
[Lifestyle] YouTube Swedish YouTube star gets new Youtube series By Julia Dang
Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, is teaming up with “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment for a new YouTube series called “Scare PewDiePie”. The video game-inspired series is set to premiere in YouTube’s upcoming pay service, Youtube Red in early 2016.
T
he 26-year-old Swede Felix Kjellberg is the king of Youtube, known for making popular video blogs and “Let’s Play” videos where he narrates through gameplay. Kjellberg’s first book, a collection of faux-inspirational sayings called “This Book Loves You”, was recently released in the U.S. by Razorbill. His company, Pewdie Productions, earned more than $7 million in 2014 and his YouTube channel is the most popular channel on the site. His fanbase “The Bro Army” consists of more than 40 million “bros” and his channel has over 10 billion video views. Through his influence, he has raised a significant amount of money for different
Felix Kjellberg. Photo credit: YouTube
charities. Kjellberg is now set to play a major role in YouTube’s new ad-free subscription service, YouTube Red, with the exclusive reality series called “Scare PewDiePie”. “Scare PewDiePie” is described as a reality-adventure show which takes Kjellberg “through terrifying real-life situations inspired by his favorite video games.” The series revolves around Kjellberg and how he is struggling with different scary real life situations based on diverse horror games that he has tested over the years. “I think what my fans are really gonna’ like about the show is taking what I already do, you know, getting scared of horror games, but to the next level,” Kjellberg said in the teaser video. The YouTube Red Original Series with PewDiePie is produced by Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios. The show “Scare PewDiePie” promises a completely
authentic experience as Kjellberg goes into every episode without knowing what he’s in for. The series will only be available to paying YouTube customers. The service was introduced in the U.S. on October 28th, and will gradually be launched in the rest of the world. The service also includes programs from major media companies like 21st Century Fox, NBC Universal and Time Warner.
Scare PewDiePie. Photo credit: YouTube
With the help of Pewdiepie and other youtubers such as Joey Graceffa, Lily Singh, Toby Turner and Matpat, Youtube is set to challenge Netflix, Spotify and HBO with their new series. Youtube Red will cost $9.99 a month which corresponds to approximately 83 SEK. The series will be released in 2016. See the preview of the upcoming “Scare PewDiePie”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6oX7zAjMsE
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December 2015/January 2016 19
Hemma hos
Time, love, and tears – the 26th ICEHOTEL By Kristi Robinson
E
very winter artists and designers from all over travel to Jukkasjärvi to make their vision for the ICEHOTEL real. Coming from a wide range of creative disciplines, some are seasoned veterans, for some this is their first experience sculpting, and some have never even seen snow before. Selected from over 130 applicants this year, the chosen artists journeyed to the ice hotel in late November for two weeks to create one of the 19 art suites at the ICEHOTEL for its mid December opening. Their medium is ice and snow from the Torne river, one of Europe’s last wild and untouched rivers, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. The rooms are the canvases and the guidelines are simple; the artists can work with ice and ‘snice’ (hard snow), no other materials are allowed, and crazy, innovative, creative, beautiful ideas are encouraged.
[Design]
high elephant overlooks the bed of ice. AnnaSofia finds the ephemeral nature of ice liberating and is excited to see the sculptures just melt away.
‘The Flying Buttress’ by AnnaKatrin Kraus & Hans Aescht
Inspired by the ICEHOTEL’s iconic ceiling arch, Berlin-based, American-born ceramics artist AnnaKatrin Kraus and her German contemporary Hans Aescht created ‘The Flying Buttress’ Room. The 21’x15’ room, the standard size of all the art suites, is filled with a forest of Gothic-like ice pillars, transforming it into an intimate ice cave.
‘Live Your Time’ by Jose Carlos Cabello Millán & Javier Alvaro Colombo Matassa
‘Elephant in the Room’ by AnnaSofia Mååg
Swedish ceramic sculptor AnnaSofia Mååg has designed a number of art suites and ice sculptures in the hotel over the years and has returned again to create another art suite. Named ‘Elephant in the Room’, a grand three-meter
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December 2015/January 2016 20
Nicolas Triboulot was a guest at the ICEHOTEL, together with graphic designer Cédric Alizard a vision finally realized. The concept for the suite was sparked by Triboulot’s favourite material, crystal and the shimmering, pure characteristics it shares with ice.
Expressing his flair for love and life in abstract sculptures is a common theme in the work of returning artist Jose Carlos Cabello Millán from Spain. Together with Javier Alvaro Colombo Matassa from Argentina they explored the concept of time with their ‘Live Your Time’ suite. The ‘Eye Suite’ is a dream fulfilled 13 years after French artist
‘Eye Suite’ by Nicolas Triboulot & Cédric Alizard
Other cool art suite designs at the 26th incarnation of the ICEHOTEL are Italian Luca Roncoroni’s ‘Counting Sheep’ suite with his literal interpretation, easing guests to slumber in their sub-zero surroundings. Petri Tuominen and Gaby Bulin’s ‘Don’t Say Don’t Cry’ suite is a room based on tears, not just sad ones, also tears of happiness and relief. Clara Lindencrona and Kristin Borg’s ‘The Labyrinth Saga’ is a room straight out of an 18th century Russian Palace. German duo Sebastian Scheller and Kristina Möckel have created ‘The Power of Love’, a room with enormous ice pipes and a love barometer that captures the energy in the room. Also on the theme of love, is the ‘Love Capsule’ by Luc Voisin and Mathieu Brison of France who make use of iconic 1970’s fashion, design, and disco, for what they refer to it as ‘one groovy sleeping experience’. All photos © ICEHOTEL
Hemma hos
M
y family and I have always had a little “love affair” with California. My grandparents have lived in Santa Barbara and later San Diego since the early 1980s and whenever my parents, Torsten and Susanna, had saved up enough money, they, my brother Filip and I would catch a plane to Santa Barbara. I remember thinking how wonderful it felt coming to California; the warm weather, the beautiful beaches and the many flavors of ice cream to choose from! I was born in Linköping, Sweden. At the age of 14 my family moved to Hässelby, west of Stockholm. I attended Kungsholmen’s International Gymnasium, where all classes were taught in English. After graduating, I left for San Diego, California. I attended CSULB (California State University, Long Beach), where I earned a BA degree in Journalism. Today I work as an international freelance journalist. I was commissioned by Swedish Press in September of 2015 and regularly contribute to the magazine. I am delighted to be part of a Swedish/American/Canadian magazine and enjoy spreading knowledge about Sweden. I am also excited about the coming of the holiday season and cannot wait to start decorating, crafting (pyssla), cooking, baking
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Treats
à la Sofie
and hunting for little gifts for loved ones near and far. My father still resides in Sweden, but visits San Diego every Christmas. He is the great cook of the family and loves to spend time in the kitchen. My father is the one doing the Christmas cooking; meatballs, home-made liver pâté, Jansson’s temptation, red beet salad and wortflavored rye bread (vörtbröd) graces our table every year. I’m in charge of the sweets. I probably bake at least once a week; everything from pound
cakes (sockerkakor) to princess tortes (prinsesstårtor). Apart from freelancing, my mother and I own an in-home care agency in San Diego North County called Age Advantage Senior Care Services. Our clients are seniors and people recovering from illness and treatment. Some of our clients have a Scandinavian background. When visiting, I always bring a copy of Swedish Press so that they can keep up-to-date with the old country! By Sofie Kinnefors
Honungskaka Ingredients: • 2/3 cup (1 ½ dl) honey • 4 eggs • 1/3 cup (1 dl) sugar • 2 tsp ground ginger • 1 tsp ground allspice • 2 tsp ground bitter orange peel or grated orange peel • 1 ¾ cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
Honey cake with allspice METHOD Butter a cake pan 1 ½ qt (1 ½ l) and dust with flour. Warm honey to liquid form. Beat egg and sugar until fluffy and light in color. Add spices, honey and last of all the flour. Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 30-40 minutes. Remove from pan, cover and let stand overnight. Cut into slices and serve with soft butter.
Konjakskransar Ingredients: • 2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour • 7 oz (200 g) butter • 2-3 tbsp cognac • 1/3 cup (3/4 dl) sugar
Cognac wreaths METHOD (Makes 50) Cut the butter into the flour directly on the board. Sprinkle with cognac and sugar. Knead well. Let stand in a cool place, preferably overnight. Roll out the dough in 8 ins. strips the thickness and length of a pencil. Fold in half and twist. Form wreaths and pinch ends together. Place on a buttered cookie sheet and bake at 350-400 °F (175-200°C) for about 10 minutes. Enjoy! Recipes from Swedish Delights by the Lilla Sällskapet.
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[
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lär dig Svenska
Därför att och För att GREAT VIEWS
HAPPY HOUR
FUN
FACILITY RENTALS DID WE MENTION
THE GREAT
VIEWS
Hej alla! A while ago I got a question on Faceook: “Here’s a doozy: so many ways to say “because”. Can you give examples of the difference in kinds of sentences that determine whether you use “för att” eller “eftersom” eller “för”? I’m going to do my best to straighten out these words for you. Därför att ”Därför att” is simply a subordinating conjunction that answers the question “why?” Let’s take a look at an example of how to use “därför att”: Anders stannade hemma från jobbet därför att han inte mådde bra. Anders stayed home because he didn’t feel well. Eftersom
JOIN US! Fridays: lunch and dinner Wednesday evenings: “Lilla Fredag”
The Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle 206.283.1090 www.swedishclubnw.org Visit us on Facebook
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December 2015/January 2016 22
“Eftersom” is also a conjunction that we can use when answering the question “why?” It has the same function and use as “därför att”, although “eftersom” can be placed in the beginning of the sentence, when we choose to put the subordinate clause first. “Eftersom” is sometimes translated to “since”. Here is one example of “eftersom”: Anders stannade hemma från jobbet eftersom han inte mådde bra. Anders stayed home since he didn’t feel well. We might also begin with “eftersom” and have the following word order: Eftersom Anders inte mådde bra stannade han hemma från jobbet. Since Anders didn’t feel well, he stayed home. “Därför att”, on the other hand, cannot be put in the beginning of a sentence. If you want to begin your
sentence with “because”, you have to choose “eftersom” instead of “därför att”. För “För” is a conjunction that links two independent clauses (“huvudsatser” in Swedish). “För” is synonymous with “därför att” and “eftersom” but can only connect independent clauses. Here’s an example: Peter stannade hemma, för han var sjuk. It doesn’t look much different when we don’t have a sentence adverb (inte, aldrig, alltid, kanske etc). Let me throw in a sentence adverb and you’ll see the difference in the sentence construction. With “för”: Peter stannade hemma, för han mådde inte bra. With “därför att”: Peter stannade hemma därför att/eftersom han inte mådde bra. För att “För att” is another conjunction starting a subordinate clause (“bisats” in Swedish) when you want to express “in order to” or “with the intention to”. Here are a couple of examples that hopefully will illustrate what I mean: Jag steg upp tidigt i morse för att jag skulle komma i tid till arbetet. I got up early this morning so that I would come to work on time. Göran tog på sig mössa och handskar för att han inte skulle frysa. I put on a hat and gloves so I wouldn’t be cold. Have fun learning Swedish, and don’t forget to send your questions to sara@theswedishteacher.com! Sara The Swedish Teacher www.theswedishteacher.com
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Nu lanseras stödknapp för romer i Malmö – EU-migranter och aktivister har övernattat utanför Stadshuset sedan Sorgenfrilägret tömdes den 3 november. Uppåt 200 personer, de flesta romer från Rumänien och Bulgarien, bodde på ödetomten i Sorgenfri. Bara ett fåtal nappade på erbjudandet om bussbiljetter tillbaka till hemlandet. Protesterna utanför Stadshuset fortsätter. Nu lanseras en stödknapp. Kön till knapparna ringlar lång vid gångtunneln. 20-åriga Isaura Diamant får en namnbricka och 30 gratisknappar. Vinsten – 20 kronor per knapp – hoppas hon kunna skicka hem till familjen i Rumänien där fem personer delar en etta. – Det känns tryggare att sälja en knapp än att sitta på gatan och tigga, säger Isaura Diamant. Hon har varit i Sverige från och till i två år och menar att situationen på gatan förändrats efter tömningen av lägret. Fler knuffar, folk som ropar “Go home” och färre som ger pengar. En man på cykel stannar till vid de affischerande volontärerna och skriker att det är galenskap vad de håller på med och att SD kommer ta över landet. Två förbipasserande Malmöbor köper varsin knapp som de genast fäster på sina jackor. – Det är förfärligt att polisen tar ifrån dem madrasser. Skammen blir ju inte mindre, säger Monica Larsson. – Kommunen måste ju kunna ordna en plats där de kan vara, säger väninnan Viveka Rasmusson. Det anser också Johanna Nilsson, engagerad i Nätverket för romers
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rättigheter, som fördelar knapparna under torsdagen. Nätverket har bett om ett möte med kommunstyrelsen ordförande Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh för att diskutera ett förslag till alternativ boplats – ”Roma Village” – ett boende byggt i återvunnet material med plats för 174 personer. Artikeln publiceras i Sydsvenska
bland annat instruktör och tillbringar det mesta av sin lediga tid på ridskolan. – Vi har som slogan ”Tillsammans är vi ORK”. Vi vill att alla ska kunna vara här och känna att man är en del i gemenskapen, säger hon. Den 25 november åker representanter för klubben till Stockholm för att ta emot priset – ett utbildningsstipendium på 40 000 kronor – under Ryttargalan på Berns. Artikeln publiceras i SVT
SMÅLAND Årets ridskola finns i Oskarshamn – ”En ridskola för alla” menar Svenska ridsportförbundet och utser därför Oskarshamns ridklubb till Årets ridskola 2015. Fikarummet på Oskarshamns ridklubb är fullt med blommor och gratulationshälsningar med anledning av den prestigefyllda utmärkelsen. – Jag tycker att det är helt fantastiskt roligt. Det är väldigt stort för oss, säger verksamhetsledaren Madeleine Dunsäter. Hon tror att det är föreningens bredd som ligger bakom framgången. – Vi är duktiga på att se till att det finns något för alla, säger hon och räknar upp den ena ridsportgrenen efter den andra. I motiveringen till utnämningen talas det om gemenskap och kompisanda, något som Caroline Stjernberg instämmer i. Hon har ridit i klubben sedan hon var liten och är nu själv 18
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ÖSTERGÖTLAND Närmare 1 000 pensionärer i Norrköping kan ha rätt till höjt bostadsbidrag – Totalt i länet är det 3 500 som har rätt till höjt bostadsbidrag. Det visar en genomgång som Pensionsmyndigheten gjort. Den vanligaste orsaken till att pensionärerna får för lite i bostadstillägg är oanmälda hyreshöjningar. Pensionsmyndigheten uppmanar nu pensionärerna att kontrollera att de anmält rätt hyra. De som är berörda är de som har bostadstillägg idag men som inte anmält någon förändring av hyran. Bostadstillägget är ett skattefritt tillägg för pensionärer med lågpension och är inkomstprövat. Högsta ersättning som betalas ut är 95 procent av bostadskostnaden upp till 5 000 kronor plus ett tillägg på 340 kronor. Artikeln publiceras i Norrköpings Tidningar
STOCKHOLM Nu öppnas Astrid Lindgrens hem – Den 14 november slår man upp portarna till Astrid Lindgrens lägenhet på Dalagatan 46 i Stockholm. Platsen där hon bodde från 1941 fram till sin död 2002 blir muséum. 30
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LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN
GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTERBOTTEN
JÄMTLAND
HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND UPPLAND VÄSTMANLAND Stockholm VÄRMLAND SÖDERMANNÄRKE LAND DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE
GOTLAND ÖLAND
BLEKINGE
Malmö
14 november 2015 skulle ha blivit hennes 108:e födelsedag och dagen firas nu med att hennes hem på Dalagatan 46 blir muséum. Efter tio års kamp och förberedelser öppnas nu Astrid Lindgrens hem för allmänheten. Lägenheten har stått orörd nästan exakt som Astrid Lindgren lämnade den när hon dog 2002. Bostaden kommer att vara ett öppet författarhem med regelbundna visningar för allmänheten. Det blir bara förbokade visningar för små grupper, max 12 personer, med en åldersgräns på 15 år. Artikeln publiceras i SVT
Läkare visar de asylsökande sitt stöd – En grupp läkare i Region Gävleborg ville visa sitt stöd under flyktingvågen, eftersom de också varit med om att fly sina hemländer. ”Vi har också flytt och vi förstår vad ni går igenom” är budskapet. Enbart på Gävle sjukhus finns det 70 läkare som själva flytt – det är cirka tio procent av alla läkare i regionen, uppger Anita Eshragi som är läkare på hudmottagningen i Gävle. Det var hon som tog initiativet och mejlade till sina kollegor som själva kommit till Sverige genom att fly sina länder. Uppslutningen blev större än vad hon hade hoppats på, rapporterar Region Gävleborg på sin hemsida. – Det känns fantastiskt att vi är så många som delar det här och vågar visa vad vi har varit med om, säger Anita Eshragi enligt hemsidan. Anita Eshragi kom själv sju år gammal till Sverige från Iran, tillsammans med sin mamma och tre syskon. Hon kom att bo i Örnsköldsvik och hon menar att det varma välkomnandet och stödet från hemstaden har bidragit till att ta henne dit där hon är i dag. Anita har stor nytta av det språk hon har med sig från Iran. Läkarna vill med sitt engagemang inte ta ställning politiskt, utan främst visa sitt stöd för flyktingar som kommer till Sverige i dag. De vill visa på att mångfald är en styrka och att det bidrar positivt. Och de vill visa att det går att få en bra framtid och ett bra arbete i Sverige – de vill ge de nyanlända framtidstro. Utöver läkarna i Gävle tog även läkarkollegor i Hudiksvall chansen att samlas för en gruppbild som visas på Region Gävleborgs hemsida.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS Stephen Anderson, Anne V. Axelson, Christine Beckstrom, Inga-Lill Dose, Stina Ferguson, Karin M. Hayes, Nellie Hohnsen, Lennart Holmberg, Uno Kasperson, Victor Kayfetz, Sören Linder, Jan-Olof Löfstrand, Torborg Lundell, Garry D. Meyers, Anne Reay, Walter E. Roland, Margot Rose, Katherine Ross and Eris Skatch. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Sarah Aley, Lara Andersson, Märit Beckeman, Barbro Bond, Henric Borgström, Jeanette K. Briggs, Karolina Bång, Marian Clover, Torbjörn Dalnäs, Julia Dang, Malin Dunfors, Alisha Fredriksson, Annika Fredrikson, Anton Fredriksson, Tom Freeman, Sara Hörberg, Sthig Jonasson, Sofie Kinnefors, Kajsa Kinsella, Emma Klint, Birgitta Lauren, Karin Casimir Lindholm, Joe Maclay, Tatty Maclay, Lisa Mikulski, Ingvill Montgomery, Monika Nordqvist, Lars Nordström, Christer Olin, Ulf Persson, Kristi Robinson, Veronika Skärlund, Charles Style, Kjell Vowles and Tom Weber. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Stephen Anderson, Brian Antonson, Elinor Barr, Björn Bayley, Ellen Boryen, Arkus Fredriksson, Christer Garell, Peter Ladner, Kristine Leander, Anders and Hamida Neumuller, Katri Olander, Victoria Peterson, Carin Pihl, Ken Polson, Gunilla Sjölin, Olle Wästberg and our advertisers. Special thanks to the team at SweMail: Eva Grenier, Jan Sundin, Laine Ruus, Randy Nord, and Valentin Petcu, coordinated by Ingemar Olson. We invite you to submit letters and articles to info@swedishpress.com and hope that Swedish Press will continue to be your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden for many years to come.
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Astrid Lindgren. Photo: Tobias Röstlund/AP 42
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With best regards from Claes and Joan Fredriksson
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Folk Traditions
Experience Sweden
on a Brekke 2016 Scandinavian Escorted Tour: CAPTIVATING SCANDINAVIA
June 8 - 21 | July 13 - 26 Bergen, Oslo, the fjords, overnight cruise to Copenhagen, the Swedish Glass District, Gothenburg and Stockholm
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Vi måndag tillfredag fredag Vi har öppet Vihar haröppet öppet måndag måndag till till fredag kl 9:30 9:30 till till 15:00 15:00 kl till 15:00 kl 9:30 Den mobila passtationen kommer Kontakta konsulatet för till Kontakta den konsulatet för Fort Lauderdale 24-26 september. mera information. Kontakta konsulatet för
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Linnéa Petersson
December 12, 2015
Lucia Pageant
Afternoon performance 12:30 pm Coffee and Swedish Pastries Dinner performance 6:00 pm Swedish Christmas Dinner Tickets sold through www.eventbrite.ca under Swedish Cultural Society
God Jul
Den mobila passtationen kommer till Fort Lauderdale den 24-26 september. SCANDINAVIAN Kontakta konsulatet för mera information. BUSINESS Välkommen! CLUB OF BC Consulate of Sweden Tower 101 101 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 1700B Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Phone: +1 954 467 3507 Fax:+1 954 467 1731 fortlauderdale@consulateofsweden.org www.consulateofsweden-fortlauderdale.org Like us on Facebook
Christmas Party December 5th, 2015 www.sbc-bc.ca
Gala Dinner
70th Anniversary June 11th, 2016
Gott Nytt År! Önskar Svenska Kulturföreningen i Vancouver
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ALL ARE WELCOME!
Swedish Press is also online. Catch the latest news, Listen to Sveriges Radio, Shop, Subscribe or Advertise. All this and more at www.SwedishPress.com
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The SACC New York -Deloitte Green Award – The winner of the 2015 The SwedishAmerican Chamber of Commerce (SACC) New York-Deloitte Green Award was presented to the Swedish company Alnarp Cleanwater, at the Green Gala Award Dinner at beautiful Apella, New York, on November 11, 2015. The Gala Award Dinner preceded the New York Green Summit, titled From Farm to Fork. The focus of the 8th Annual Green Summit was on sustainability with the theme “Water – Money Down the Drain or Revenue Stream of the Future?”. The dinner brought together notable authorities from within business, politics, media, and culture, including Ambassador Mark Brzezinski. During the 2015 Green Award competition, Alnarp Cleanwater presented a process for treating wastewater in nature’s own way, which caught the eyes of the jury. The business idea is to develop, market, and maintain decentralized plants for wastewater treatment that can be used anywhere in the world. Through its efficient and small-footprint, recyclingbased technology, Alnarp Cleanwater aims to be a leading force in improving the status of the world’s water resources, while at the same time contributing to an increased biodiversity. The vision is to offer the market a more intelligent way of treating wastewater, both in Sweden and internationally. 8
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A Civil Courage Award at the Wallenberg Day in Vancouver on January 17, 2016 at 13:30 – The annual Wallenberg Day organized by the WallenbergSugihara Civil Courage Society (WSCCS) recognizes and honours individuals who risked their careers and/or their personal well being to help others. These acts of civil courage, as exemplified by Swedish Diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and Japanese Diplomat Chiune Sugihara, are a model for us all. Raoul Wallenberg served as Sweden’s special envoy in Budapest between July and December 1944. He rescued up to one hundred thousand Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from Hungarian Fascists and the Nazis during the later stages of World War II. Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory. His actions were at risk to his own life. Following the Soviet capture of Budapest in 1945, Wallenberg disappeared. Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for Japan in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped more than 6,000 Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Japan in direct violation of orders from the Japanese Government, thereby risking his career and his family’s lives. Each year, the Annual Wallenberg Day event in Vancouver pays tribute to the courageous actions 18
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by people engaged in selfless acts of civil courage, at grave risk to themselves, by choosing to follow their own personal moral code. Over the past years, the event has screened films highlighting the acts of Wallenberg, Sugihara and other individuals from Sweden, Portugal, Spain, and Britain. We need these stories to remind us of the inherent good that lives within people, and to inspire people today and future generations to act with courage and live their values, healing the world. The WSCCS is seeking people who, at significant personal risk, have helped improve the lives of others by going against unjust laws or conventions. Go to www. wsccs.ca for more information. Join the Wallenberg Day event on January 17 at the Wosk Auditorium, 950 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, for the Civil Courage Award ceremony in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor and the Mayor of Vancouver. The Award will be followed by a movie and a reception. Entrance is free, donations are welcome. See www.wsccs.ca for more information. 28
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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 Dec 5-6 – Saturday-Sunday 10 am until closing: Julmarknad, the Museum’s annual Christmas Bazaar. Dec 11 – Friday 11:30 am: St. Lucia Day program at the downtown Daley Center with candidates representing SwedishAmerican organizations in the Chicago area. Dec 13 – Sunday 4:45 pm: St. Lucia commemoration begins with a procession from the Museum at Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Dec 20 – Sunday 4 pm: Svensk Julgudstjanst at Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Dec 20 – Sunday 5 pm: Traditional Swedish Christmas family smorgasbord dinner. CLEVELAND Vasa Order of America Nobel-Monitor Lodge #130 Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 Tel: 216-371 5141 | marty.bergman@ sbcglobal.net | www.vasaorder.net Dec 6 – Sunday: Lucia Smörgåsbord and program – Highland Heights Community Center, 5827 Highland Road, Highland Hts, OH. 2:30 Dinner ($12.00 pp) 4:30 Program (free). Reservations by Nov. 28 Dec 25 – Friday 6:30 am: Christmas Morning at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 3740 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts. OH. Light breakfast served afterwards. DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Mich. 22398 Ruth Street, Farmington Hills MI 48336 | Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Dec 6 – Sunday 1 to 2:30 pm: Annual Julbord Dec 12 – Saturday 3 pm: Annual Lucia Pageant /Xmas Concert, After Glow. Jan 10 – Sunday 1 to 2:30 pm: Buffet & Annual Meeting LOS ANGELES SWEA Los Angeles www.swea.org/losangeles Dec 13 – Sunday 10 am to 5 pm: SWEA LA 36th Annual Swedish Christmas at Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503 8
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MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | info@ASImn.org www.asimn.org Through Jan 10 – A Nordic Christmas: Myths, Legends & Fairytales Dec 5 & 6 – Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday noon to 5 pm: Julmarknad: ASI Christmas market at at the historic Turnblad Mansion. Dec 12 – Saturday 2:30 pm: Lucia Celebration in Larson Hall. NEW YORK SACC-NY 570 Lexington Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-838 5530 | www.saccny.org Dec 4 – Friday 11 am to 2 pm: Annual Christmas Luncheon & Lucia Celebration – a traditional Swedish Christmas smorgasbord prepared by famous restaurant Aquavit. PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Dec 5 – Saturday 11:30 am to 4:30 pm: Lucia & Christmas Market with Lucia processions at 1pm and 3pm. PORTLAND New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society 8740 SW Oleson Road, Portland, OR 97223 Tel: 503-617 6826 | info@newsweden.org www.newsweden.org. Dec 5 & 6 – Saturday & Sunday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10 to 4 pm: ScanFair at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. Dec 12 – Saturday: Lucia Fest at Immanuel Lutheran Church followed by reception. SAN FRANCISCO SWEA San Francisco www.sanfrancisco.swea.org Dec 5 – Saturday 9 am to 4 pm: Swedish Christmas Fair at Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, 1111 Gough Street. SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 18
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Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Dec 11 – Friday: Julbord. A full Swedish holiday meal for both lunch ($32) and dinner ($43); Lucia makes an appearance. Dec 13 – Sunday 2 pm: Lucia Fest. Presented by students from the UW and members of the community. . Dec 18 – Friday 6 pm: Lutfisk vs. Lutefisk – serving both Norwegian and Swedish accompaniments for the feast. Dec 31 – Thursday from 8pm: New Year’s Eve: Three Crowns Ball. Tickets at www. brownpapertickets.com/event/2420230. 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 Dec 12 – Lördag kl.19: Svenska körens Julkonsert Dec 13 – Söndag kl.16: Luciafirande Dec 20 – Söndag kl.19: Musikgudstjänst Dec 25 – Fredag kl.12: Juldagsmässa Jan 10 – Söndag kl.16: Julgransplundring VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 info@scandinaviancentre.org | www. swedishculturalsociety.ca Dec 12 – Saturday 12:30 pm and 6 pm: Lucia Pageant – Swedish school performance, Santa visit, coffee and buns, dancing around the Christmas tree. Evening performance includes traditional Swedish Christmas dinner. Jan 17 – Sunday 1:30 pm: 11th Anniversary of the Wallenberg Day in Vancouver – The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia will present the Civil Courage Awards at the Wosk Auditorium. WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | www.scandinaviancentre.ca/sweden/ Dec 13 – Sunday 2 pm: Lucia Pageant at the Scandinavian Centre on 764 Erin St. Jan 17 – Sunday 10 am to 1 pm: Swedish brunch to celebrate January birthdays. 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 AnnaKarin Törnqvist,
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604-913 7747. Kassör är Linda Olofsson, 604-418 7703 www.swedishculturalsociety.ca. Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca@gmail.com Svenska Skolan En gång i veckan för barn mellan 3 och 14 år. Ordförande Mia Logie 604-725 8431, Administratör Anette Anastacio, svenskaskolanvancouver @gmail.com Sweden House Society President Lena Normen Younger 604-838 5362, Vice-President Laila Axén, Treasurer Ron Spence. Swedish Canadian Village Burnaby, B.C. Tel. 604-420 1124. New assisted living facility. Low cost apartment buildings. www. swedishcanadian.ca Swedish Club of Victoria Meetings held third Wednesday of each month at 1110 Hillside Ave. Contact Annabelle Beresford 250656 9586.
Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, 3014 N.W. 67th St., Ballard; 206-789 5707; Open Tuesday – Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm, Sundays 12 noon to 4 pm. Monday closed. Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283 1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw. org.
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Sista ordet
‘Times were not good in Sweden in the 1800s.’ Reunion of descendants of Petter and Sara Lena Persson By Dr. Walter B Syslak
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n Oct. 4th 2015 a few of the descendants of Petter and Sara Lena Persson met at the home of Debbie Hill in Port Coquitlam BC. Debbie and her second cousin Lena Sehlberg from Torsåker, Sweden made the occasion possible. Lena spent a lot of time contacting second cousins from Canada and the United States who gathered for the reunion. Lena and her son Daniel travelled to Canada for the occasion. Petter and Sara Lena Persson were born and lived at Bockhammar, Västmanland, Sweden. They were born circa 1820-1825. They had eight children: Axel, Johanna Sofia, Hedda, Anders, Per August (Otto), Anna Christina, Gustav and Carl Frederick. The children all grew up at Bockhammar. Bockhammar is very close to Färna Herrgård (where Anna Christina worked) and to the Ebba Brahe estate (where Gustav worked as a day worker).
It is also close to Gunnilbo Church which they would have attended. Times were not good in Sweden in the 1800s and four of the eight children immigrated to Canada. Hedda and her husband Ivar Ullberg were the first to leave Sweden for Canada and settled at Hilltop Manitoba on the shores of Otter Lake. They lived in a sod house for many years dug into the side of a hill. Brothers Otto and Carl followed them to Canada in the late 1800s and also settled at Hilltop Manitoba. In 1893 my grandparents Carl and Anna Booth followed them to Canada. Life for them was not easy. They lived on fish and snared rabbits to stay alive during those first years but they all prospered. The Ullbergs, Otto Petterson and my grandmother Anna Christina along with a few other familes were the founders of the Hilltop Baptist church, The Hilltop Baptist church is still a very active church today. You will find a plaque at the cemetery honoring these founding members. They are all buried at the cemetery. Four of the children remained in
Standing (left to right) Derrick Hill, Colton-Neufeld Holdsworth, Kathy Whyte, Glen Whincup, Vic McKinney, James Holdsworth, Collette Inglis, Kenneth Hill, Lena Sehlberg, Daniel Sehlberg, David Hudson, Jane Clausen, Ron Clausen, Christina Yau, Shirley Syslak, Nancy Hill, John Syslak. Sitting on chairs (L to R) Maxine Hill, Selma Hudson, Walter Syslak. Sitting in Front(L to R) Mikaela Hudson, Kyle Hill, Thomas Hill, Debra Hill.
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Sweden. Johanna Sofia married Carl Ekman and had a large family. Anders moved to Angelsberg, Sweden and married. Axel died as a young man and Gustav never married. In 1905 two of Johanna Sofia’s children, Emma and Eva, immigrated to Canada and joined their uncles and aunts at Hilltorp, Manitoba. Emma later married Charlie Hill and lived on a farm outside of Erickson, Manitoba. Eva married Albert Walden and moved to the United States. She lived in Chicago and later in Tucson, Arizona. Many of the descendants of Emma Hill attended the reunion and also a granddaughter of Eva Walden, Jane Clausen of California. Lena and her son Daniel are direct descendants of Johanna Sofia Ekman. Walter (grandson of Anna Christina Booth) gave a brief background of the family history and a description of the area in Sweden where Petter and Sara Lena lived. Selma (daughter to Emma Hill) added to the background information. It was a very happy occasion for all of those who attended. Many of us had not met before the reunion. Later in the week Debbie, Lena, Daniel and Walter met with two other second cousins in Victoria BC, Lauren Hill (granddaughter to Emma) and Carolyn Petterson (granddaughter to Otto). Following that Lena and Daniel travelled to Toronto and met with Walter. The group then travelled to Niagara Falls and met with four more Walden second cousins who had travelled from Connecticut and Arizona for the occasion. The four girls were the granddaughers of Eva Walden. It was interesting how in a brief period of time Lena managed to arrange all of this from her home in Torsåker, Sweden. Our heartfelt thanks go to Lena and Debbie for making this memorable event happen.
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