Once again assigned as a teacher in Peace and Conflict Studies at Umeå University on special programme in September 2016. I prepared a lot, for example by participating at seminar on non-violence at PRIO in Oslo, Norway. A key-note speacker was Sdrja Popovic (in the picture), a well known activist from Serbia working in Otpor and founder of CANVAS. Together with others we discussed policy implications of non-violent actions.
As a result of the UNs Decade on Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014, a global RCE-network has been created working with ESD. Today there are 146 RCEs around the world - all approved by United Nation University (UNU-IAS). RCE North Sweden - governed by Umeå University, The City of Umeå and Region Västerbotten with me as the coordinator and expert - is in the phase of finding their way forward in relation to the 2030-agenda.
Sfi - Swedish for Immigrants in The City of Umeå has just recently started a project called Sfi - Ready, Steady, Go! for immigrants who need special support due to their background as refugees and with no or little acess to formal education in their lives. It is a project that will last three years, and with me as an evaluator. The project has got support from The Swedish ESF-council, a government agency under The Ministry of Labour.
In the finalizing phase of the Erasmus+-project Young Eyes I facilitated the dialogue in a 3-day workshop in Robertsfors municipality on projects that youth from Latvia, Poland and Sweden wanted to work with in their municipalities for the benefit of youth and the communities as whole. Besides of youth from Jelgava and Rauna in Latvia, Suwalki in Poland and Robertsfors in Sweden, a team from Scotland and Norway working with the project was also part of this workshop.
Together with schoolars and practioners from a wide range of countries I participated at ICLDs international workshop "The Future of Local Government in the New Development Agenda" at Visby, Gotland May 22nd-25th. A big variation of themes, issues, topics and cases were discussed at several sessions. Local governments and democratization at the local level may not be a panacea for success, but it is certainly one of the key factor for a fair, non-discriminatory sustainable development.
When driving from Kigali International Airport into and through Kigali it is hard to imagine that this country has experienced a genocide 1994. Kigali is now a green, clean and beautiful city inviting people, countries and investors for rapid modernization. With assistance, me and the photographer Evelina Rönnbäck met several representatives for the Rwandan society. Everyone showed hospitality and interest. I can recommend a visit to Rwanda for many reasons, but do not forget Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. Kwibuka Rwanda.