News

Regional Centre of Expertise  (RCE) North Sweden was launched September 2013 as regional platform for education for sustainable development. The launch was preceded by a pre-study funded by The Nordic Council of Ministers and The City of Umeå and an application to United Nation University - Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) were a several regional organizations signed. My role in this process was to do the pre-study togehter with Barbra Kalla, and to write the application in collaboration

This was a learning journey, living with a Colombian family, meeting people in both countries and discussing the Whole Earth Project with Universidad de Antioquia based in Medellin. A very important travel for me combined with reading about this part of the world, i.e Latin America.

Through an assignment from Sida I prepared and facilitated a special part of the program for the inauguration of Västerbottens Week for Sustainability (SEE) which focused on how partnership between Sweden and Kenya can have impacts on the work for human rights and sustainable development. This part of the program where done in collaboration with politicians, civil servants, youth, NGOs, social workers, social entreprenurs and musicians from Kenya and Sweden.

At a conference for sustainable development in The City of Umeå September 17-19th, 2013 organized by The Nordic Council of Ministers and The City of Umeå I participated as member in one of the panels about sustainable learning and culture.

Together with Curt Edlund, Birgitta Heldius and Maria Strandberg I have evaluated the project Gender Innovation Vision and Empowerment (GIVE) with the purpose of empower marginalized groups - in this case somali women living in the city of Umeå. Several national and regional organizations were represented in the steering group.

Why not a journey where work and social life could be combined? This time me and my family made field-trips in Tanzania and Kenya for the purpose of learning. During these days I also used time for follow-up on ongoing projects, discussion and planning for future ones. This journey has been very memorable since the whole family had the chance - and with good guides - to see the society from "within". For sure, the need for "another development" is there.