Development Sweden #12. Should Sweden stop giving aid to Iraq?
A newsletter on Swedish development cooperation and policy
Welcome back to Development Sweden after a short summer vacation. A lot of things has happened since you heard from us last. The debate, fueled by the burning of the Koran in Sweden and Denmark has led to politicians, and opinion leaders questioning the Swedish ODA to Iraq. But what is Sweden really supporting? We have the answer.
In the middle of the summer, the Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade presented Sweden’s new strategy for Ukraine. The Swedish government's new strategy for Ukraine is the largest in Sweden's history, but what does it mean in practical terms, and how will other parts of aid be affected? Read our interview with the minister.
From August 21 to 25, Global Bar Magazine and several partners will host Global Festival, a week of seminars and discussion on aid and global development. Most programs will be in Swedish but some are also in English. Join us in Stockholm or online (more details to follow).
The following are our headlines:
Welcome to Global Festival: 21–25 of August.
Iraq: Why Sweden should increase its support to freedom of expression, an analysis by Hayder Hashim*.
Should Sweden stop giving aid to Iraq?
6 billion to Ukraine: New Strategy for Swedish Aid Finalized.
Interview: Minster Johan Forssell Responds to Criticism.
We hope you will be with us also in the future as we promise to deliver insight and important reporting on issues of high relevance for anyone interested in Swedish development cooperation and foreign policy.
David Isaksson
Editor in Chief, Global Bar Magazine
Monika Gutestam Hustus
Editor, Development Sweden
What do you think we should write more about? Please give us feedback and suggestions.
Write to:
david@globalreporting.net
mgutestam@aol.com
Welcome to Global Festival 21–25 of August
From August 21 to 25, it’s time for the Global Festival – a series of conversations, discussions, and mingling in collaboration with organizations, publishers, and others with a global engagement. The program will be updated with new participants and program points.
When: August 21–25.
Where: Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm) and online.
How do I book? More information is coming.
Global Bar Magazine has previously organized several well-received seminars named Global Bar Talks. This year, the need to have conversations and discussions about the world outside of Sweden is greater than ever – that’s why we’re launching the Global Festival!
During five days in August (August 21–25), we will host evening discussions, breakfast meetings, and lunch conversations. We will invite authors with current books on global issues, as well as researchers, debaters, and others. In addition to this, there will be mingling and networking.
We will organize programs based on different themes throughout the day. Among what is confirmed are Global Health, Ukraine/developments in the East, climate, China, and the opportunities and risks that AI presents for aid.
The program is being planned step by step and sometimes will be kept open for as long as possible to keep up with what’s happening worldwide. Here you can read about the initial points:
Exhibition: Female Photographers Show Their Iraq
Opening: 21/8 at 08:30 AM. We offer refreshments.
Hana Kamal follows Betty’s secret journey toward womanhood. Marwa Sarkawt portrays a father who lost an eye, an ear, and a leg in the fight against ISIS. Saba Kareem is captivated by palm trees.
These are some of the Iraqi female photographers who have participated in a collaborative project between the Framing Photojournalism School and the Swedish Global Reporting, funded by the Swedish Institute.
Photography has long been an expressive medium for men in Iraqi society. This project brings together female photographers to empower them in their profession and to spread images from Iraq from a female perspective.
The exhibition has previously been shown in Erbil, Iraq. Now, it is being showcased for the first time in Sweden.
21/8 12:00 Is No One Caring About Palestine Anymore?
Palestinian homes are being demolished. Image from Al Tur in East Jerusalem (2013). Photo: Shutterstock.
Location: Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm)
How do I book? More information is coming.
The situation for Palestinians is worsening while the world focuses on what’s happening in Ukraine. Why aren’t we caring more? Is the idea of a two-state solution now wholly abandoned?
Participants:
Anna Sundström, Director of the Palme Center
Johanna Wallin, an author who previously worked at the Freedom Theatre in Jenin
A third person will be added!
21/8 at 6:00 PM. ”Between Us, the World is Created – Emotions and Thoughts about Our Only Earth.” Author conversation with Stefan Strömberg.
Location: Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm)
How do I book? More information is coming.
Does nature have intrinsic value? How do we treat the other animals, forests, and oceans that inhabit our beautiful planet? How is peace and freedom possible in a time of militarization and commercialization? What is development, and who decides it?
Stefan Strömberg and Nette Wermeld Enström’s book ”Between Us, the World is Created – Emotions and Thoughts about Our Only Earth” does not shy away from contexts and significant future questions.
In the author’s conversation, Stefan talks about the idea behind the book, the collaboration, and the significance of encounters.
21/8 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The Engagement that Makes a Difference!
Location: Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm)
How do I book? More information is coming.
Listen to the winners of the most influential aid debate of the past three years in a conversation about what drives them – and how you can make a difference.
Participants: Nuri Kino, Parul Sharma, and Martin Uggla.
21/8 from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Fighting Putin from Inside: Vesna Youth Activists Tell Their Story
Location: Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm)
How do I book? More information is coming.
Despite being banned and having several members and activists jailed, the Russian youth organization Vesna continues fighting for freedom and democracy.
How do they oppose the Putin regime using non-violence? What has happened to the imprisoned activists, and how can the people in Sweden support those who persist in the struggle for democracy within Russia?
Participants:
Michael Tukh, Vesna activist, living in exile in Sweden
Inga Näslund, program officer at the Olof Palme Center, expert on Russia
A third participant is yet to be confirmed.
22/8 from 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM. Sweden, NATO, and the Road Ahead. Author Conversation with Mikael Holmström and Agnes Hellström.
Mikael Holmström is Sweden’s foremost security policy reporter, working at Dagens Nyheter since 2015. His award-winning book ”The Hidden Alliance – Sweden’s Secret NATO Connections” is essential for anyone seeking to understand Sweden’s dual policy during the Cold War. The fifth expanded edition (2023) also depicts the maneuvering around Sweden’s NATO application.
Agnes Hellström is an author and journalist who served as the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society Chairperson from 2016 to 2022. Her book ”Fredsfittan – Natobeslutet som förändrade Sverige” (The Peace Cunt – The NATO Decision that Changed Sweden) is set to be released in September. It covers her final months as Chairperson of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society in the spring of 2022. During this time, Sweden’s Social Democratic government abandoned military non-alignment and applied for NATO membership. She has previously written the novel ”Ränderna går aldrig ur” (The Stripes Never Fade) and the autobiographical reportage book ”To Exist Without Being Seen” (Att vara utan att synas), which examined Sweden’s three national boarding schools.
22/8, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Ukraine: How Can the Enthusiasm of Volunteers Contribute to Long-Term Reconstruction?
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has sparked a wave of engagement in Sweden, unlike anything we’ve seen since the Baltic states’ liberation from the Soviet Union. Many new initiatives have emerged, and fundraisers are being organized across Sweden that hold great significance in today’s urgent situation.
But how do we carry forward the lessons learned? How can today’s activists contribute to long-term reconstruction, and how do we foster better collaboration and coordination between grassroots efforts and the assistance provided by large organizations and authorities?
Participants:
Lisa Bjurwald, journalist and author of the book ”Slava Ukraini!: Women’s Resistance during Russia’s War.”
Ludmila Christeseva, artist and activist, initiator of the ”hela Sverige flätar” (all of Sweden braids) movement.
Robert Quaak, one of the founders of the organization Direct Ukraine.
Jörgen Hedman, author of the book ”The Story of Gammalsvenskby and the Swedish Descendants in Ukraine,” and active in the support association Svenskbyborna.
23/8 at 8:30 AM. Breakfast. Lundin, South Sudan, and the Trial
We offer breakfast refreshments.
On September 5th, the trial against Ian Lundin and Alexandre Schneiter, former executives of Lundin Oil AB, begins for complicity in grave international law violations in Sudan from 1999 to 2003. The trial is unique and is expected to have significant implications for how international law violations will be addressed in the future.
Participants: Petter Bolme, who has followed the process leading up to the trial for fifteen years, will share insights into what has transpired and what we can expect from the legal proceedings.
23/8. 6:00 PM. Storm Warning from China. Author Conversation with Gunnar Lindstedt.
Gunnar Lindstedt has followed the political developments in China and Russia for over fifty years, initially as a young, idealistic Maoist and later as a critical economics reporter and author. When his daughter and her family moved to China in 2017, Gunnar decided to join them and provide an update on the current state of China.
23/8. 18.30. Making Global Health relevant in times of war and climate challenges
With enormous needs due to the war in Ukraine, climate change affecting countries worldwide, and budget cuts – do we need to rethink our global engagement for people’s health?
How has the landscape for investing in people’s health changed over time, and what the future might look like? What are the experiences from the fight against HIV, TB, and Malaria – and what do we need to do now?
About 20 years ago, the Global Fund started with Sweden as one of the founders. Why was this major initiative possible then, what has happened since, and how do we meet the global health challenges of today and in the future?
Participants:
Dianne Stewart. Deputy-Director, External Relations and Communications Division and Head, Donor Relations Department at The Global Fund.
Anders Nordström. Ambassador for Global Health at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, 20 years ago, the first interim Executive Director for the Global Fund.
Pieter-Jan van Eggermont, Humanitarian Advisor Médecins Sans Frontières Sweden.
24/8 at 8:00 AM. How Do We Build Sustainable Businesses?
Author conversation with Rebecka Carlsson, sustainability entrepreneur and author of the book "Exponential Climate Transition – How We Can Halt Climate Change Fast Enough & How to Build Pioneer Sustainable Businesses." The conversation will also include a participant (to be confirmed) from the organization Swedwatch.