Development Sweden 36. The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) lays off all employees

A newsletter on Swedish development cooperation and policy

Welcome back to Development Sweden after our summer break. August is normally a month full of activities in Sweden and we expect a lot of things to happen – including our own Global Festival – a week full of seminars and discussions. Read more below.

The Swedish government has clearly stated that they aim to reduce further the number of recipient countries. One was closed down (decision taken) in July: Iraq. More are expected.

Another consequence on the development in Sweden is that The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has been forced to lays off all employees in Afghanistan and close down its operations.

Also in Development Sweden #36: The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) are closing down all development cooperation programs and reducing the office to a skeleton staff.

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

For subscription related issues, contact:
lisa@globalreporting.net

Our headlines

Welcome to Global Festival

The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA)  lays off all employees

SIWI closes all ODA programs

Sweden ends aid to Iraq

---

Welcome to the Global Festival 19–23 of August

For the second year running, Global Bar Magazine is organising the Global Festival –  a week of talks and discussions on global issues. The programme is now almost ready, and you can find it here. Most of the programme is in Swedish, but some seminars are also in English. All talks can also be watched on Facebook.

Global Festival takes place at Studio SN7 (Stora Nygatan 7, Stockholm) 19–23 August. The registrations is now open for the talks, which will also be broadcast digitally.

This year’s partners are LM International, Olof Palme International Center, MSF and Uppsala Health Summit. In total, 20 talks will be held during the five days of the Global Festival. They will cover everything from why volunteers are needed in aid to how apple pie contributes to the resistance against the dictatorship in Belarus.

The Global Festival starts with a discussion on humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions or the laws of war as they are also known. Monday 19 August, we will also meet female photojournalists from Iraq. There will also be a vernissage for their pictures.

During the week, Trenton Elsley from the Labour Research Service in South Africa will join us for a discussion on trade union rights violations. He will also help us understand what is happening in South Africa. Will the new coalition government last?

Is it possible to measure quality in Swedish aid? That’s a question we hope Sida’s Director-General Jakob Granit will answer our questions Jan Pettersson from the EBA committee and Karolina Winbo from LM International will also take part in the discussion on 22 August.

Finally, in the afternoon and evening of 23 August, there will be an author talk and mingle. Henrik Brandão Jönsson and Lotta Schüllerqvist are among those taking part.

What makes people risk their lives in the fight against a seemingly invincible dictatorship? What role do art, language – and food – play in the resistance? Belarus has been overshadowed by Ukraine, but despite the increasing repression, resistance lives on – albeit in different forms. On Tuesday lunchtime, artist Ludmila Christeseva and Belarus expert Martin Uggla will discuss art, resistance – and apple pie. Welcome to try it!

---