Sweden wins bid for 2010 World Summit on Media for Children

The 6th World Summit on Media for Children will be held in June 2010 in the city of Karlstad, Sweden.

The World Summit on Media for Children Foundation (WSMCF) announced today that the bid led by Director Per Lundgren on behalf of the City and University of Karlstad, Sweden had been successful in the contest to hold the next World Summit, supported by worldwide media organisations.

“Director Per Lundgren and his partners proposed a compelling and forward-thinking proposal. The 2010 Summit will be a seminal event.” said Dr Patricia Edgar AM, Chair of the WSMCF from Melbourne, Australia. “The world we live in is changing rapidly. Children are citizens of the world. All media platforms for them should have a depth and focus of educational commitment. Children are forging changes in the new media landscape as education and media production for them are being transformed by new technology The new media context for children requires risk taking both on the part of producers who should test new boundaries and on the part of educators guiding the young. As world leaders in children’s well-being1, Scandinavia will provide an ideal context for such initiatives”

The Summit Movement works to ensure the needs of children are met as an audience and as participants in media production. World Summits are held every three years and attended by media, technology, policy and education professionals dedicated to children’s services. Each Summit provides a unique and fertile environment for global networking and the sharing of ideas and information. World Summits which involve young people and adults are catalysts for communication, collaboration and international exchange.

Previous World Summits have been held in Melbourne (1995), London (1998), Thessaloniki (2001), Rio de Janeiro (2004) and Johannesburg (2007), supplemented by Regional Summits held in The Philippines (1996) and North America (2000).

“It’s both a pleasure and an honour for us to bring together media players from all over the world to a global agenda on creativity, critical thinking skills, quality in media and cultural diversity in Karlstad, Sweden” said Per Lundgren. “We look forward to welcoming the world to Karlstad”

Ireland on the way toward “0,7 percent” taget

Ireland spent some €814 million last year on overseas development aid to support projects in more than 90 countries, a report published today said.

Minister of State for Overseas Development Michael Kitt published the Irish Aid annual report for 2006, which also reveals that the State gave €100 million to 40 countries to assist them after natural disasters or humanitarian crises.

Mr Kitt said that spending more than 0.5 per cent of GNP on overseas aid last year places Ireland on course to reach the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas aid by 2012.

The new Swedish development aid focus

 The work against poverty in Africa will be the focus of the Swedish development aid. Focuses will the stronger on reform work in Eastern Europe, on peace/security, democracy and human rights.

- The focus will be on Africa where the needs are the highest, says the Swedish minister of development aid, Gunnilla Carlsson.

The focus will be on 30 countries:

Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Bolivia will get a long-term bilateral support.

Burundi, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Eastern Timor, Iraq, Palestine, Colombia and Guatemala will get a conflict support to build poverty reduction and a peace process.

Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine will get support from the Eastern Europe division.

The Director of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Göran Holmqvist, welcomes the initiative.

- Sida welcomes the Government’s work to reduce the number of countries in which we have development cooperation. For a long time we have communicated to the Government the need to make development cooperation more effective.

Being an empowered and inspired leader

My name is Lina Eggemar and I am 31 years old and live in Stockholm, Sweden. Since my teenage years I have been interested in and trained myself in personal growth and leadership. My passion is exploring new possibilities and ways to grow and contribute to the world around me. I started my own business app 10 years ago and work as a coach, empowering and inspiring young people in realizing their dreams and ideas, www.tuffaungdomar.se
I have engaged in questions for personal and global growth together with lots of people from various backgrounds, ages, countries etc.

In the end it seems to me that all roads lead to Rome; that we are here to wake up, to enjoy life and to make a difference. We are living in a challenging and exiting time and it is up to us to co-create the life and future that we want. I see young people as a great resource for the society and the world. We are the natural leaders for the future – now! Therefore I want to contribute what I have learned so far about being an empowered and inspired leader.

Cornerstones for being an empowered and inspired leader

1. Building physical and practical workability
2. Being emotionally sensitive
3. Creating an inspiring vision
4. Making empowering connections

Building physical and practical workability
The reality we live in is made of matter. Our own body is the physical vehicle that makes it possible to experience life. The body is a complex system that requires specific care and conditions to function well. To be able to build a sustainable development for the planet it is necessary to build a sustainable development for our own bodies. The better we take care of our own bodies, our personal physical system, the better we can take care of the world around us. When our basic needs of shelter, food, sleep, exercise, clothing, relaxation, safety etc. are met we can also give our attention beyond ourselves. To pay attention, listen and adjust to what the body wants and needs is the foundation for physical and practical workability.
Our lives and societies are built up by practicalities. Loose ends and unresolved practical issues take energy. Being well organized is not an end in itself but a prerequisite for being efficient in making a difference. Building physical and practical workability is an ongoing work that often requires focus, time and patience. But it also pays off immediately, through an increased sense of security, clarity and ease.
Questions for physical and practical workability:
How does my body feel right now? What does my body need and want right now? How can I organize my life in a way that empowers and inspires me?
What support do I need in doing that?

Being emotionally sensitive
Emotions are an essential part of being human. As small children we expressed our emotions directly, spontaneously and freely. We cried when we felt sad, laughed when we felt happy and shouted when we felt angry. Emotions are soft and sensitive in their nature. As we grew up in a sometimes cold and hard world we started to hide our emotions as a way to protect them and to feel safe. In the end we ended up showing less of our emotions not only for others but also for ourselves. As a result we are often not fully connected with what we really feel. Still, the emotions are there underneath the surface and affect us. We might have learned that our feelings are wrong and in the way of getting on with things in life. But on the contrary, they are a vital force in us and when leaving them behind we also leave a big part of ourselves behind. Reconnecting with this essential and vital part of our self is necessary for real health, happiness and growth. First step is to acknowledge ones emotions and consciously connect with them. Since they are soft and sensitive in their nature our emotions require gentle care and respect to be understood and to function well. The better we learn to understand and deal with our own emotions the better we can understand and deal with other people and their emotions. Having compassion for ourselves and others makes a great difference. Our emotions can also be a valuable guide in making decisions, when we learn to know our gut feeling and allow it to show the way.
Questions for being emotionally sensitive:
How do I feel right now? What do I need to feel good? What does my gut feeling tell me?

To be continued. For questions and comments lina.eggemar@tuffaungdomar.se

Lina Eggemar

Guest writer: How do I start to play a role in the (u)niting of (n)ations?

This October the 62nd UN General Assembly gathers in New York. Every year some issues involving young people’s lives are discussed by political leaders from all over the world. This year, 2007, the agenda is “Young people in the global economy”.

On October the 4th I’m leaving on a jet plane!
But the journey has already begun; it started this spring when the Swedish Government elected me as one of the delegates to the UN General Assembly of 2007. This journey has so far been an amazing experience. My days are filled with political discussions regarding young people’s role and importance in global politics. It will, without doubt, be one of the most exciting events of my youth.

Every year some countries send young people as delegates or “youth delegates”, as some prefer to call them, to participate in the forming of the global documents involving young people. These countries are viewed by most as role models. But to be really honest with you – I think it’s just a small first step! What it really comes down to is the perspective of the appointment and the will to grant real influence or not. All since being elected the delegate of the Swedish Youth Organisations a slow chill has crawled through my spine, and not the good kind! Young people’s presence is way too often considered to be enough. It’s not!

Half the people in the world are children and youth. We have the right to participation, influence and power. Co-determination in society is our right and responsibility. The task of society is to see young people and create space for us on the basis of the resource we are and the even greater resource we could be. Our right and responsibility is to contribute here and now with our full potential, creativity and force. We are no more the future than middle-aged people are history.

Presence is not a synonym for participation, influence and power!
So, what is the first step towards participation, influence and power? Well, when I step into the UN building in October I have two weapons in my arsenal, two prioritized issues from the Swedish Youth Organisations – employment and leisure time. I know it sound simple, and maybe it is? But I think that the best effort any young person can do is to care. And not be afraid to show that we care! Regardless of the issue, a perspective from a young person and our organisations should matter. All of us young people must show politicians that we can contribute. If we do, how can politicians afford not listening to us?

Make sure to speak your mind – in issues from the school cafeteria to UN’s World program of action for youth. I think it’s the best thing you can do to help young people wherever they are!

Thank you for reading my thoughts on that I had on a rainy Tuesday night in July. If you want to continue following my journey you can do so on www.fndelegater.blogspot.com. Here you can track the UN delegates from the Swedish Youth Organisations struggle forward on making our voices heard and influencing the world.

Gabriel Ehrling
Delegate to the UN General Assembly 2007

gabriel.ehrling@lsu.se or +4673 580 66 96
Feel free to share your thoughts!