A few weeks ago I took part in an emigration fair in the Netherlands as one of three representatives from Ulricehamn. This was the second time Ulricehamn participated and attending the fair is part of a long-term project we started in 2008. Together with several other municipalities in our region (the Sjuhärad region) we are trying to attract new inhabitants.
Being involved in these types of projects always raise many questions and there are people here in Ulricehamn who wonder why we even want to attract new inhabitants. The goal of the municipality, to grow to 25 000 inhabitants in 2020, is often questioned and politicians and civil servants have not been successful in explaining how an increase of population effects the financial possibilities for a town to offer a wide range of services. People want good schools, elderly care with good quality, swimming pools, cultural possibilities, an attractive living space with playgrounds, bicycle routes, an environment which nurtures the business life, an infrastructure that keeps the flow going and not too many cars in the city centre etc. In Sweden these things are paid by local taxes and it’s the inhabitants who pay for them! (Municipalities have taxation right and the autonomy is strong which means that much power lies with the municipalities) With few inhabitants less services are possible. In 2009 146 municipalities increased their inhabitants and 143 lost inhabitants in Sweden. Municipalities are competing in attracting new inhabitants. More and more people move to the larger cities and on several places in the northern parts of Sweden towns are dying out. Luckily Ulricehamn is growing but to grow one needs attractive housing and living spaces, good schools, a business friendly environment, employment possibilities or good commuting possibilities. I think we have most of this (with possibilities for improvement naturally!) and therefore I think this is a place, which could grow if people knew more about Ulricehamn.
So, why attract Dutch people? What do they have that can be of interest to us? Many things! According to Eurostat the Dutch are the most entrepreneurial people within the EU. They are well educated, have strong language skills, their language is of Germanic base just as Swedish which means that they can learn our language easily. The cultural differences are small and the countries are not very far apart. If you emigrate from the Netherlands to Sweden you are not moving to the other side of the world. You can easily stay in contact with family and friends. It is mainly families with young kids who emigrate and these are the people we need. From a business point of view the Netherlands is an important trade country for Sweden. It is on seventh place as export country for Swedish businesses and the fifth place as import country. Dutch tourism is also increasing in Sweden. After other Scandinavian countries, the Germans and the British we find the Dutch. In 2008 Dutch tourism increased with 28 % (looking at hotel nights). So, it is easy to see why this is an interesting group to focus on but maybe the most interesting thing is that the interest is mutual!
Sweden has become extremely popular with Dutch immigrants in the past few years. The wish for more space, more nature, a slower paste, lower costs of living, less crime and the possibilites of making a new start has made Sweden an attractive country for Dutch emigrates. You don’t move to Sweden to make more money as our wages in general are lower but as the cost of living is lower as well you can still enjoy a good life. 16 million people on an area which is 14 times smaller than Sweden makes the Netherlands a crowdy but exciting place. Many people are fed up with trafficjams, unbelievable houseprices, the lack of quiet places and a social culture that is getting harder. This is why the Dutch look at the possibility of emigrating to other places and why should we not use this opportunity? Two Dutch families moved to Ulricehamn in February and started up a business.
Here, they have found what they are looking for. A place to start a business in a location that offers attractive living oppertunities, closeness to bigger cities, airports, nature and many social possibilities.
I hope they will feel very much at home here!
May 2013
in Ulricehamn
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A library on the move! Making plans for the future library in Ulricehamn!
Last week Ulricehamn held its first international library conference bringing up issues surrounding the role of the future library and inspiring small libraries in Sweden and abroad. It was a successful two-day conference filled with interesting speakers. During more than a year we have been extending the international influence in Ulricehamn arranging a yearlong Nordic exchange project between librarians and looking at the content of our future library. Ulricehamn is in great need of a new library location but maybe the biggest challenge is to create the library of tomorrow.
What does this mean? Will we need libraries in the future and if so, why? I think libraries have a very important role to play in society but we need to understand that a library is not only a place where you go to borrow a book. It is so much more!
We are in the middle of a paradigm shift. Computing platforms in most organizations today are not able to deliver the goods or services needed and as more and more people use the new techniques new areas of need and business develop. The changes in the availability of information mean that we can all access information from wherever we want at wherever we are but to do so we need help. Libraries can help us organize these new resources so that they can be used by an increasingly mobile society. Furthermore, the library must take on the challenge of helping ordinary citizens make sense of the flood of information now overwhelming them. To meet these challenges, the traditional library must change.
At the conference Ragnar Audunson, Professor at Oslo university, Norway talked about libraries and the importance of them as bridges for social capital. Social capital involves social networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity. For many people the library as an institution is a public place which anyone can attend. Within our communities there are almost no other places that will attract people of different background, social class and from different cultures. The library has become a place with positive effects for community development, schooling, democracy, economic development, well-being etc. You go to the library not only to find information but maybe to meet people, take a class, experience culture, have a coffee with friends, spend some time alone, to use as a mobile office, to read magazines etc. At the conference we heard our Dutch speakers from Pijnacker tell us about the library as a place for improving integration, for helping people with a reading disorder and as a platform for political debates. In Denmark they challenge the children who attend the library by putting out interesting or unusual artefacts in the library or stimulating their creativity by showing them how to make animation and short films and more and more people attend the libraries.
In a multicultural, digital society with larger generation gaps we face new possibilities as well as new challenges. We need to look at these challenges and prepare for a library which takes on a role as a community bridge builder, which stimulate reading and creativity and which has an important social role in society. As changes in society will change the labour market the life long learning perspective has to be integrated in everyone’s life. We do not train for a career in only one field and we will most likely have several employers before we retire. The library is an excellent arena for life long learning.
More and more libraries are looking at partnership possibilities with businesses or local associations. I think we will see much more of this in the future and I think this can lead to very fruitful co operations. Imagine a library where you can buy art or local products. Imagine a library where you have a permanent clothing exhibition which will attract visitors from outside Ulricehamn. Imagine a library filled with activity outside the current opening house as local associations use the premises.
I think that librarians, other stakeholders and local politicians found the conference interesting and inspiring. It was great to see the effects of the international approach. There are so many interesting things going on in the world when it comes to library development and suddenly we had a mix of many different perspectives! I hope that the future library in Ulricehamn can be a place to borrow books, being helped in finding the right information on the internet, where films and music can be downloaded, where you can sit down with a nice cup of coffee, enjoy a course, participate in a book club, use as a workspace, look for jobs, watch an interesting exhibition or learn more about our local history and culture, get civic information etc.
We have an active library in Ulricehamn and if they just get the premises they need and support in taking on the new role of the librarian I think we will have a great place to hang out and enjoy!
PS: Do you know library lovers? Check it out!
What does this mean? Will we need libraries in the future and if so, why? I think libraries have a very important role to play in society but we need to understand that a library is not only a place where you go to borrow a book. It is so much more!
We are in the middle of a paradigm shift. Computing platforms in most organizations today are not able to deliver the goods or services needed and as more and more people use the new techniques new areas of need and business develop. The changes in the availability of information mean that we can all access information from wherever we want at wherever we are but to do so we need help. Libraries can help us organize these new resources so that they can be used by an increasingly mobile society. Furthermore, the library must take on the challenge of helping ordinary citizens make sense of the flood of information now overwhelming them. To meet these challenges, the traditional library must change.
At the conference Ragnar Audunson, Professor at Oslo university, Norway talked about libraries and the importance of them as bridges for social capital. Social capital involves social networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity. For many people the library as an institution is a public place which anyone can attend. Within our communities there are almost no other places that will attract people of different background, social class and from different cultures. The library has become a place with positive effects for community development, schooling, democracy, economic development, well-being etc. You go to the library not only to find information but maybe to meet people, take a class, experience culture, have a coffee with friends, spend some time alone, to use as a mobile office, to read magazines etc. At the conference we heard our Dutch speakers from Pijnacker tell us about the library as a place for improving integration, for helping people with a reading disorder and as a platform for political debates. In Denmark they challenge the children who attend the library by putting out interesting or unusual artefacts in the library or stimulating their creativity by showing them how to make animation and short films and more and more people attend the libraries.
In a multicultural, digital society with larger generation gaps we face new possibilities as well as new challenges. We need to look at these challenges and prepare for a library which takes on a role as a community bridge builder, which stimulate reading and creativity and which has an important social role in society. As changes in society will change the labour market the life long learning perspective has to be integrated in everyone’s life. We do not train for a career in only one field and we will most likely have several employers before we retire. The library is an excellent arena for life long learning.
More and more libraries are looking at partnership possibilities with businesses or local associations. I think we will see much more of this in the future and I think this can lead to very fruitful co operations. Imagine a library where you can buy art or local products. Imagine a library where you have a permanent clothing exhibition which will attract visitors from outside Ulricehamn. Imagine a library filled with activity outside the current opening house as local associations use the premises.
I think that librarians, other stakeholders and local politicians found the conference interesting and inspiring. It was great to see the effects of the international approach. There are so many interesting things going on in the world when it comes to library development and suddenly we had a mix of many different perspectives! I hope that the future library in Ulricehamn can be a place to borrow books, being helped in finding the right information on the internet, where films and music can be downloaded, where you can sit down with a nice cup of coffee, enjoy a course, participate in a book club, use as a workspace, look for jobs, watch an interesting exhibition or learn more about our local history and culture, get civic information etc.
We have an active library in Ulricehamn and if they just get the premises they need and support in taking on the new role of the librarian I think we will have a great place to hang out and enjoy!
PS: Do you know library lovers? Check it out!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Feeling at home in Ulricehamn - most of the time!
Where do I belong and where is my home? Different people will answer this question differently but to me Ulricehamn is my home – most of the time. Soon it will be two years ago that I set off to a new destination bringing my foreign family with me to Ulricehamn. I am Swedish and so are my children but they were foreigners when they entered this place as they had never lived in Sweden before, never gone to a Swedish school, never celebrated Lucia or midsummer and as Swedish was not their first language.
Today, Ulricehamn is the place my children likes the best (and Ingrid who has moved 9 times across 3 different continents should know!). They have made us parents promise not to move in a long time and they feel just as Swedish as their classmates and friends. We are now a part of a place that offers fantastic experiences when it comes to sports, nature and cultural activities. People are friendly, helpful and caring and we have met very many wonderful people. This is why I feel at home here most of the time.
But sometimes I do not feel at home here. I do not understand why there are no women on any chairman positions within our municipality. I do not understand why fewer men in Ulricehamn, then the average in Sweden, take out parental leave. I do not understand why there are larger salary differences between male and female department managers in our municipality than in other towns. I do not understand why most boards (both in the public and in the private sector) are filled with men and on the occasion a woman. Scientists around the world today all agree on the financial and social benefits of equality between the sexes and still this argument does not seem to click in peoples mind.
I do however understand why it is so difficult to get more women active in politics. I do understand why many women decide to use their time on other things then sitting on different boards. It is not their arena, the structure of everything is set to suit men with little home responsibilities (how many meetings do not take place in the evening just about dinnertime?) and if they would dare to make an entrance they are alone as women in the group.
Am I making a problem of something that is not a problem? Not many women in Ulricehamn are complaining about this and the men do not see it as a problem at all. They feel that they have done enough and that we have to wait and see. They would like to see more women in leading positions but unfortunately there are none.
Is this true? Who wishes to leave the power he has achieved? Who is willing to change structures that are favourable for men? Who is willing to change they way we elect of chose new candidates? Who is willing to change the way we look at competence and skills? Who is willing to step back and let someone else, someone with a different way of leading, a different way of looking at things, have a go? Who is really willing to change?
Changes often bring confusion and insecurity. Changes can be painful and difficult to experience but most of the time changes bring about new possibilities, innovative approaches to things and teaches us new things along the way. Ulricehamn is my home and I am not here to change it into something else. I just wish I would see more of the 10000 female talents in Ulricehamn brought forward!
Today, Ulricehamn is the place my children likes the best (and Ingrid who has moved 9 times across 3 different continents should know!). They have made us parents promise not to move in a long time and they feel just as Swedish as their classmates and friends. We are now a part of a place that offers fantastic experiences when it comes to sports, nature and cultural activities. People are friendly, helpful and caring and we have met very many wonderful people. This is why I feel at home here most of the time.
But sometimes I do not feel at home here. I do not understand why there are no women on any chairman positions within our municipality. I do not understand why fewer men in Ulricehamn, then the average in Sweden, take out parental leave. I do not understand why there are larger salary differences between male and female department managers in our municipality than in other towns. I do not understand why most boards (both in the public and in the private sector) are filled with men and on the occasion a woman. Scientists around the world today all agree on the financial and social benefits of equality between the sexes and still this argument does not seem to click in peoples mind.
I do however understand why it is so difficult to get more women active in politics. I do understand why many women decide to use their time on other things then sitting on different boards. It is not their arena, the structure of everything is set to suit men with little home responsibilities (how many meetings do not take place in the evening just about dinnertime?) and if they would dare to make an entrance they are alone as women in the group.
Am I making a problem of something that is not a problem? Not many women in Ulricehamn are complaining about this and the men do not see it as a problem at all. They feel that they have done enough and that we have to wait and see. They would like to see more women in leading positions but unfortunately there are none.
Is this true? Who wishes to leave the power he has achieved? Who is willing to change structures that are favourable for men? Who is willing to change they way we elect of chose new candidates? Who is willing to change the way we look at competence and skills? Who is willing to step back and let someone else, someone with a different way of leading, a different way of looking at things, have a go? Who is really willing to change?
Changes often bring confusion and insecurity. Changes can be painful and difficult to experience but most of the time changes bring about new possibilities, innovative approaches to things and teaches us new things along the way. Ulricehamn is my home and I am not here to change it into something else. I just wish I would see more of the 10000 female talents in Ulricehamn brought forward!
Monday, February 1, 2010
How the world really look like (according to my kids!)
My parents came to help out this week as Jochem is spending most of January abroad and I had to go to Stockholm.
- Holidaytime, Nils said to his teacher at school!
You wonder what kind of working camp he lives in usually? Well, he had short days at school (no after school activities) and this week they had a sports day at school and all went skiing. My parents cleaned, cooked, washed an enormous amount of clothes, brought the girls to their activities etc. To me it is clear that Nils might have had a holiday but they went on a working camp. I am so grateful for their help!!
The winter is keeping its grip on Ulricehamn and the other day we lost power again. In Sweden many of our power cables are still above earth and heavy weather or heavy snow breaks them now and then. I am getting used to finding a torch and candles, changing fuses and getting the fireplace started. I don’t remember ever having a powercut while living in the Netherlands but here it seams, as one should always be prepared. I guess it’s a phenomenon one has to get used to on the countryside. Luckily the problem was fixed within a few hours but with –15 C. outside it cools down quickly inside.
Ulricehamn was filled with 900 competing cross-country skiers yesterday but we did not notice too much of it. Instead we headed off to Jönköping to watch the Disney musical “High School Musical” with Idol winner Kevin as Troy. The girls loved it but Nils told me there should be an age limit for boys. No boys under 10 should have to endure this type of torture. Sometimes I wonder how a boy who grows up in a family where we are constantly listening to music, dance, sing, love musicals, corny romantic films, baking and cooking can be so against all of this. Jochem can’t help laughing at my raised eyebrows every time my lovely son comes with a gender stereotype comment, which needs immediate reaction (not saying that High school musical is an emancipated story by any means). As we live in one of the least emancipated municipalities in Sweden (according to a survey made by SVT) I have to make sure he gets a wide perspective from home but then again; how does your kids really view the world?
When we lived in the Netherlands Elsa (who was 6 at the time) had a project at school called the Star project. It was a project aimed to strengthen the children’s self-esteem and to be better at acknowledging other peoples strengths. All children wrote down what their parents were good at. When I came to school I saw a big picture made by Elsa saying;
- My dad is a star at IT! My mum is a star at drinking coffee!
Gender mainstreaming has a long way to go but at least one boy stated that his dad was a star at making canned soup!
Time for a coffee!!
- Holidaytime, Nils said to his teacher at school!
You wonder what kind of working camp he lives in usually? Well, he had short days at school (no after school activities) and this week they had a sports day at school and all went skiing. My parents cleaned, cooked, washed an enormous amount of clothes, brought the girls to their activities etc. To me it is clear that Nils might have had a holiday but they went on a working camp. I am so grateful for their help!!
The winter is keeping its grip on Ulricehamn and the other day we lost power again. In Sweden many of our power cables are still above earth and heavy weather or heavy snow breaks them now and then. I am getting used to finding a torch and candles, changing fuses and getting the fireplace started. I don’t remember ever having a powercut while living in the Netherlands but here it seams, as one should always be prepared. I guess it’s a phenomenon one has to get used to on the countryside. Luckily the problem was fixed within a few hours but with –15 C. outside it cools down quickly inside.
Ulricehamn was filled with 900 competing cross-country skiers yesterday but we did not notice too much of it. Instead we headed off to Jönköping to watch the Disney musical “High School Musical” with Idol winner Kevin as Troy. The girls loved it but Nils told me there should be an age limit for boys. No boys under 10 should have to endure this type of torture. Sometimes I wonder how a boy who grows up in a family where we are constantly listening to music, dance, sing, love musicals, corny romantic films, baking and cooking can be so against all of this. Jochem can’t help laughing at my raised eyebrows every time my lovely son comes with a gender stereotype comment, which needs immediate reaction (not saying that High school musical is an emancipated story by any means). As we live in one of the least emancipated municipalities in Sweden (according to a survey made by SVT) I have to make sure he gets a wide perspective from home but then again; how does your kids really view the world?
When we lived in the Netherlands Elsa (who was 6 at the time) had a project at school called the Star project. It was a project aimed to strengthen the children’s self-esteem and to be better at acknowledging other peoples strengths. All children wrote down what their parents were good at. When I came to school I saw a big picture made by Elsa saying;
- My dad is a star at IT! My mum is a star at drinking coffee!
Gender mainstreaming has a long way to go but at least one boy stated that his dad was a star at making canned soup!
Time for a coffee!!
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