Europe day on May 9th

Each year on May 4th Remembrance day (Dodenherdenking) is held in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces in the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II. The next day, on May 5, Dutch people celebrate the liberation of the nation from the German occupation of 1940 to 1945. When we lived in the Netherlands our neighbour always had the flag out half way on the 4th and obviously proudly raised on May 5th. Each nation always has special days worth commemorating and they serve as reminders of the history we share.

Tomorrow it is Europe day – May 9th. For many people it does not mean much and maybe for Swedish people, who do not even feel connected to the national day of June 6th, Europeday is not seen as a special day at all. We talk about Sweden and we talk about Europe as if they are two different things or as we are not part of Europe. We are part of Europe and for every day we get closer and more integrated with each other. You can make laws and you can take away obstacles but the European culture will evolve as people get connected ant this might take some time.

I had written a column in our local paper today about Europe day. Here it follows in Swedish.
To me Europe is about avoiding war and getting people together. It is not an easy assignment and it is not always progressing as I would like it too but I hope that we all one day can feel the value of each other’s differences!

Enjoy Europe day!

Varför jag firar Europadagen den 9 maj!

Min svärmor Nell växte upp mitt under brinnande krig i ett land ockuperat av Tyska soldater. Föräldrarna lät engelska soldater och delar av motståndsrörelsen bo i deras källare som i vanliga fall användes som möbelsnickeriets lagerlokal. Kriget var under många år ständigt närvarande och i huvudstaden Amsterdam svalt befolkningen och alla tulpanlökar tog slut. Man åt det man kunde få tag i. I staden Nijmegen, där jag under många år bodde, gick vi med skolbarnen till gungmonumentet. Mitt inne i stan hänger en gunga på en gräsplätt. Den påminner oss om de 40tal barn och fröknar som dog under krigets sista månader då de allierade av misstag släppte en bomb på fel sida gränsen och träffade en skola. Den lilla gungar berör. Krig drabbar alltid oskyldiga och leder sällan oss framåt.

Söndagen den 9 maj är det Europadagen. Under många år såg jag denna dag som ett marknadsföringsbidrag till den Europeiska Unionen. Vi skulle alla bli omvända att tro på ett gemensamt samarbete. Idag, efter att ha bott i Storbritannien, Belgien och Nederländerna ser jag värdet av denna dag. Ur askan av ett smutsigt krig som krävde över 80 miljoner liv växte en tanke på att ökad handel mellan länder borde skapa ekonomisk stabilitet och större förståelse för varandra. Genom att ta bort handelshinder och skapa möjlighet för människor, tjänster och varor att fritt röra sig över gränserna skulle man skapa en hållbar utveckling och social sammanhållning.

Ett halvt sekel av europeiskt samarbete har visat att helheten är större än summan av delarna. Gemensamma miljömål, utbyten av teknologisk kunskap, spridandet av mänskliga rättigheter och jämställdhet, solidariskt stöd till fattigare delar av Europa och samarbete mot organiserad brottslighet är något som jag tror vi alla gynnas av. De stora utmaningarna som vi står inför såsom global konkurrens, klimatförändringar, en åldrande befolkning (Europas befolkning krymper!) etc. löser vi bäst tillsammans.

EU är ingen lättsam, flexibel organisation och man kan ha många förbättringssynpunkter. Men, kärnan i samarbetet är viktig och vi får aldrig glömma vad det egentligen handlar om. För hur värdesätter vi fred och stabilitet?

Jag uppmärksammar Europadagen på mitt sätt tillsammans med min internationella familj som jag troligen aldrig blivit del av om jag inte utsatts för EUs universitetsutbytesprogram ERASMUS. I min familj samlas olika religioner, olika kulturer vilket inte alltid är lätt men som skapar förståelse och nya synsätt. Europadagen handlar inom om att vi alla skall bli lika utan om att se varandras olikheter och se värdet av detta. Tillsammans skapar vi en framtid där barn kan gunga tryggt! Därför uppmärksammar jag Europadagen!

Ulrika Geeraedts

With diversity we build a place to call home!

Finally the trees are getting leaves and the grass the right colour. Last year we took our first dip in the lake at the first of May (when Karin Greber was here and took the great front picture of this blog) but this year it was much to cold for a dip. I think people were still able to fish on the ice in the beginning of April. Anyway, with the sun, the start of the soccer season and nights that get shorter each week people move out of their houses and into the outdoor lifestyle. This is typical for the Nordic countries and typical for Ulricehamn.

Many foreigners find the winter a difficult season in Sweden with the short days, little outdoor activities and many activities happening at peoples homes. If you don’t know a lot of people, winter is a period of silence and little activity. Expat-firms often suggest that if you are able to choose the time of moving up north you should do so during spring or summer. Refugees obviously do not have that luxury. Sometimes I think we should keep this in mind a bit more. How easy is it to find friends and get to know new people in a new country or in a small town? It is also typically Swedish to join a sport club instead of going down to the local pub on the corner to watch the weekend Rugbygame. It is probably a healthier alternative to join a sport club but if you don’t have kids in the right age I am not sure what you should do.

In a small town like Ulricehamn the local paper is a way in to find out what happens locally. Sometimes we joke about how local it is (last summer a cat was stuck in a tree which was recorded by the paper) but I think it really has an important function in bringing people together and creating a feeling of pride and local spirit. Whether it is a story about a good sport result, a new entrepreneur, a price winning gardener, a local political debate or the weekend’s auction it all show us that even in small towns creativity and ideas are spread. And, for the nationalistic Swedish Democrats who use the paper to spread their ignorant views about people from other countries I wonder if they ever opened a door during the winter months and tried to get to know any of the foreigners in this town.

With a foreign husband I seem to meet some of them as they find each other and often help each other and if I would use a term, which comes to mind for this group, it would be obstacle-movers! The risk all they have to come here, they learn a new language, try to understand a system and culture often very different from what they are used to, they experience recruiters with little intercultural skills and often find that the only way in is to start your own business. I think most people in Ulricehamn see all this and understand and support the newcomers here. Together we create this town and together we enhance each other and make this to what it is. A place we all call home!

Spring – here I come!

PS: A special welcome to Sandra, Joost, Roos, Lars, Niels, Hein, Susanne, Mick, Merel en Emma who are all on their way to spend their May holiday in Sweden and with us!!