As a reminder, Monday September 25th marks the 60th anniversary of nine African American students being escorted into Little Rock, Arkansas’ Central High School. President Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division to ensure their safe passage after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court earlier that year.
We are proud to have Gloria Ray Karlmark as an Honorary Member of The American Club of Sweden, a “Little Rock Nine” member and longtime Stockholm resident. Like all from the Nine, she has devoted her life to telling her story and educating others of the perils of bigotry and racism.
The Affordable Art Fair, 12 – 15 October, will be showing over 50 local and international galleries, and exhibiting works by artists from around the world. The concept is simple, but unique: an inspiring and friendly atmosphere in which you can browse and buy thousands of original paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs, ranging in price from 500 – 50 000 SEK. https://affordableartfair.com/fairs/stockholm
WHAT
Vernissage Affordable Art Fair. Tickets are free (compliments of Galleri Duerr) and are valid for two persons.
Martin Dworén, 2nd Vice President of The American Club, will distribute the tickets at the main entrance at 6.15 pm. The group will begin the evening together with Deborah Duerr at her gallery’s booth #A5 (Galleri Duerr). The booth will be showing, among others, the American artists Anthony Mills and David Eisenhauer.
Ellacarin Blind & Bruce Lambert will discuss Sami & Hawaiian experiences of displacement. Bruce aims a mild focus on examples such as how visions of “the New World” and “discovery” can be confrontational, and how Native Hawaiian inheritance might be better administered. In contrast to many island communities worldwide, US Federal law in Hawai’i allows non-resident land speculation with gravely negative social costs. The US military footprint is also severe, including seven military golf courses on the island of O’ahu.
Ellacarin recently edited a book collecting oral histories of nomad schools for the Sami: Kaisa Huuva & Ellacarin Blind (eds.) (2016) “När jag var åtta år lämnade jag mitt hem och jag har ännu inte kommit tillbaka – minnesbilder från samernas skoltid.” Stockholm: Verbum förlag.
The nomad schools project was notably backed by the Swedish Church, which squarely aimed at unveiling and documenting the role of the Church in oppressing past generations of Sami people. The Church website statement reads (in Swedish), “In addition to the stories from the school environment, the book about nomad schools also contains different perspectives on the ideologies that led to such Sami education, including how State and Church through the education system sought to assimilate and colonize the Sami population. Particular attention is paid to the period 1913-1940, a time when racial biology ideas were prevailing.”
THE PANEL
Dr. Bruce Lambert is Development Director of Localversity, based in Stockholm. He took part in ‘Aha 2016, the recent Native Hawaiian Governance Convention which gathered a core leadership group of Hawaiians from throughout the archipelago and overseas. ‘Aha sovereignty documents may now be ratified by the wider indigenous community.
Ms. Ellacarin Blind is Counselor for Cultural & Social Issues with the National Union of the Swedish Sami (Svenska Samernas Riksförbund). Ellacarin comes from a reindeer herder family and stayed in a Sami boarding-school in Sweden from age seven to fifteen years old. She has her own reindeer-mark, and lives in Umeå.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 21st 2018, 17.30 for a free tour of Etnografiska Museet’s Sami exhibit, 18.00-19.30 for the panel discussion, 19.30-20.30 for the mingle with refreshments
Americans living in Sweden are finding it difficult to explain what is happening in their country. The nature of cultural difference means that there will always be a need for a conversation to explain one another, but today many Americans find it difficult to explain their country at all no matter which side of the political divide they stand on. Swedes at the same time find it hard to comprehend the events in America and what they mean, particularly for the strong nexus that has existed between Swedish and American culture. At the same time Sweden also faces a time of rapid change in which profound questions of identity and value dominate the daily debates.
This autumn, the American Club of Sweden will be offering a space for a genuine conversation about these issues. It is a conversation intended to focus on values and the human element. How have the developments affected each of us, and how do we move forward together from here?
The conversation will be moderated and focus on different topics each time. The first topic will be: Personal Interactions: How have the changes affected your relationships and ways of communicating with others?
Topics for later conversations will be announced and be guided by the results of the first gathering. Two conversations are planned so far, but further conversations could be planned, depending on the outcome. The conversation will observe our Club values of friendship, inclusiveness and diversity, and intercultural awareness.
MODERATORS:
Gary Baker, former President and Honorary Member, The American Club of Sweden, current Vice Chair of AmCham
Julie Lindahl, President, The American Club of Sweden & Author
WHERE: Hilton Slussen
WHEN: 16.30-17.30, prior to the Third Thursday Mingle on December 21st
REGISTRATION: Drop-in, but please try to come on time. Members only. If you are not a member but would like to participate, please contact us at the e-mail address below.
Registration and entrance to the event entitles you to a group discount exclusively available to Third Thursday participants on all food and drinks. Drinks must be purchased individually at the bar.
Third Thursday networking mingles are hosted by The American Club of Sweden the 3rd Thursday of each month except July. We welcome members, guests and prospective members to join us for handshakes and smiles. No reservations are required: Just drop in and don’t forget your business cards!
Would you like to showcase your company, product or services at an upcoming Third Thursday? Let us know! Sponsorship is affordable and reaches a broad audience in-person and online.
Questions, or wish to learn more about sponsorship opportunities? Email us at 3T@americanclub.se