Nordic Safe Cities

A big and heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us at the Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20-21.   We were delighted to unite such a devoted group of people on democracy, trust, safety and cooperation, highlighting the need to continue our shared journey to ensure the Nordic region remains peaceful, resilient and democratic.   We witnessed a dedication and commitment to do just that.    Thank you so much!   Now it’s time for action. Gunnar Strömmer Aud Kolberg Erin Saltman, PhD Tobias Bornakke Jakub Olek Bente Kalsnes Lars Trägårdh Laila Bokhari Özlem Cekic Eliana Hercz Maymi Asgari Nicklas Stavnar Ulrika Modeer Stina Liljekvist Pekka Timonen Jan Scherman Eske Vinther-Jensen A.P. Moller - Maersk Sparebankstiftelsen DNB Gjensidigestiftelsen The Nordic Council of Ministers and The Nordic Council

In exactly one week we finally launch our Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20th-21st! ⏳🚀💥 At the Forum we will discuss both the challenges that the Nordic democracies face today and develop concrete efforts to diminish polarization, hate and extremism, as well as develop strategies for cross-sector and cross-Nordic cooperation. Over the course of 2 days Ministers, mayors, national and local leaders, representatives from universities, civil society, tech companies, foundations and youth groups will unite to set the direction and initiate shared action. We hope to capture the visions and ideas that will ensure we stay on the forefront in our prevention efforts to keep the Nordic Region a safe, secure, and inclusive place for all in the years to come. Key themes and discussions include: - How do we create and develop an inclusive democracy for all? - How do we support, empower, and integrate youth in building a strong and cohesive democratic society? - How do we combat cross-border youth crime? - How do we foster cross-sector initiatives that create safe neighbourhoods and avoid the deepening of segregation and the development of crime and recruitment to gangs? - How do we create safer digital communities given the challenges posed by disinformation and AI? We look very much forward to seeing all our participants there and are truly grateful to our contributors. #Democracyforum #NordicSafeCities #Safeguardingdemocracy #Safedigitalcity #Community #Cooperation #Engagement

We are pleased to announce another keynote speaker at our upcoming Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20–21.💥 Lars Trägårdh Professor of History at Uppsala University, has recently focused on projects concerning state-civil society relations, individual rights, the juridification of politics, the Nordic model, the Swedish social contract, and a comparative study of children’s rights regimes in Sweden, France, and the United States. Lars earned his Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley in 1993, after conducting research for several years in both Germany and Sweden. At the Nordic Democracy Forum, Lars will speak about Nordic culture and values, models of cooperation, and the unique characteristics of Nordic democracy. His talk will also address the current state of democracy and the challenges it faces. You can read more about his research and projects here: https://lnkd.in/d5ukZ2ea Fotograf: Sofia Runarsdotter.   #DemocracyForum #NordicSafeCities #Safeguardingdemocracy #community #cooperation

💥 Nordic Pioneers at the Nordic Youth Conference for Democracy! 💥 With the highest ambitions and biggest excitement, Panashe Kauhanen and Ronas Frausing Korkmaz travelled to Voksenåsen Kultur og Konferansehotell in #Oslo 🇳🇴 to join the youth from all across the #Nordics in a deep dive into democracy at this year’s #NordicYouthConference! 🌟 Over three days, 80+ young participants took part in #workshops, #discussions, and #lectures, all aimed at boosting their confidence in making a difference! 👏🏼👏🏾 The head of #NordicPioneers, Ronas, and #NordicPioneerPrize 2024 winner, Panashe, led together a workshop on how to #BecomeAPioneer – giving all the young participants advices, #tips and #tools on how to involve and engage themself to create more positive social change! 🧡 🇫🇮 Panashe also shared his personal story and work with FASHCENE: A cultural music & fashion show in #Turku, #Finland that gather young people of all backgrounds and cultures, creating a safe and inclusive environment that enables youth to display their skills, and work together in a creative and engaging way. 🌟 Lastly, Ronas and Panashe challenged the many participants to brainstorm and #SketchSolutions for issues in their own communities by focusing on #CreativeThinking. 💭💡🏘️ Thank you to all participants for diving into their creative zones and bringing forward fresh, innovative solutions to the challenges faced in the #Nordics today. And biggest thanks to Voksenåsen Kultur og Konferansehotell for the invite and for hosting us! Also, a huge thank you to all the great organizations like Föreningen Norden, Stop Hatprat, Hanasaari - Hanaholmen , Røst and the amazing working group for making this event possible. #nordicyouthcon2024 #democracy #youthaction #nordicpioneers #np2024 #nordiskulturkontakt #youth #youthempowerment #inclusion #diversity #nordic #youngentrepreneur #youthorganization #changemakers

💥 Countdown to the inaugural Nordic Democracy Forum 2024 💥 We are now only two weeks away from our inaugural Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20th-21st. And we look forward to see our more than 200 participants, where we will share two interesting and informative days together.   Our mission is to pave the way forward for Nordic cooperation and democracy with partners in municipalities, government, civil society, research and tech companies.   Safeguarding democracy The importance of discussions on democracy are only underlined by the current global tensions. New and unprecedented threats today pose profound challenges to our politics, our institutions, and our way of life. Conflict in Europe and in the Middle East, a proliferation of digital harms from dis- and misinformation to increasing polarization, to tense elections as just witnessed in the US. Thus the need for concrete measures to safeguard democracy is only becoming more important and this is what we aim to develop together at the Nordic Democracy Forum 2024. #Democracyforum #NordicDForum24

🌐💫 NORDIC PIONEERS IS SUPPORTED THE NEXT 3 YEARS!! 🌐💫   We are happy to announce that we received some incredible news from Nordic Culture Point. They have decided to support Nordic Pioneers over the course of three years with:  ✨ 161.000 € | 1.201.210 DKK | 1.908.368 NOK | 1.856.787 SEK ✨    This is a huge milestone for Nordic Pioneers! Especially as it will strengthen our community by helping and supporting even more our many pioneers that fight every single day to create positive social change throughout the Nordics in all aspects. With this amazing funding, we can now increase our efforts regarding our 4x initiatives: 🌟🏕️ Talentprogram – Through our talent program, we will equip young pioneers from across the Nordic region with the tools needed to strengthen and scale their ideas for mobilizing social change among their peers. 🗣️💬 Outreach to new Pioneers – Our goal is to engage even more young pioneers through outreach efforts at youth festivals, cultural events, and conferences across the Nordics, encouraging their participation in democracy. 🌐📲 Connecting Nordic youth in a strong Digital Community – Through our presence at social media, we will share authentic content that resonates with Nordic youth. Our digital community will highlight inspiring stories from young pioneers and facilitate online networking and discussions. 🏆✨ Celebrate pioneers at the Nordic Pioneer Prize: Our annual prize ceremony recognizes the dedication of Nordic youth in fostering safer, more inclusive democracies. The Nordic Pioneer Prize celebrates their unique contributions and inspires others to drive social change in their communities.   We look so much forward to boost the Nordic youth’s potential and talent while giving them unforgettable memories within our community! Big thanks to Nordic Culture Point for letting us receive funding from Nordisk Råd og Nordisk Ministerråd funding programme, Demos. 🌐 🚀 Do you want to join our journey? Feel free to contact Ronas Frausing Korkmaz, our head of Nordic Pioneers, at ronas@nordicsafecities.org for questions and collaborations! 📩   #nordicpioneers #np2024 #nordiskulturkontakt #youth #youthempowerment #democracy #inclusion #diversity #nordic #youngentrepreneur #youthorganization #changemakers

In the coming weeks, we will present three selected keynote speakers who will speak at our upcoming Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholms stad on the 20th-21st November. The first keynote speaker is Özlem Cekic, General Secretary, Brobyggerne - Center for Dialogkaffe. Özlem Cekic is a Danish-Kurdish former politician and former member of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) for the Socialist People's Party (SF - Socialistisk Folkeparti). She is also a renowned author, speaker, advisor and active in the public debate, especially on humanitarian issues. In 2018 she was the second Dane ever to be invited to give a TED Conferences talk in New York about her invention - Dialog Coffee - a new way of meeting and communicating among people, including those who might disagree. At the Nordic Democracy Forum, Özlem will share her thoughts on how Hamas' attack on Israel on 7th October 2023 and the following war in the Middle East has affected the Nordic democracies, and her work in particular, and what she believes to be the way forward to diminish polarization in the Nordics. You can read more about Özlem and her work here: https://www.ozlem.dk/ Foto: Tina Rossing. #Democracyforum #NordicDForum24 #conference #democracy #inclusion #debate #discussion #extremism #polarization

🌈 Building Safer Queer Cities in the Nordics 🌈 The first important initiative from our Norwegian office has been to host an important workshop in Oslo kommune focusing on queer rights and safety in the Nordics in collaboration with The City of Reykjavik and the Canadian Centre de prévention de la radicalisation menant à la violence (CPRLV). While the Nordics are generally seen as a safe part of the world, the Annual ILGA World report still highlights severe threats to the LGBT+ communities across the Nordic countries, which is why we decided to set this initiative in motion as soon as possible. The two-day workshop discussed many important challenges like: Could municipalities establish councils for gender and sexual #diversity, and how do we improve the reporting mechanisms for hate speech incidents as well as the collaboration between civil society organizations and authorities? Here are some key takeaways from our discussions: - Visibility and Inclusive Urban Design: It's vital to show support for LGBTQ+ communities year-round, not just during #Pride. - Establish Councils for Gender and Sexual Diversity: Ensuring that queer voices are included in decision-making processes is crucial. - Create Structures and Action Plans to Combat Hatespeech: Addressing hate in both physical and digital spaces is essential. - Ensure Resources for Implementation: For initiatives to be effective, municipalities and police forces must be adequately funded. In the words of Deputy Director Lotte Fast Carlsen: “At Nordic Safe Cities, we are dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive democratic societies across the Nordics for all citizens. We will continue to work collaboratively and address these issues with our partners and communities, not just during this workshop, but as an ongoing commitment to inclusivity and safety.” A huge thank you to all the participants. Their valuable insights on the need for a continuous focus on hate speech and violence against the LGBT+ community, and how to secure strong #representation, #inclusion and #safe urban space for all is so important 💏 Also thanks to the Nordisk Råd og Nordisk Ministerråd for funding the workshop 👏 Check out this great video about the workshop and let’s continue the important work of fostering inclusion for all 👇 😊 #Share #Democracy #Minority #Queer #LGBTQ+ #QueerRights #Rights #Inclusion #Diversity #gender #hatespeech #equality Skeiv Verden - Queer World GRIS-Québec Aide aux Trans du Québec (ATQ) Conseil québécois LGBT Sabaah Even Aleksander Oslo Police District Fredrikstad kommune Ministry of Culture and Equality - Norway Cybernauterne

💥 NORDIC DEMOCRACY FORUM TAKES OFF IN EXACTLY THREE WEEKS 💥 Yesterday, the Prime Ministers in the Nordic countries met in The City of Reykjavik at the annual meeting in the Nordisk Råd og Nordisk Ministerråd. They agreed to pursue an even stronger collaboration on a resilient Nordic region, tackle cross-border crime and safeguard Nordic communities in uncertain times 👏   In three weeks from now, we look forward to continue the conversation at the Nordic Democracy Forum 2024 in our member city of Stockholms stad 💫   WHAT IS THE NORDIC DEMOCRACY FORUM? Over the course of the past few years the safety and security of Nordic communities have changed. New and unprecedented threats pose profound and transformational challenges to our politics, our institutions, and our way of life. The inaugural Nordic Democracy Forum 2024 represents an opportunity to safeguard and invest in our democratic way of life to ensure that the Nordic region and cities remain beacons of democracy, safety and security in the times to come.   KEY THEMES INCLUDE:   - Cross-border youth crime - How to combat manipulation of information and create safer digital communities - How to empower youth to shape democracy and engage youth in decision-making - How to ensure a democracy for all, with more trust in each other, our institutions and the media.   Ministers, mayors, leaders and representatives from all Nordic countries and governments will participate, as well as civil society, city leaders,  tech companies, youth advocates, foundations, think-tanks and researchers and a selected group of global partners - all in all +200 participants. THEY INCLUDE: Gunnar Strömmer, Swedish Minister for Justice, Karin Wanngård, Mayor, City of Stockholm, Jens-Kristian Lütken Mayor, Københavns Kommune, Pekka Timonen, Mayor, Vantaan kaupunki - Vanda stad - City of Vantaa, Martin Ruby, Director of Policy, Meta, Sophia Wikander Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Sweden, Özlem Cekic, General Secretary, Brobyggerne - Center for Dialogkaffe, Ingrid Tollånes, Director of Philanthropy, Gjensidigestiftelsen and Natasha Al-Hariri Head of Democracy, TrygFonden, Karen Hækkerup Chair, Nordic Safe Cities Board, Former Minister for Justice and Social Affairs, Denmark. We hope to capture the visions and ideas that will ensure we stay on the forefront in our prevention efforts to keep the Nordic Region a safe, secure, and inclusive place for all in the years to come. Stay tuned here on LinkedIn to get the latest updates in the coming weeks, including presentations of keynote speakers and more. #conference #meeting #democracy #polarization #extremism #security #safety #Forum #foundation #funding #minister

📰 NEWS FROM THE NORDICS - FALL 2024 📰 Welcome to the second edition of News from the Nordics 💥 In this edition, we pay special attention to potential Iranian proxies’ involvement in the embassy attacks in Denmark and Sweden in early October as well as Swedish gang recruitment and the rising cross-border youth crime, which has led to increased police cooperation across the region 👁️🗨️ You can also read about the overall Nordic response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Finnish Government’s new antiracism plan, misinformation about the Southport murders, how the summers Pride events were in the Nordics and more 🗞️ We hope you enjoy the read 😊 👇 Author: Andrea Martine Bergan #news #extremism #polarization #democracy #diversity #pride #terror #government #threat #security #safety