Kriget i Ukraina; Vilken roll har freds-, demokrati- och ickevåldsrörelsen?

Välkommen till ett Another Development Foundation Talk om hur ett antal av Sveriges freds-, demokrati- och ickevåldsorganisationer arbetar för fred, demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter under pågående krig i Ukraina.

Vilka utmaningar står freds-, demokrati- och ickevåldsrörelsen inför? Hur analyserar rörelserna situationen, och vad gör de praktiskt?

MEDVERKANDE
Martin Uggla, Ordförande, Östgruppen
Agnes Hellström, Ordförande, Svenska freds- och skiljedomsföreningen
Malin Nilsson, Generalsekreterare, Internationella Kvinnoförbundet för Fred och Frihet (IKFF)
Lotta Sjöström Becker, Generalsekreterare, Kristna fredsrörelsen

Moderator: Ingvar Rönnbäck, Grundare av Another Development Foundation

DELTA LIVE VIA FACEBOOK
Samtalet är kostnadsfritt och sänds live via Facebook i detta event.

Kan vi göra något särskilt för att underlätta ditt deltagande? Hör av dig till kristoffer.fredriksson@bilda.nu

FORTSÄTT SAMTALET
Fortsätt gärna samtalet i samtalsgruppen Ickevåld – samtal om organisering för samhällsförändring https://www.facebook.com/groups/229226679318361

ARRANGÖRER
Another Development Foundation
Studieförbundet Bilda
Utrikespolitiska föreningen vid Umeå universitet.
Ickevåld 2022 – mötesplats för aktivister, forskare och rörelser

Spring Trip Meeting & Q&A!

Are you thinking about signing up for the Spring trip to Berlin? Do you have questions regarding the trip before signing up? Do you want to meet others who also are interested in going on the trip? Join us for an information meeting followed by a Q&A with our Head of Travel and the travel committee!

We will go through practical details about estimated prices, booking of flights and a sample of what kind of activities we’re planning. We are in the midst of the planning process and therefore the itinerary is not yet completed, but you will get a good idea of what we’re planning.

Join us for some spring feelings in S306, monday 14/3 17:15! You will be able to attend the meeting and still have time to register interest before deadline the following day.

S306 in Mazemap: https://link.mazemap.com/GunFCHj3

Women’s Rights Pub!

Women’s rights pub!

UNA Umeå, FemJu and UPF Umeå invite you to the Women’s Rights Pub at Origo!
Come and join us to celebrate and have a great time together during women’s rights week! We will organise a Quiz where you can win fantastic prizes and special drinks will be available for this special celebration. The event will start at 19.00 and go on until 22.00 when the nightclub at Origo starts.

📍Location: Kårhuset Origo
📅Date and time: 19.00 – Friday 11/3-2022 (Free entrance until 22.00)
🎀Theme: Pink

Travel blog from Kiruna!

Travel Blog

UpF Goes to Kiruna – 3-6 December 2021

Friday

It all started during a dark December afternoon. After a long day in school, we left campus in two rental cars and headed north – more specifically 598 km north. We made multiple stops along the way for snacks, bathroom breaks, dinner, and fuel. After driving as far north along the E4 road as we could, before it took a turn towards Finland, we headed northeast into the deep woods. It was late, we were all very tired and one of the cars was stuck with one radio station. They were trying to get a message to the radio for a song request and after several texts and calls they finally got through to the radio host! A little sample of the shout out can be found in the vlog. We finally arrived in Kiruna around 2:00 – 2:30 in the morning and once we checked into our hostel everybody went straight to bed.

Saturday

The next morning was un-scheduled until the afternoon trip to the mine in Kiirunavaara. This gave us a little of a sleep-in, which was nice due to the late arrival. After a stroll around town and visiting a small Christmas market we had some lunch at Café Safari (TV famous from the show Midnattssol) before heading towards the tourist center where we would take the bus down into the mine. You could see the climate outside the bus changing on the windows and you could feel it in your ears while going further down into the mine. Before we got to exit the bus, we had to put on white visitors’ helmets and then the tour could begin. We learned a lot of things during the tour – for example how long the roads are inside of the mine (500 km?!), the many steps between drilling for iron ore and the finished product and how the tires on the huge machines are mostly filled with water to eliminate the risk of explosions.

After the educational mine tour, we had some spare time before it was time for dinner, so we all went back to the hostel. After resting, showering and hanging out for a bit we headed towards Stejk – a street food truck with a Lavvú next to it for seating. They were serving us tasty (and large!) cheese steak subs with reindeer and moose meat, along with a very interesting and informative conversation regarding the surrounding area.

Sunday

Sunday morning was cold. Very cold. So cold in fact, we couldn’t get one of the cars started. We were going to Jukkasjärvi for a Sámi open air museum and to see the Ice Hotel. But since the cars didn’t start, we had 10 university students with a pair of jumper cables scratching their heads. Don’t worry, we got the cars started after a while thanks to a little teamwork. But I bet none of us will forget how to jump start a car in a temperature below -25 Celsius! After arriving at Jukkasjärvi and entering the Sámi open air museum, called Márkanbáiki, we tried our best to take in the exhibits even in the freezing cold. At least we got to hang out with the reindeers a bit before taking our frozen lashes into Café Sápmi for some warmth and some fika.

After getting warm enough to head outside again we drove the 1,2 km to The Ice Hotel. It was around -5 Celsius inside the Hotel which felt warm compared to outside. We walked around checking the exhibits out and we were all astonished by the talent of the artists creating these rooms. The details were incredible! After seeing all the rooms, I just had to try a mocktail from the ice glasses. I tried it, it tasted like sugar and the glass was super difficult to drink from. But I tried it.

When getting back to the hotel we had some time on our hands before it was time for dinner. Some of us headed to the sauna, some of us got some rest and some of us just hung out for a bit. After a while we geared up again, headed for a pizzeria close by and after we ate it was time for some aurora hunting. We drove towards Abisko to get a glimpse of this force of nature. The temperature had dropped to below -30 Celsius now and our cars had trouble getting the heat up, meaning we were freezing inside the cars as well. After a while we saw the green lights in the sky, so we stopped for pictures. We actually stopped two times before heading back to Kiruna. Once we got back we headed to bed and the last thing we heard before falling asleep was the explosions from the mine.

Monday

Monday, the last day of the trip with 1h and 35 min of sunlight in total. The group had some free time during the day, we split up and did some last-minute sightseeing and shopping. Some of us met up for lunch at Café Safari again before going back to the hostel. We were planning to go to the new town center of Kiruna together, but we ran into some car troubles again. This time the car really didn’t want to get up and running no matter how much we tried, so part of the group decided to stay back at the hotel and meet us at our next scheduled activity. Said and done – half of the group went to New Kiruna for a (very) quick visit. We were running behind schedule and our next activity was approaching so some of us basically ran into the new community center to get a glimpse of the interior, then got back to the car and drove towards the Sámi Parliament.

Luckily, we made our appointment on time. We were going to meet with Marie Enoksson, who works as a communicator at the Swedish Sámi Parliament. We were welcomed into a room with a beautiful painting, a Sámi flag and a Power Point presentation with a picture of three adorable children. The following hours were spent by Marie telling us about the Sámi people in Sweden, their history and about how the parliament operates. It was a super interesting lecture and all of us had a lot of questions which led to a very intriguing conversation. We did stay way past the set time for our visit and all of us were very thankful towards Marie who took the time to stay and talk to us after the visit was officially over.

The last activity of our trip was the last dinner together. We had a reservation at Spis, the hostel where we were staying, and they had really amazing food. We talked about our highlights of the trip and enjoyed each other’s company. A great way to end a great trip.

Annual Election Meeting

Dear members of Umeå Association of International Affairs, 

You are hereby summoned to the Annual Election meeting of 2021. The meeting will be held on the 12th of May at 16:15 on Zoom. The Annual Election meeting will decide on the board members of 2021/2022 as well as vote on the budget and operational plan for the following fiscal and operational year. Elections of board members will be held through a voting system on Zoom which will be explained on spot. Following positions are eligible to apply for:

President (1)
Vice President (1) 
Treasurer (1)
Secretary (1)
Head of Programme (2)
Head of PR/Communication (2)
Head of Activity (1)
Head of Travel (1)
Head of Media (1)
Editor (1)
SAIA-Representative (1)

If you are interested in any of the positions, please read the mission statements and send an email of interest to ordf@upfu.org or info@upfu.org. The election of the positions will be held through nominations: either you nominate yourself or a meeting attendant will nominate you. You will thereafter have the opportunity to present yourself and the meeting will be able to ask you questions. After your presentation the meeting will vote on who to elect for the position. The meeting is regulated in the by-laws §11 and rules of procedure §14. Remember: To be able to vote at the meeting, you have to become a member at least (5) days before the meeting day. 

Members have the opportunity to submit motions or amendments to the proposed operational plan and budget to the annual election meeting. Motions and amendments are to be submitted no later than (7) holiday-free weekdays before the annual meeting. Please submit motions to: info@upfu.org. 

The meeting details are inserted in the event. The operational plan, mission statements, by-laws, motion template and draft agenda is attached to the Facebook event. The proposed budget will be sent out no later than (14) days before the meeting. Date: 12/05/2021
Time: 16:15
Place: Zoom

We hope to see you there,
The Board through President Agnes Selnes
Umeå Association of International Affairs
Mail: ordf@upfu.org
Umeå 08/04/2021

Lecture: Hungary’s New Brand of Politics

Hungary’s Drift to What?
Robert C Austin
Associate Director and Professor, CERES
Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
University of Toronto

In 2010, Viktor Orbán began his second mandate as Hungarian Prime Minister. Since that, “Revolution at the Polls” Orbán’s Fidesz Party has transformed Hungary politically and economically by winning super majorities in the subsequent parliamentary elections in 2014 and 2018. This new political system has been extremely controversial and has often put Hungary at odds with the European Union (EU) over everything from migration to George Soros to Covid-19. Nevertheless, Orbán has persisted in his efforts to not only remake Hungary but also offer a new sovereigntist and nationalist agenda for other EU member states. This lecture evaluates the major changes under Hungary’s system of “national cooperation” and the prospects for democracy overall. In short, is Hungarian democracy dead and does it even matter for Europe’s future?

Robert C Austin (PhD University of Toronto) is a specialist on East Central and Southeastern Europe in historic and contemporary perspective. In the past, Austin was a Tirana-based correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; a Slovak-based correspondent with The Economist Group of Publications; and a news writer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto. Austin has written articles for The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Southeast European Times, Orbis, East European Politics and Societies and East European Quarterly along with numerous book chapters and two books published separately in Tirana and Prishtina. He has lectured widely in Europe and North America. His most recent book, “Making and Remaking the Balkans: Nations and States since 1878”, was published with the University of Toronto Press in May 2019. He is now writing a popular history of Central Europe since 1848. At CERES, he coordinates the Undergraduate and Graduate European Studies Program, the Hellenic Studies Program and the Hungarian Studies Program.

Date 2021/04/12

Time: 17:00

Lecture: Mercenaries in the Service of Authoritarian States

“By using mercenaries and ostensibly private security services, China and Russia project power and protect their interests abroad without openly deploying their armed forces. However, in doing so, the two countries follow two very different paths.” (Friedrich, Masuhr 2020)

UpF Umea invites you to the upcoming online lecture “Mercenaries in the Service of Authoritarian States” with Niklas Masuhr from the Center for Security Studies, ETH Zürich. In his research, Niklas Masuhr sheds light on the approach by i.a. China, Russia, Turkey and UAE to incorporate private military and security contractors (PMSC) in their pursuit to enforce and safeguard national interests beyond their borders. We are looking forward to a highly interesting lecture about the different paths these states go down in this endeavor, legal grey areas and how their use of PMSCs differs from the way PMSC operate in the service of Western states.Niklas Masuhr is a member of the ETH’s Global Security Team and works on contemporary conflicts, defence policies and military strategies. We are very grateful to have him as speaker and hope you do not miss out on this lecture!

Date: 02.03.2021
Time: 12-13
Location: Zoom

Lecture: EU Enlargement & Peace and Conflict

UpF Umeå are very delighted to invite you to the upcoming lecture “EU Enlargement & Peace and Conflict” with Christian Danielsson; the Head of the European Commission’s Representation in Sweden.

The recent debate about Turkey’s potential accession to the EU has given a glimpse on how the EU enlargement process often involves a balancing act between opportunities and dissension. In his lecture, Christian Danielsson will provide insight into the motives behind EU’s enlargement ambitions as well as the factors that catalyse or prohibit nations from entering the EU. Special emphasis will be put on the case of Turkey, its involvement in the Syrian civil war, and contradictions to the European Union’s values as a potential result.As of 2013, Christian Danielsson holds the position of Director-General of EU’s Directorate-General Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR), which is why we are very grateful to have him as a highly experienced and accomplished lecturer for this topic. 

We hope to see you there!

Human Rights Week 2020: Movie Screening

Movie: Six Days

UNA Umeå (Umeå FN-förening), UpF Umeå, Kvinna till Kvinna Umeå and Amnesty Umeå University wish you all a warm welcome to the movie screening of the documentary ”Six days” on Zoom, with a discussion after the movie. The movie screening is a part of Human rights Week (HRW). A week were we bring awareness to human rights, bring attention to what happens when our human rights aren’t respected and help those who fight for their rights every day.

The documetary follows three women who are all active in organizations that receive support from Kvinna till Kvinna. Lanja in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan is fighting against oppression of honor. Maia in Abkhazia/Georgia gives girls knowledge about their own bodies. Nelly in Liberia helps poor women take control of their lives through education. But the three have to pay a high price for their commitment. Threats, violence and poverty are just some of the daily obstacles in their struggle for rights that should be obvious to everyone.

The documentary is produced by the organization Kvinna till Kvinna

Human Rights Week 2020: Lecture

Human trafficking and sexual exploitation from the perspective of International Law

As part of the Human Rights Week, UpF is very delighted to be hosting Karin Åström for a lunch lecture on Wednesday, 9 December 12-13.

In her lecture Karin Åström will be outlining central legislation of the international law framework related to Human Rights as well as elaborating possibilities and challenges regarding the enforcement of international law on the global level.Considering the already extensive and yet growing amount of cases around the globe, special emphasis will be put on Human Rights Violations in course of Human Trafficking as well as sexual exploitation, as the most frequent form of Human Trafficking.Karin Åström is a Umeå University lecturer at the law faculty with broad expertise and experience in the field of human rights which is why we are grateful to announce her as speaker for this lecture.

The event will be held on Zoom and free for everyone, so make sure to join us for this interesting lecture!

Extra Annual Meeting

Dear members of The Association of International Affairs UMEÅ,

You are hereby summoned to Umeå Association of International Affairs Extra Annual meeting on 20/1/2021. The meeting will be held fully on zoom. You do not have to sign up before the meeting. Simply participate by joining the zoom call linked below. The voting will be held through the zoom polling system and will be fully anonymous.


The meeting will by-elect 3 vacant positions: Head of Media, Head of PR/Communication and Editor. The meeting will also elect an election committee for the remaining time of the spring semester of 2021.

If you are interested in any of the positions, please read the mission statements and send an email of interest to ​ordf@upfu.org​ or ​info@upfu.org​. The election of the positions will be held through nominations: either you nominate yourself or a meeting attendant will nominate you. You will thereafter have the opportunity to present yourself and the meeting will be able to ask you questions. The meeting is regulated in the by-laws §11 and rules of procedure §14. Remember: To be able to vote at the meeting, you have to become a member at least (5) days before the meeting day.

Members have the opportunity to submit motions to the annual meeting. Motions are to be submitted no later than (7) holiday-free weekdays before the annual meeting. Please submit motions to: ​info@upfu.org​.

Date: 20/1/2021
Time:16:15

Digitalt möte med utrikesminister Ann Linde

Efter ett minst sagt turbulent år där Sverige varit ett återkommande ämne i den utrikespolitiska debatten närmar vi oss slutet på 2020 med en del obesvarade frågor. Vilka typer av förändringar kan vi förvänta oss och hur kommer Sveriges position se ut i en post COVID-19 värld? Dessa frågetecken hoppas vi kunna räta ut.

Vi på Utrikespolitiska Föreningen i Umeå kan nämligen stolt meddela att vi fått möjligheten att hålla i en digital föreläsning med utrikesminister Ann Linde. Ann Linde har sedan september 2019 erhållit ämbetet som utrikesminister och har en mångårig erfarenhet inom både nationella och internationella frågor. Hon har tidigare suttit som Sveriges EU-minister under perioden maj 2016 – januari 2019 samt innehaft ämbetet som Sveriges handelsminister under ämbetsperioden maj 2016 – september 2019. Utöver att inneha ämbetet som utrikesminister är hon även sedan januari 2019 minister för nordiskt samarbete. 

Upplägget är sådant att utrikesministern kommer först att föreläsa och har sedan möjlighet att svara på frågor från publiken, både på svenska och engelska. Föreläsningen är gratis för alla medlemmar och utomstående. Formatet kommer att vara sådant att Utrikesministern håller föreläsningen på zoom vilket kommer att livesändas i detta event. Samtliga deltagare är fria att ställa frågor i chatten. OBS: Föreläsningen kommer hållas på svenska men frågor på engelska är självklart välkomna.

Var? ZOOM
När? 25 November kl: 12:00

Covid-19: Update from the board

Dear members of UAIA,

We have been very lucky to have been able to operate on campus this far into the semester. Now we have reached a point where it is not possible anymore. Because of the current spread of Covid-19 in Västerbotten, Folkhälsomyndigheten decided to introduce local restrictions earlier this week. It is now very important that we all put in an effort to decrease the spread of the virus. The board of UAIA has therefore decided to move all of our planned meetings and activities into the digital sphere. We would therefore like to encourage you to follow us on our social medias, where we will post about future lectures and hopefully be able to give some personal updates from our board.

Facebook and instagram: upfumea

We want to ensure you that we are following the new guidelines and urge you to do the same.

Kind regards,
The board of 20/21.

Trip to Dublin

UPF Goes to Dublin!

Do you want to take a break from the gloomy Umeå winter? Want to make new friends, see great things and explore historical sights? Get a view into the current political climate in Ireland and the UK?

Come on UPF’s trip to DUBLIN, IRELAND this December from 6th to 11th December!

Would you like to join us on our trip? Please see our social media post for more information!

Activity: US Election Night

US Election Night at E-puben

After a year full of extraordinary events the time has finally come for another one, the US General Election. 2020 has so far included more alone time than most would have liked and that is why we are happy to announce that you will not have to spend this night solo! Why? Well, that is because the Umeå Association of International Affairs along with Nordpol and the Umeå Student Union are hosting a U.S. election night at E-Puben!We have planned for a night full of fun and exciting activities. We will analyze and discuss the election and its possible outcome and – most of all – have a nice time together. The bar will of course be open.

When: Tuesday 3/11/2020 at 21-02

Where? E-puben

Tickets: 50 kr

You will be able to buy your ticket in this event through a link that will be provided on the 20th of October at 18:00. Because of the current pandemic there will be a maximum of 50 people attending the event. The event is available for members in either UpF, Nordpol or Umeå Studentkår. You also have to be a student union member to be able to enter e-puben. Make sure to save the date and set the time for the tickets.

We hope to see you there!

Lecture: How does the US electoral system actually work?

Want to learn more about the complexities and dilemmas behind the US general election?

Then come to Lindellhallen 1 during lunch on the 27th of October and listen to Peteris Timofejevs outlining the electoral system, current polls and crucial differences between the candidates.

Hosted by the Association of International Affairs UMEÅ

We will serve fika as usual!

When? Tuesday 27/10/2020

Where? Lindellhallen 1

Panelsamtal: Vad kan Umeå kommun göra för Agenda 2030?

Vad kan Umeå kommun göra för Agenda 2030? – Panelsamtal

Hur sköter sig Umeå Kommun i förhållande till de globala målen utarbetade av Agenda 2030? Vilka punkter behöver förbättras och hur planerar kommunen att genomföra dessa sina strategier?

Utrikespolitiska Föreningen och Umeå FN-förening har bjudit in partierna representerade i Umeå kommunfullmäktige till en paneldebatt. Diskussionen kommer att modereras av Felicia Sandin, ordförande för Umeå FN-förening samt Svenska FN-förbundets ambassadör för de globala målen. De representerade partierna i Umeå Kommunfullmäktige är; Arbetarpartiet, Centerpartiet, Kristdemokraterna, Liberalerna, Miljöpartiet, Moderaterna, Socialdemokraterna, Sverigedemokraterna, samt Vänsterpartiet. Panelsamtalet kommer att genomföras på svenska.

Vi kommer att bjuda på veganska och ett antal glutenfria mackor till samtliga deltagare. På grund av rådande pandemi kommer eventet tillåta en maxgräns på totalt 50 deltagare. För att det ska gå så smidigt som möjligt ber vi ni som vet att ni kan komma skriva upp er på en deltagarlista som kommer att läggas ut i eventet fredag 9/10 kl 17:00. Det är först till kvar som gäller och det är gratis att delta. För de som inte får en biljett eller vill njuta av paneldebatten på distans kommer vi att livestreama diskussionen i detta evenemang.

När? Onsdag 14/10/2020

Plats: Hörsal G samt Livestream på facebook