Shedding my light on the Lucia debate

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

 

Today is Santa Lucia in Sweden – December 13th.  At the darkest time of the year, when we all are drained by the black mornings and afternoons, Lucia pays us a visit. With candles in hair and surrounded by a posse of singers, Lucia shines light into the dark depths of our spirits. The music plays. The choir harmonises. Lucia smiles at us. And slowly, slowly, the day awakens.

I love Lucia. Long live Lucia – this Sicilian martyr, who’s tradition is said to have come to Sweden via Italian merchants around the late 18th century.

Every year, towns around Sweden elect a Lucia and they visit shopping malls, old people’s homes and churches, singing and handing out gingerbread. And every year there is a debate about who owns the right to be Lucia. The answer to that question depends on your starting point – does one take a traditional view or a modernist view? The Swedish traditionalists will say that Lucia definitely has to be a girl, ideally blonde and blue-eyed. The modernists will say Lucia should reflect today’s society and therefore can be any colour or gender.

This year, as many before, the debate took a nasty turn. A large department store depicted Lucia as a gender-neutral, dark-skinned child. For some people, this was too much. Hateful, despicably racist, and, of course, anonymous comments flowed in via social media, revealing yet another crack in Sweden’s tolerant facade.  Consequently, the department store removed the advert to protect the child. This social media behaviour is unacceptable and should be in no way condoned. Having a view point is everybody’s right (be it traditionalist or modernist), but attacking a child is something totally different.

As I watched Lucia this morning I was reminded of the real message. The humanist message. Sure, Lucia is literally about bringing light to the dark day. But the metaphor is clear, if we care to remember it. It is about caring. It is about being open even when we feel closed. It is about community.

One of the songs the choir sang this morning is called ‘Sprid ditt ljus’ – and I think this sums it all up. Translated into English, the chorus goes: ‘Spread your light, in the darkest times, warm us now and let us all feel peace’

Maybe it’s just me, but I think who is elected Lucia isn’t that important. What’s more important is that we remember the point. We should open our eyes to the light that is shone on our society where we have growing social divides, enormous groups of displaced people, poverty, starvation, homelessness on our streets.

Once a year, Lucia shines the light. Can we find it within us to shine our lights on each other? I, for one, intend to try.

Happy Lucia! May the light keep you warm.

 

 

Grand Hotel in Stockholm – you make your bed, you lie in it. 

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

Today I wrote a comment on Stockholm’s Grand hotel’s FB page. This is what I wrote: 

‘Companies can decide themselves who they want to do business with. Hopefully their decisions are based on some kind of vision and social responsibility. That’s why I am so surprised that Grand Hotel chose to accommodate a gala event of Europe’s fascists hosted by Sweden’s right wing racist party last night. You have damaged your reputation and you have lost this customer. I will personally never set foot across your threshold again and I will never recommend your hotel to any friends or business acquaintances. Appropriately for a hotel – ‘you make your bed, you lie in it’.

My comment got a lot of likes, but also I was accused of hating democracy, of being false, of being a liar. The trolls were out. I was told that if I don’t like it, I can leave the country. The concept of freedom of speech was used as a main argument. 

This made me curious about what freedom of speech actually means in Sweden, since it got thrown at me as an insult. This is what I found:

Freedom of speech is regulated in three parts of the Constitution of Sweden:

1) Fundamental Rights and Freedoms protects personal freedom of expression “whether orally, pictorially, in writing, or in any other way”

2) Freedom of the Press Act protects the freedom of printed press, as well as the principle of free access to public records (Principle of Public Access) and the right to communicate information to the press anonymously

3) Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression extends protections to other media, including television, radio and web sites.

However, most interesting and relevant for the net trolls and the haters at the Grand Hotel, Sweden’s Freedom of Speech laws do not mean everything is ok. 

There are clear ‘Hate speech laws’ which prohibit threats or expressions of contempt based on race, skin colour, nationality or ethnic origin, religious belief or sexual orientation.

So to all the trolls out there, don’t throw freedom of speech at me or at anybody else who stands up for democratic communication without first knowing what you are talking about. There is no freedom to express your kind of hate in Sweden, and if you don’t like that – you can move to Russia. 

How Swedes reflect on their mortality

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

skogskyrkogarden

Thankfully, it isn’t every day that you are faced with death. It is isn’t every day we contemplate our own mortality. Probably a good thing. Imagine what life would be like if we thought about death all the time.

But this weekend is an opportunity to do just that. Tomorrow is All Saints’ Eve. Well, not technically. All Saints’ Eve is actually October 31st. But in Sweden, they are practical and, since 1953, they round it up to the nearest weekend and call it a public holiday.

Legislation aside, tomorrow is the day in Sweden when people reflect over life, death and those who have passed away. It is a peaceful time. It is a beautiful time.

Graveyards around the country twinkle with candle light. Relatives flock to the burial grounds and light candles and lanterns and place them by the graves of their loved ones. It is a miraculous sight to see the dark cemetries twinkling and glowing with bright white lights. It brings scerenity and majesty to an otherwise intensive and dark time of the year.

On Österlen in the rural south of Sweden, they have taken it a step further. A festival called ‘Österlen Lyser’ – Österlen shines – happens this weekend. The dark villages and fields are lit up with candles, flares, lanterns and torches. People play lantern-illuminated night time boule by the edge of the sea. Choirs sing, windows glow and open bonfires celebrate this dark time of the year.

It isn’t every day that you are faced with death. Full respect to Halloween, which is also taking hold in Sweden, but I don’t need to be reminded of witches, vampires and zombies. The less commercial traditional Swedish approach provides a more reflective vehicle for us to contemplate our own mortality and remember those we loved.

Top 10 things I miss about Sweden

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

swebuildings

I’ve been hearing and reading a lot of Sweden-bashing recently. While we are free to think what we want, I believe it’s all too simplistic to focus on the negative and complain about Sweden or Swedes. It’s very easy to focus on what Sweden is not, rather than what it is.

Recently, I’ve been a lot in Asia and Latin America, far away from Sweden and my family and friends. Sometimes when we’re confronted by new environments, it is then we realize what we appreciate about our home locations. I’ve been putting some thought into it. Apart from my loved ones, what is it that I miss about Sweden when I’m away?

Here are my top 10, in no particular order of priority.

  1. the feeling that the sky is big and endless, giving a sense of freedom in my mind and spirit
  2. knowing that I can take a deep breath and fill my lungs with fresh oxygen instead of polluted toxic fumes
  3. the calmness in my thoughts and that I don’t have to battle with external noises in order just to hear myself think
  4. my anonymity and just blending in with the crowd
  5. the certainty of knowing how things function and how I am supposed to behave
  6. walking outside without interruption, confusion or danger
  7. the knowledge that I don’t have to keep buying bottled water – I can drink directly from the tap without getting seriously sick as a consequence
  8. the evening light cascading on the colorful buildings – the umbras, the rusty reds and the deep golds
  9. the sting of the cold air on my nose and cheeks (never thought I’d admit to that one)
  10. the Swedish aesthetic – environments filled with stylish modern design, cool Nordic solutions and healthy-looking easy-on-the-eye people

None of this is to say that I don’t enjoy traveling, because I do very much so. I just think that sometimes it’s worth taking a moment to reflect over what you appreciate about where you live.

I’m sure, if you do, you’ll find there’s a lot more than you think.

What do you appreciate about Sweden when you’re not here? I’d love to hear your thoughts – write them in the comments below.

If you like this blog, please share it with your friends.

This thing about being tall 

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes

At a height of 193 cm, I am at the tall end of the man scale. However, in Sweden, I am rarely reminded of it. While I am taller than the Swedish 182 cm average, I still blend in. It isn’t until I visit another country that I become reminded that I am towering over other people and height becomes a source of attention or in worse case ridicule. 

This makes me think of visibility in relation to the intercultural experience. Does the more visible we are affect the authenticity of the experience? 

I remember my first time in Asia how people pointed at me and laughed. I remember in Mexico how people wanted to touch me and in China how they wanted to take a photo with me. My physicality was strange to them and, as such, my presence was impossible for them to ignore. 

I genuinely think that my experience of other countries is coloured by the fact that I can’t hide. I am seen by everybody wherever I go. Shorter people can more easily disappear in the crowd and, as such, can more neutrally observe their surroundings. Through no choice of my own, I am often influencing mine, which consequently makes my surroundings less authentic. 
In Sweden, people don’t notice. Or maybe they just don’t care. Or are too polite to point it out. Whatever the reason, I perceive that my feeling of physical sameness rather than difference is something that helped me adapt quickly to Swedish society and acknowledge it as the place I feel at home. 

Watching the Brazilians at Gate C15 

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes


Sitting at gate C15 in Frankfurt waiting to board for Sao Paolo and it’s a whole different experience than when waiting for a plane to Sweden. 

The majority of the passengers are Brazilian and it is reflected in the extremely high noise level here at the gate. No quiet contemplation and patient queuing here, but joyous raucous banter. 
Then a priest arrives in white collar. He stops and addresses the whole gate with something jovial, a big smile on his face. Everyone laughs and many get out of their seats to shake his hand. 

The flight is overbooked. They offer 600 Euros to anyone from economy who wants to give their seat up until tomorrow. Hysteria ensues. Several people want to and clamour around the counter, the remaining passengers start talking to each other in one giant Portuguese conversation. 

The situation at Gate 15 is vibrant and alive. 

If this is a taste of Brazil, I can’t wait to arrive. 

‘Why is Sweden so dull?’

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes


I’m just home from a business trip to India, where I worked with groups of people in Delhi and in Chennai. They worked with Swedes in a remote team and many had actually been to Sweden. I started my session by asking them what they would like to know about Swedes and Sweden. Their requests were interesting. 

Apart from the usual work-related questions, there were other questions which reveal a lot about how Sweden might be perceived by others. Here are some of their comments:                                       

    
‘Why is Sweden so uncolourful and dull?’

‘Why is Swedish food so bland?’

‘Why are Swedes not interested in us?’

‘They focus so much on their work-life balance. Why don’t they care about ours?’

‘How do they survive the cold weather?’

‘Because they are not religious, where do they get their values from?’

‘Why are Swedes so lonely?’

The debate over Swedish values

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes


Every summer in Sweden, there is a politics week held on the Baltic island of Gotland. Over 8 days, each of the main political parties gets a chance to promote their agenda. This year, there has been a lot of talk about Swedish values, which in turn has started a debate about what are Swedish values and if they even exist. 

If we are looking for values that are exclusive to Sweden, the answer is no. If however we are looking for values that are prioritised in Sweden and function as a way to move society forward then, yes, they do exist. It is a matter of definition.  They may not apply to every Swede, but researchers have seen clear values in Swedish society that, while not unique to Sweden, are very strong. 

There has been a lot of talk about values of equality and tolerance. These values have been strong in Swedish society in the past and have enabled the welfare state, the laws and the political systems we enjoy today. 

According to the World Values Survey, which is a credible and extensive body of research that looks into what values drive society, there are two main value sets that separate Sweden from many other countries in the world. Those values are so-called secular/rational values and values of self expression/self actualisation.

Secular/rational values. In other words, the importance of the church and religion has deminished in Swedish society, religion and politics are separated, traditional family structures exist side by side with less traditional structures. Decisions are made ‘rationally’ and not based on scripture or a religious morality. This is very different from most places around the world.

Self expression/actualisation. The right and the need to say what one thinks is a strong driver in Swedish society. The right to your own opinion, your own perspective and to live the life of your own choice are considered undeniable human rights. This is different from many other places around the world. 

Many behaviours we see in society, in families and in the work place can be traced to these underlying driving values in Swedish society. 

The danger in discussing Swedish values lies in the belief that these are static and fixed. As society changes, so do the prevailing values. As the world around us changes, so do the values. As the environment is impacted, as war and crisis occur, values change. 

When political parties want to reinforce Swedish values, they are romanticising and simplifying. This is dangerous rhetoric as they are wilfully and deliberately using values to exclude. 

Breakfasting under Brexit

Posted on by Neil Shipley's watching the Swedes


Currently in the UK watching the Brits instead of the Swedes. At breakfast this morning I reflected over the Brexit referendum that takes place tomorrow, the day I make my exit back to Scandinavia. I can’t vote in this referendum, even though I’m British, because I’ve lived abroad for more than 15 years. I might not have the right to vote but I do have the right to my opinion. 

Many Brits are truly confused over this. It seems like the arguments are contradictory and vague. Both the remain side and the leave side are using propaganda scare tactics to clinch the vote. False information abounds, unrealistic statistics and outright lies are published in the newspapers. Celebrities are publicly coming out on both sides of the campaign. 

What this referendum seems to be about, for those wanting to leave,  is simply immigration. Fuelled by racist politicians and nationalistic media, the message is ‘make Britain great again’. There is a clear sense of victimisation amongst some people – poor Britain brought to its knees by the evil EU. (When in fact Britain is highly respected and has a powerful voice in the EU). Old conflicts bubble to the surface – Britain won two world wars and now they are cow towing to the Germans and Angela Merkel. And there is a constant fear of being under attack and overrun by refugees queuing up on the other side of the Channel. 

I get that people feel disenchanted with the EU and not in control of their own lives. In my mind that has to do with the policies of the UK and less to do with the EU. If you elect David Cameron as PM, you get his cost-cutting, welfare-slashing, begrudging cynical policies. 

There is no denying that the UK has serious problems. It saddens me to see that there are significant rifts in society, between the remains and the leaves, the Scots and the English, the rich and the poor, the working and the unemployed, the ethnic Brits and the immigrants. Britain is not embracing its changing identity and instead is feeling a strong sense of loss. And the insecurity and frustration this causes makes people look to the past to the halcyon days of the British empire, when ‘things were better’.  But this is an irretrievable illusion, a fantasy. We need to deal with the here and now, and Britain has a lot of healing to do. 

With Brexit, we can debate about economy, trade, freedom of movement, peace, immigration, taxation but the bottom line is a philosophical one. Do you want to live in a country that looks to the past, that isolates itself and looks inwards? Or do you want to live in a country that looks to the future, cooperates with others and looks outwards? For me it’s a no brainer. The EU has its flaws, but it’s better to be a part of it to be able to influence and improve it. 

If I could vote, I would proudly vote to REMAIN.