I live in Flemingsberg, a suburb to Stockholm in Sweden. It is a wonderful place to live, with lots of green spaces, good neighbours, few cars and a short distance to shops, library, hospital, school, church and trains. I have lived here since 2004, and plan to stay for a long time yet. I am one of very many immigrants here, although being a well educated middle class Norwegian, I don’t quite fit the stereotype.
In the news, Flemingsberg and other suburbs to Stockholm built mostly in the late 1960’s and 70’s are characterised as “ghettos” – dangerous and hopeless. And yes, there are problems here that areas with a different demography do not face. My vantage point of being part of this community affects my political views and help shape my perspectives and values regarding society.
I am a member of the Swedish Green Party (Miljöpartiet), and although I am not very active and currently quite disappointed with what the green party is doing in government, I do find that their views and values correspond quite closely to my own position.
In this page I hope to discuss and develop my opinions on local and global politics and societal issues. I’m not very confident in voicing my stance in these areas, but I do think a great deal about them and have decided to challenge myself into raising my voice.
One reason for not wanting to raise my voice much, is that I find strong debate very tiring. I prefer conversation and dialogue. I do not mind changing my mind when I meet better arguments, but I do hope that whoever enters into the dialogue does so with a willingness that we listen to each other’s point of view and treat each other with respect. If I write something disrespectful or hurtful, please tell me. I also find simple answers and one sided perspectives difficult to handle. In my eyes and experience political and societal issues are multifaceted and complex. I hope that what I write here reflects that. I want to seek answers, but would also like to point out that answers are seldom the final word…