So we shout, what about Europe United?!!

This autumn, the Party of European Socialists (www.pes.org), with its fantastic party leader Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (picture), has encouraged social democrats around Europe to become “PES-activists”. This is just starting up, but the idea is that local members of the social democratic parties will get to know more about PES-policy and actions. But the PES-activists will also be given possibilities to keep in touch across borders through internet, arrange bilateral exchanges between countries, and meet for a yearly, bigger gathering.

In Stockholm, we are quite a large group of people who found this call very inspiring. On the 28th of November we formed “PES Stockholm (Section One)”, and we believe we are among the first in Europe doing this. Since I am very interested in anything that has do with Habermas and the building of a common, European public sphere, I am honored to be one of the organizers.

Until the PES-gatherings and bilateral exchanges are happening, PES Stockholm has decided to have fun and interesting meetings, those kind of meetings you would like to go to yourself, you know. On Thursday the 15th of December we are having our first meeting, and just to get new members but also in order to inspire others across Sweden and Europe, I am publishing our agenda for the evening below:

5:50 PM: We all gather at the party HQ, Sveavägen 68 in central Stockholm (the new conference center on the ground floor).
6:00 PM: Ann Linde, international secretary of Sweden’s social democratic party, will tell us a little bit about how the PES works.
6:15 PM: We will watch the acclaimed French movie “La haine” (“Hate” in English, “Medan vi faller” in Swedish), about integration and violence in a French suburb. Mathieu Kassovitz directed this film in 1995, ten years before the problems described in the movie became riots all over France.
7:45 PM: The movie is over, we will take a short break, a glass of wine and/or coffee.
8:00 PM: Sam Yildirim, who works with integration at the county administrative board in Stockholm, will comment the movie and give a short talk. Tara Twana, member of Social Democratic Women in Stockholm, will moderate and lead the following discussion.

Sounds like a fun and interesting evening if you like European politics and culture, don’t you think!? So, if you want to become a member, please e-mail karin_boman_roding@yahoo.se (you do not have to live in Stockholm in order to become a member, even if we will have most of out meetings here). If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. And if you are a social democrat living in the Stockholm region, hope to see ya Thursday evening!