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Extensive in-service training in the Lake Victoria Region and at the UN
A Swedish delegation of 33 children, youth and adults from four City Districts of Stockholm and three municipalities took part of the study-tour to Nairobi, Kenya in June. The study-tour was an extensive in-service training by special programs around the Children’s Meeting Place at the grounds of United Nations in cooperation with UNEP and UNHABITAT. Further programs were presented at the Museums of Kenya, at the Bomas (outdoor museum) as well as field-studies to orphanage homes, schools and to a countryside village outside Nairobi. Globetree supports the Children’s Garden program which is situated between two slum areas of Nairobi; Kibera and Dagoretti. During the visit children shared their life experiences with the Swedish delegation.
A two-day workshop took place in Nairobi together with 20 participants from the Lake Victoria Region; Kampala, Entebbe, Mukono and Busia (Uganda) Kisumu and Homa Bay (Kenya) and Mwanza (Tanzania). The Swedish and East African groups worked together to plan for the Children’s Water Way at the Stockholm Water Symposium in August.
Two youths from Sweden joined the study-tour to Kenya to assist the Lake Victoria Children & Youth Network in creating the Newsletter “The Way Forward”. Children from Kenya, Uganda, Sweden and Tanzania created the first issue with focus on the Children’s Meetings Places; the Mother Tree at the UN, Nairobi and the trees which have been inaugurated in East Africa and Sweden. The Newsletter will be distributed in the Lake Victoria region and promote cooperation between the cities in the region.

Children’s Water Way
In August the Children’s Water Way and the seminar Children’s Dialogue with Mayors took place during the Stockholm Water Week in conjunction with the Stockholm Water Symposium. The children and youth delegations brought exhibitions, Water Landscapes, which presented the water situation where they live to learn more about one another’s water situation
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The Globedays
The Globedays are the annual meeting with the Globetree network. This year the Globedays had focus on the World Championship in Cooperation 2006 and the first day was dedicated to visit the five main arenas of the event; the Globe Arena, where the final celebration and handing over the Gold Medals will take place. The visit to the Stockholm City Hall was under the oak tree which will be inaugurated as the Stockholm Children’s Meeting Place in spring 2006. Norrström – the big water area at the centre of Stockholm where the inauguration, Our Uniting Water, will take place. Riksplan, the area around the Swedish Parliament will be the arena of actions to create the Future Vessel for all participants. The seminars will take place at the Stockholm Concert Hall.
The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) hosted the evening program and a mini version of a Future Vessel was created as an inspiration for the preparations in schools, NGO’s and other local organisations.

Study-tour in Sweden for two youth coordinators from Uganda
During one week in the end of October Mr Kalyango Kintu Willington, Vice Chairman Kampala district youth council (KCC) and Ms Nakandi Lydia Ruth, Female youth coordinator from Kampala, Uganda participated in a conference organized by the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations (LSU). After the conference Globetree hosted a six day study tour for Kintu and Lydia to schools and youth councils in three City Districts of Stockholm and to the municipality of Borlänge and Falun. Kintu and Lydia are co-ordinators for the World Championship in Cooperation to be held in Kampala, Uganda year 2008 and several meetings were held to coordinate the planning of the two events 2006 and 2008.

Extensive study-tour in December
Another study-tour following the same agenda of June was made in December. During this tour a meeting was held with representatives of UNEP, Habitat and LVRLAC, Lord Mayor of Stockholm and Deputy Mayor of Kampala on the future cooperation with the Globetree. It was decided that the World Championship in Cooperation 2006 should be followed up on the World Environment Day in Alger, Algeria at the 5th of June and at the Habitats conference, World Urban Forum in Vancouver, Canada 19 – 23rd of June this year. It was also decided that the group will support the next World Championship in Cooperation in Kampala, Uganda 2008. A separate meeting was held with Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Shafqat Kakakhel on his participation in the World Championship in Cooperation 2006.

 2006

Children’s Meeting Place in Vimmerby – the tree of Astrid Lindgren
In the Municipality of Vimmerby, a Globetree was established on the 5th of May when the tree (Sockerdrickaträdet), strongly connected with the famous author of children’s books, Astrid Lindgren, was inaugurated to a Children’s Meeting Place. It was unanimous decided that the 5th of May should be an annual gathering of children and members from the political parties to discuss what is important for the future in order to reach a sustainable development.

Children’s Meeting Places in the City of Stockholm
The same concept was established at the court yard of the City Hall of Stockholm the 8th of May when the leaders of all the political parties and members of the City Council participated together with children from the City Districts of Stockholm in the inauguration of the old Oak Tree.
A ceremony with uniting of soil and water from the City Districts transformed the tree to a Children’s Meeting Place – a place of social gatherings between children, youth and the decision-makers.
The City Districts of Enskede-Årsta and Vantör had their inaugurations of the Children’s Meeting Place at a central place as a starting-point of the WorldCiC.

The First World Championship in Cooperation
The WorldCiC had its manifestation in Stockholm May/June 2006. Participants from 33 countries, 23 municipalities and 12 City districts of Stockholm joined in a wonderful manifestation and created an inspired example of how this world can be a better place to live. More than 3500 children and young people participated during the days of the event and more than 10000 were active in the preparations.
The WorldCiC created forums for discussion centred on children’s reflections and questions about their environment, health, sustainability, justice and equality. The challenge was to champion these discussions and transform ideas into deeds and deliberations into plans of action. The WorldCiC combine joy and aspirations with the deeper dimensions of life. To be fully appreciated and ultimately understood what the WorldCiC is all about, it is needed to be there and experience it! In this new paradigm of the world cooperation, everybody was a champion, a winner and worthy recipient of a gold medal!
Parades
The first World Championship in Cooperation started with four big Parades from four directions – north, south, east and west - of Stockholm. The Parades all come together on the bridges and sides around Norrström, the big water at the centre of Stockholm.
Inauguration Ceremony
On Norrström an Inauguration ceremony including Our Uniting Water Ceremony was performed.
Water from more than 100 countries was united in a bowl made of Ice from the very north of Sweden. The stage was placed on the water, Norrström, surrounded by the Royal Castle, the Swedish Parliament and the Opera. Children accompanied the ceremony, playing music on glass bowls and a choir of nearly three hundred children sang with and for the audience. Children and youth stated their needs and dreams from the stage and different artists joined to support the children’s visions.
Leaders from all the six political parties in Stockholm, both the ruling parties and the parties in opposition were sharing their common promise to the children.
The Web of Life, an immense web raised from the water, a symbolic action telling us that now rises the stories of cooperation and care, up from the deep and oblivion. Stories that have been woven, repaired, sewn, stitched together during thousands of years, uniting symbols from all over the world.
Building of a Future Vessel
A building of a Future Vessel took place at Riksplan, the grounds next to the Swedish Parliament and connected to Norrström. The Future Vessel was the main arena of the WorldCiC. Children and youth created a common vision of a future they can be proud of. It’s here the children shows their skills to cooperate over the many boundaries of personal skills and backgrounds, age nations and culture.
● The children brought a three dimensional construction that is of personal importance to their future.
● During the Future Vessel their constructions were united with the constructions of children from other participating groups/countries.
● All kind of material and tools were available for the children in their uniting process.
● Teachers and group leaders encouraged the children but did not interfere in their creative process.
● The older youth and adults became Night Builders and continued to work throughout the night to fulfil the wishes left by the young ones.
● Guided tour of the Future Vessel for adults followed upon completion of the Future Vessel.
● All constructions had at least one part unfinished, as an invitation for other participants to connect and develop. The missing parts are the beginning of new and unexpected ideas and the key to the World Championship in Cooperation.
Seminars
Parallel to the building of the Future Vessel a 3-day seminar took place at the Stockholm Concert Hall, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) and at the Stockholm City Museum.
The seminars of the WorldCiC offer intellectual nourishment for the adult participants.
The main seminar was “What we do today will be the children’s future”
Scientists and experts who are in the forefront in fields which is crucial for the development of the earth are invited both as lecturers and to interaction with the children. The awareness of environment, sustainable development and democracy can only be raised if you listen and learn from the children, was one of the messages from round 150 representatives from all over the world, who came together to discuss their experiences and ideas in working for a better future of children and youth.
“The Roots and Space Seminar” was organised as a part of the WorldCiC. It was a unique opportunity where Elders and Space Explorers spoke of their perspectives of our planet.
In order to solve problems we need to look for new ways. We need to dare take steps into the unknown. Astronauts/cosmonauts dared to take steps into the unknown. Elders have a close relation to their environment and have an inherited knowledge to live together with nature. Elders and space explorers brought the participants on a voyage into the unknown.
“The Children’s Rights” was organized by the Children’s Ombudsman (BO). The seminar gave different perspectives of what is needed to strengthen the Rights of the Children.
Mayor’s Meeting
Mayors of the participating cities/municipalities were invited by the Lord Mayor of Stockholm to the City Hall of Stockholm to draft the Mayors Promise for the Future.
This was presented at the Closing ceremony.
Closing Ceremony
At the Closing Ceremony all participants and all essential parts of the WorldCiC got together. All participating children and youth received the Gold Medal (when you cooperate all are winners).
The Promise for the Future was presented from the stage by the Mayors. As a token of their commitment to listen and learn from children a Golden Key was handed over to a child by the astronauts/cosmonauts in a ceremony in which the children forwarded the key to their leader of the city district/municipality.
The World Championships in Cooperation Trophy “The Crystal Water” was presented by Lord Mayor of Stockholm to H.W. Deputy Mayor of Kampala City, Uganda - the next host of WorldCiC in 2008.
WorldCiC is not a one time event and this shows, among other things, by the follow up made by each group. The way forward can include local work as well as global networking, at all levels. In many of the groups they
• report about the inauguration of their Children Meeting Place and prepare for the following meetings with politicians under the tree.
• make preparations for being able to join the next WorldCiC in Kampala 2008.
• write their own stories or make power points to be able to tell about their experiences.
The children/youth tell their fellow school mates, parents, teachers, organisations and their politicians.
• make exhibitions with pictures and drawings.

LVRLAC Annual General Assembly, Mwanza, Tanzania
In July Lake Victoria Region Local Authority Cooperation (LVRLAC) had its Annual General Assembly meeting in Mwanza, Tanzania. At the meeting H.W. Mayor of Mukono and H.W. Deputy Mayor of Kampala presented their experiences of the WorldCiC 2006 and the plan for Way Forward to WorldCiC 2008 together with the president of Globetree. There is a growing interest from many regions and cities all around the Lake Victoria to join the WorldCiC.

Globetree and UNEP
A visit was paid to the United Nations in Nairobi how to link the UNEP Environment Day with the World Championship in Cooperation 2008 – maybe both these events can be coordinated in Kampala. A meeting was also held with the UN Habitat, which has established cooperation with LVRLAC.
There is a request to the Globetree from the United Nations Library in Nairobi of establishing a Children’s Library at the UN in close connection with the Children’s Meeting Place. Globetree is looking for funds and the discussion was on-going during 2006.
Globetree and BO (The Children’s Ombudsman)
In September Globetree participated as speaker in the Advanced International Training Program 2006 – The Rights of the Child – a practical approach organized by The Children’s Ombudsman (BO) of Sweden. Two persons from 14 African countries were invited to a training program on the Rights of the Child, sponsored by Sida. From Uganda the two persons of the WorldCiC secretariat, Kampala City Council participated.

September 2006 - Globedays
The Globedays are the annual meeting with the Globetree network. This year, in the end of September the Globedays had its focus on reporting and to evaluate the first WorldCiC 2006. Experiences and conclusions that could be of interest and help to the next WorldCiC in Kampala 2008 was presented. Reports, video and other documentation from WorldCiC 2006 together with presentation of follow-ups in the Swedish municipalities and other countries was given by the project leaders.

October to December 2006 - Teacher and youth exchange
One teacher and two students from Sweden will make a follow-up in Lake Victoria Region to exchange ideas of the Baltic Sea Region and how to develop the WorldCiC further.

23 November to 3 December 2006 - Study travel and follow-up
A 10-day Study tour to the United Nations, Nairobi (UNON) and Kampala/Lake Victoria-region was done in the end of November and beginning of December as part of the Exchange program with the Lake Victoria Region and the Children’s Meeting Place.
On the political level, a Mayor’s Meeting was held at UNEP, Nairobi in Kenya November 28. It was stated that the local actions has to be connected to the global visions. The world will not be changed by money, but by new ideas. Young people have many new ideas, and these need to be connected with the every-day life of decision makers. A meeting between children and decision makers, on a global level should be organized every second year in accordance with the concept of the WorldCiC.
A start-up meeting for the WorldCiC 2008 in Kampala was held on 1st of December at Kampala City Hall. Representatives from schools and municipalities, attending WorldCiC 2006, participated together with technical staff and representatives from Sweden (35 persons), Kenya (10 persons), Tanzania (3 persons) and Canada (1 person). They met with a big number of persons already actively involved from Kampala, both from schools, NGO:s and the administration of the city.
It was stated that there was a need of forming a working group consisting of two persons from each country involved, to summon up the results of the meeting and to work out an action plan to be used in the preparations of WorldCiC 2008 in Kampala.

Children and Youth at Risk
The Seminar Children and Youth at Risk aimed at starting a dialogue between persons in the Lake Victoria Region and Sweden - how to give children a voice also when living under poor circumstances. The seminar shared the Swedish tradition of democracy also for children at risk and the Swedish model of seeing the time in prison as a time for learning and developing professional skills.
The outcome of the seminar Children and Youth at Risk is hoped to pave the way for another attitude to street children and children in the slum area who struggle to survive.
Children’s Garden will develop a program which will test the ideas and suggestions which was expressed and concluded in the seminar. Children’s Garden will be a test arena to see in practice what works and what doesn’t work. The children were equal partners in the seminar and in the follow up program in Children’s Garden.

Christmas party in Children’s Garden
On the day before Christmas Day a Christmas Party was held at the Children’s Garden for more than 300 children coming from various slum areas of Nairobi.