INTRODUCTION by M/s. Kajsa B. Dahlstroem, President Globetree

# 03 Coming up soon

The Stockholm Water Symposium
At the exhibition during the World Water Week August 16-19, in Stockholm, Globetree will annonce both the World Championship in Cooperation and the cooperation between Lake Victoria Region and the Baltic Sea.

The yearly Globedays
The Globedays October 15-16 is the yearly meeting with the Globetree Network. We will develop ideas of the World Championship in cooperation as well as being a Kick-off for the participants of the International Roots Meeting at the UN in Nairobi.

The International Roots Meeting
The International Roots Meeting will take place November 13-19, at the Children’s Meeting Place, which is an area around a beautiful Acacia Tree on the grounds of the United Nations in Nairobi (UNON). Globetree is authorized by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) to run this place on the UNON. The Children’s Tree is also called The Mother Tree.
The Roots of the Children’s Tree are concerned adults around the world. The assignment of The Roots is to be the foundation for children when they are confronted with difficulties. In the Roots Meeting we will find creative and empowering ways how to implement the two UN-documents The Rights of the Child and Agenda 21 into practical actions towards the Millennium goals.
International Roots Meeting


# 04 Inauguration of the Children's Meeting Place, Homa Bay, Kenya
The idea of having a place for dialogue between children and decision makers is spreading in the Lake Victoria Region and Sweden.
Globetree was invited to Homa Bay when H.W. the Mayor of Homa Bay Dr. Stephen Agullo Peter, February 26, handed over a large area in the Jamhuri Park to be the Children’s Meeting Place. Children from many schools thanked the Mayor for their new ground with songs, dances, poetry and drama. Many of the children shared their concern for the environment and their sadness and fear for HIV/Aids.
The tree chosen as the Children’s Meeting Place was a hardy indigenous species in the region known as mtalawanda in Swahili, a Markhamia tree (Markhamia lutea). The tree was chosen for its strength and ability to withstand the tough periods. To make it easier for the children to meet closer to the Mayor’s office, another tree was inaugurated. It is a Naboom tree (Euphorbia candelabrum). Children love to play under this tree as it is always a cool place when the sun is hot.

The inauguration of the Children's Meeting Place at the City Hall, Homa Bay

The City of Kisumu was part of the preparations and the inauguration program. Deputy Speaker of Busia (Uganda) and Chair-man of City Audit Committee. Peter Karoga, was special guest of Honour. Children, teachers, councilors and guests of honour took part in a seminar which was held on February 27. Please look into the HTML text version for link to the report by Bernard O. Obera Ag. Deputy Dir. Environment Dep. Kisumu Municipal.
Inauguration Homa Bay

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# 05 Exchange program - mayors and teachers
In order to strengthen the twining between cities of the Lake Victoria Region and the municipalities of the Baltic Sea, Globetree hosted a 14 days program in April/May with H.W. the Mayor of Mukono Mr. Johnson Muyanja Senyonga and H.W. the Mayor of Busia Mr. Mugeni Michael from Uganda together with the teachers Jane Ruwaga, Muslim Primary School; Moses Ndungu leader Children’s Garden Center and 15 year old Vincent Mwangi from Nairobi, Kenya. Except for the main event of inaugurating the Children’s Meeting Place of Strängnäs, the exchange program covered 8 cities/municipalities of Sweden with the aim to find ways of implementing the content of the Rights of Child and Agenda 21.

At the Solna Nature School in Överjärva, close to Stockholm. Prof. Gunnel Dalhammar, Head of Environmental Microbiology at the Royal Institute of Technology has developed a Pilot Plant, in which an integrated system of plants is used to clean the water. She presented ideas how this could be applied in the Lake Victoria Region.

Many of the project-leaders being part of the development of the Children’s Meeting Places came to the Open House at Globetree and made also programs and study tours for our guests.

Lord Mayor of Stockholm, Mr Barry Andersson invited the delegation to a presentation of the City of Stockholm. He was also happy to announce the decision taken by the City of Stockholm by hosting “The World Championship in cooperation”. The City of Stockholm is divided into 18 self-governing City Districts and the delegation visited one of those, the City District of Skärholmen where District Director Mr. Jan Johansson welcomed the guests and at Bredängs School they met of students with their background in nearly 60 nations - a good picture of the multicultural Sweden.

In the City Hall of Kalmar the welcoming address made by Chief Executive Officer Mr. Roland Karlsson. A meeting with the Youth Ombudsman M/s Sara Karlsson and the Youth Council opened interesting dialogues with the mayors on different perspectives of basic needs/problems between North and South.

Gathering by the Children Meeting Place of Värmdö, in the center of Gustavsberg, inaugurated already in June 2002. The “Mailbox for thoughts of the Future” was presented by the Municipal Commissioner Lars Bryntesson.

The discussions between the Mayors and Dir. of International Cooperations, Mr. Anders Engström were focused on the involvement of children and youth in the LVRLAC and UBC cooperation.The Lake Victoria Children and Youth Network are already starting up activities and communication.

The Teachers/Student group had special programs in the Municipality of Borlänge at the Culture Center Asken and in the Brandbergs School in the Munilcipality of Haninge, while the Mayors visited the Municipality of Robertsfors in a program hosted by Municipal Commissioner Mr Hans Lindgren also he part of the Mayors Meeting at the First Roots Meeting in Nairobi and M/s Tori Carlsson, Project Leader of The International Youth Forum. Robertsfors was this year appointed as the Municipality of the Year.

Before leaving, a meeting with representatives of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities. Mr. Peter Wenster and M/s Marianne Brattberg discussed sustainable development and the municipalities exchange programs with development countries. A meeting with the representative of the Children’s Ombudsman, M/s Eva Norén-Björn gave fruitful ideas of the children’s perspective in the practical work towards the Millennium goals.

At Sida (Swedish international development authorities) Mr. Lars Ekengren, Director of Sida Lake Victoria Directorate and Program Officer Ms Helena Lindkvist was updated about the two weeks in Sweden and the cooperation with Globetree. The discussion was also about the proposal “Children’s Meeting Place – A Network for Activity Development by Children and Youth in Countries of the Lake Victoria Basin and the Baltic Sea”, which Globetree presented to Sida as a result of the two Preparatory Roots Meeting, April 2003 in Nairobi and Nov./Dec. 2003 with the inauguration of six new Children’s Meeting Places in the Lake Victoria Region and the concluding Seminar in Entebbe.

To read more about the mayors and teachers programs as well as the program in Kalmar and inauguration of the Children’s Meeting Place in Strängnäs please look into the HTML text version.
Program Mayors (pdf)
Program teachers (pdf)
Program Kalmar (pdf)

The Mayors from Uganda was the Guests of Honours at the inauguration of the Children’s Meeting Place at Strängnäs.

# 06 Inauguration of the Children's Meeting Place in Strängnäs
The inauguration of the Children’s Meeting Place in Strängnäs was in conjunction with the building of a Future Vessel at Multeum (a combined culture center with library, museum and exhibition halls).
The Municipality of Strängnäs already has a unique way of integrating children/ young people into the process of decision-making. To emphasize that the voices of children is implemented a Children’s Meeting Place was established. In the inauguration ceremony lots of banners, drawings and textiles with messages gave a colourful frame to the place of the tree. The children and youth had prepared a celebration performance with poetry, music and dance. Greetings came from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
The Children’s Tree, a Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) was official handed over by Mr. Anders Svensson, The Chairman of City Council, Mr Torgny Jonsson, the Municipal Commissioner and M/s Helene Rheindorf, Municipal Commissioner. Everybody joined the Uniting Water and Soil Ceremony, which brought water and soil collected by children from all over the world to the new place.
Link to report from Strängnäs in the next Newsletter.
Program Strängnäs (pdf)

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