Globetree Newsletter May 2005

Dear Friends,
I want to contribute this Newsletter in honour of my mother Ingrid. The 7th of May my mother took her last breath. Ten months of struggle came to peace.

The vision and work of Globetree is founded on the many who contribute their minds, hearts, time, concern and creativity. My mother was one person who always had an intuitive feeling when she was needed. She helped in so many ways to put the every day life from chaos into order. Clothes were ironed and repaired. At the big events she helped with cocking and serving hundreds of children.
I think many of you remember her special contribution to the Future Vessel Event 2002. When we discussed the costs of band to hold the name cards around the neck for 2000 participants, she found the costs too high. My mother gave another suggestion. She took out her box of yarn and twinned 2000 strings in all colours. My mother was happy her box of yearn came to use and she was happy money was saved.
Mum, we are many who learnt from your example. We are many who miss you a lot!

Spending time with my mother at the hospital has been closely interwoven with the preparations for the coming event, the World Championship in Cooperation which will take place in May/June, next year.
The City of Stockholm will host the event and the City Districts of Stockholm prepare to welcome participants from Sweden and around the world.

We are happy to announce that the Swedish Parliament has authorized Globetree to use its outdoor premises, Riksplan, for the creation of the Future Vessel during the World Championship in Cooperation. Riksplan is at the centre of Stockholm and neighbour to the Royal Castle, the Opera House and the Swedish Government.

Globetree invites to Study Tours to the Children’s Meeting Place at the United Nations, Nairobi, Kenya twice a year. Next tour will take place in June to the UN, Nairobi and the Lake Victoria Region.
The Children’s Meeting Place also was at the centre of the International Roots Meeting, November last year. The area around the acacia tree is a meeting place between children and decision makers. You find the report of the Roots Meeting and Way Forward on Globetree homepage. It’s an amazing web of shared concern and learning together over boundaries of age, professions, nations and culture.

The International Roots Meeting coincided with the UN Security Council meeting in Nairobi. The children made a creative package of drawings, presents and wishes of success which was presented to the Secretary General Kofi Annan. Please, read the letter from Nane Annan who writes to the children on behalf of her husband.

The Children’s Water Way and the Children’s Dialogue with Mayors will be two programs at the Stockholm Water Symposium in August. We look forward to see young people join the delegates of the Symposium. The Children’s Water Way will be a small try out of ideas in the shape of a small Future Vessel and a seminar where children and mayors meet and dialogue with one another.

Last but not least, all of us in the Globetree want to send a delayed congratulation to The Mother of Trees, Prof. Wangari Maathai, receiving the Nobel Peace Price “for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace". Wangari Maathai has been present in Globetree programs in Sweden and at the Children’s Meeting Place in Nairobi. We are all very proud and honoured Wangari Maathai has received this international recognition!

Here is the logo for the World Championship


© Globetree. Design: Peter Bergman

Kajsa B. Dahlstroem
President Globetree
kajsa@globetree.org

Content
1. World Championship in Cooperation
2. The Report of the International Roots Meeting and the Way Forward
3. Letter to the children from Mrs. Nane Annan
4. The Children’s Water Way
5. Congratulations to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai

1. The World Championship in Cooperation.
The City of Stockholm will be the host for The World Championship in Cooperation and the City Districts of Stockholm will play an important role in welcoming participants from Sweden and from all over the world.
During the first months of this year, Globetree has been anchoring the idea in the Stockholm City districts. The first Thursday every month we have had gatherings at the Stockholm City Museum and this will continue with a short break during the summer. We have also started preparation in the Swedish municipalities as well as in other countries in the world.

The final of the World Championship in Cooperation will take place at the centre of Stockholm, at Strömpaterren and Riksplan, where the Lake Mälaren meets with the Baltic Sea. The place is at the heart of Stockholm and is surrounded by many well-known central buildings: The Royal Castle, The Swedish Parliament, The Opera, The Grand Hotel and The Swedish National Gallery.

Globetree has been authorized to use the premises in front of the Swedish Parliament (Riksplan) for the creation of the Future Vessel.

Gathering of the groups at the Children’s Meeting Place at the grounds of The National Museums of Kenya

2. The Report of the International Roots Meeting and the Way Forward
The International Roots Meeting of November 2004 was the result of 3 years intensive preparatory work.

Children's Meeting Places are now established in seven cities in the Lake Victoria Region and four cities/municipalities in Sweden (at least another two will be inaugurated this year) and offer an arena where children can meet in dialogues with their decision-makers and concerned adults. The Children's Meeting Places has a tree at its centre inspired by the Mother Tree of all Children’s Meeting Places at the grounds of the United Nations Office Nairobi (UNON).

Activities from the International Roots Meeting are reported along with experiences from the First and Second Preparatory Roots Meetings (April and November 2003). Children have united their conclusions and recommendations which are used as the base of a concrete Action Plan for 2005/2006 and the future. Project-leaders, teachers, community workers, Mayors and their councillors have done the same to take a joint action to ensure education, increase the awareness of the Rights of the Child, reduce child abuse and harassment, HIV/Aids and improve the environment for children.
Report - International Roots Meeting at the UN, Nairobi
Report - The Way Forward
 
3. Letter to the children from Mrs. Nane Annan, wife of Secr. Gen. Kofi Annan
As a special activity during the International Roots Meeting, the children prepared drawings and poems into an artistic decorated book to invite Secr. Gen. Kofi Annan to the Children’s Meeting Place. The Roots Meeting coincided with the United Nations Security Council Meeting which took place in Nairobi (UNON). Due to the high security the whole area of the UNON needed to be closed. The time schedule of Kofi Annan was too tight for visiting the children, but he sent his warm thanks and greetings to all the children forwarded by his wife Nane Annan.
Letter from Mrs Nane Annan

4. The Children’s Water Way
“The Children’s Water Way” and the seminar Children’s Dialogue with Mayors will take place in conjunction with the Stockholm Water Symposium in August this year. It will be a small try out for the World Championship in Cooperation 2006. We look forward to see many young people join the delegates during the Stockholm Water Week in August 2005. For Invitation and Program go to Stockholm Water Week.
There is also an invitation in the 2nd Announcement from SIWI at page 28.

5. Congratulations to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai


Wangari Maathai at the Children’s Meeting Place at United Nations

Dear Wangari Maathai, The Mother of Trees – warm congratulations to the Nobel Peace Prize from all of us in the Globetree.
At the United Nations in Nairobi (Kenya) Globetree has a very special assignment; To care for a Children’s Meeting Place, which is a beautiful Acacia Tree - a place where children meet decision makers from all over the world. It’s also called The Mother Tree.
Globetree invited Prof. Wangari Maathai to come to the First Preparatory Roots Meeting at the Children’s Meeting Place April 2003. 300 children and adults listened to her care and love for trees and the importance of roots. “My mother gave med love and care for trees and I’m sure you will remember this day all your life and share with your children your care for trees!” Now we know these words came from the first African woman getting a Nobel Prize and it’s a Peace Prize.

Globetree met Wangari Maathai the first time 1984 when she received the Right Livelihood Award. Pupils from Ekensbergs School in Stockholm gave a special welcome program to celebrate Wangari Maathai and we still remember the many shared laughs and hugs of that day!

Under the Children’s Tree Wangari Maathai shared her concern for the future. She showed two big pictures of trees – one with the roots above the ground and one with the roots in the ground:
“The roots need protection from the soil, the water, the worms and the small insects. The tree needs deep roots. Our Mother Tree will protect us; invite us to the soughing of the wind, bring us shadow, protection to small animals and birds. We may not steal her crown. My mother told me to get wood, but she also told me never to get the wood from the Fever tree. That tree becomes over hundreds year old. This gave me something to think of.

I have my eyes, I have a mouth from which I can eat and drink. The tree is something alive, just like me. I became interested to find out; where are the eyes of the tree, the mouth and the ears; how can it drink, hear, see and speak. That’s how I became interested in trees.
I hope you will remember this day – that somebody talked with you to care for the roots, both the roots of the tree and the roots of us. A day like this can be a turning point in your life, which make you decide to be conscious and caring for the environment, a day when you decide not to hurt the roots”.

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