NEW DESIGN ON THE GLOBETREE NEWSLETTER!

We have created a designed paper version of the Globetree Newsletter, which is available as a PDF-file on the Globetree website www.globetree.org.

====== Globetree Newsletter 2003, August Nr.1

INTRODUCTION by Ms. Kajsa B. Dahlstroem, President Globetree

Dear Friends,
The Swedish summer is soon coming to an end, a summer flooded of sun! Please forgive us for not keeping contact for some time! Parallel to all other
activities of the year we have been working on the Globetree CV. It is an
answer to the frequently asked question: -What is the Globetree? You find the Swedish version on our website. The English version of the C.V. is out for proof reading and will soon be released. As you can see we have also been working with the layout of the Globetree Newsletter. We hope you will like it! EU-Commissioner for the Environment Margot Wallstroem, received a prize from the newspaper Euro-pean Voice for being the best EU Commissioner of the year. She donated the prize money to the Globetree! We are also very happy for the special attention at the First Prep. Roots Meeting in April at the United Nations and the Museums of Kenya, Nairobi. UNEP Exec. Dir. Dr. Klaus Toepfer and UN Habitat Exec. Dir. Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, together with the Kenyan Assistant Minister of the Environment Ms. Wangari Maathai, The Nairobi Lord Mayor, Cllr Joe K. Akech and the Swedish Ambassador in Kenya, Bo Göransson - all joined at the Children's Meeting Place together with 13 mayors from four nations. We also wish to send a special Thank You to the Swedish Minister for the Youth, Lena Hallengren, for her encouraging letter sent to all the children. Also a special thank you to the Museums of Kenya and the Pillars of Hope for the organization! A delegation of 7 youths from the Lake Victoria Region came to Sweden for a follow up on the Roots Meeting. They also participated in the conference Young voices of the Baltic Sea in the City of Kalmar. On behalf of all participants of the Roots Meeting and the Youth Study Tour we thank Forum Syd/Sida for the financial support! UNEP Deputy ED Shafquat Kakahel, visited Globetree at the end of June to discuss the Roots Meeting together with the Lord Mayor of Stockholm, Barry Andersson. September 26th -27th , we will have our yearly Globedays. All are welcome! 23rd of November to 3rd of December is the Second Preparatory Roots Meeting which will take place in the Lake Victoria region and at the UN, Nairobi. This and a lot more in this Newsletter! We thank you all, friends of Globetree, for your support!

Ms. Kajsa Dahlstroem
President Globetree
kajsa@globetree.org

# 1. European Commissioner Margot Wallstroem donates her Prize Money to Globetree. European Commissioner for the Environment, Margot Wallstroem, receives the prize as the best EU-commissioner by the Belgian newspaper European Voice. Margot Wallstroem personally calls Globetree and tells the prize money will be a donation to the Globetree. (The money is used for the Children's Meeting Place in Nairobi, Kenya.)

# 2. Roots Meeting at the Children's Meeting Place, United Nations, Nairobi, Kenya. In the coming years Globetree will have special focus on developing the Children's Meeting Place, at the United Nations. You remember the special news of 2001:"Globetree has been authorized by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to run a Children's Meeting Place at the United Nations grounds in Nairobi, Kenya." The Children's Meeting Place is a big Acacia Tree. At the inauguration of the Children's Meeting Place in September 2001, all agreed that the roots of the tree are most important. Without roots the tree will not live. The roots of the Children's Meeting Place are concerned adults around the world. In December 2002 and January 2003 discussions were held at UNEP, at the National Museums of Kenya and with the Network of teachers in Nairobi; The Pillars of Hope - Margaret Mwaura, Jane Wanjiku Ruvaga, Grace Muluta, Moses N'dungu, Jane Ene Ramu and Zack Thiongo. It was decided that prior to the international Roots Meeting, two preparatory meetings should be held, one in April and the other one in November 2003. An international Roots Meeting will take place at the Children's Meeting Place 2004. The Invitation will be presented in the next Newsletter.

#3. Preparatory Roots Meeting
Thanks to a financial support from Forum Syd/Sida it was possible to expand the Preparatory Roots Meeting not only to the Nairobi meeting, but also to make a follow up in the Lake Victoria region and let young people from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda join the confrence "Young Voices of the Baltic Sea" and a study-tour to Sweden. The next Roots Meeting will take place in the regions around the Lake Victoria, November 23 to December 3, 2003. Do you wish to join? Let us know! We will send you the invitation.

# 4. The Nairobi Program
The Preparatory Roots Meeting in Nairobi was during six days in April 2003. 200 children, youth and adults from four nations participated in the Roots
Meeting: 50 persons from 12 cities/municipalities of Sweden, 70 persons from the Lake Victoria Region and 80 persons from Nairobi. More than half of the participants were children and youth. Mayors from 13 cities/municipalities joined the Roots Meeting for three days. The Roots Meeting program in Nairobi was divided into 3 groups with its own special focus. All were interrelated and with practical interactions:
A: Children and Youth Workshops
B: Teacher's Seminars
C: Mayor's Meeting
Participating experts came from BO (The Children’s Ombudsman), IPA (International Playground Association), KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Stockholm City Museum and Swedish Association of Local Authorities joined any of the 3 groups.
A meeting and dialogue with special invited guests took place at the ground of the United Nations.

4 A. Children and Youth Workshops
The children and youth worked hard to prepare their questions to be asked to the leaders at local, regional, national and international level. At two occasions the children had a dialogue with the leaders; in the garden at the National Museums of Kenya and at the Children's Meeting Place, United Nations. Many of the questions from the African children were related to HIV, child abuse and why girls don't have the same rights as boys. The Swedish questions were more concerned with the environment and water. Some of the children's questions: How can child abuse be stoped? Where will we get wood if we can't cut trees? What are decision makers going to do to stop circumcision? How do you know that the decision you make for children are the right ones? After three days of dialogues with the Mayors, many of the children expressed their appreciation: "It's nice the mayors listen to us. It's nice to talk together. We hope they will do what they promised!"

4 B. Teacher's Seminars
The assignment for the teacher's seminar was to reflect around three questions - in relation to education. 1).What was good and what was bad in the past. 2. What is good and what is bad today. 3. Can the good of the past and the good today unite for a better education in the future? The teachers concluded that TIME has drastically changed. In the past parents and others of the community spent more time with the children. Today parents need more time to get income and for other scheduled programs. This is a fact not only in Sweden but also in East Africa where children are left by themselves. The teachers also concluded that human values of the past disappear and the society at large needs to look deeper into the concequences of this change.

4 C. Mayor's Meeting, April 6 - 8
For three days 13 Mayors from 13 cities/municipalities of four nations participated in the Roots Meeting
Uganda: Mayor of Entebbe, Mr. Stephen Kabuye; Deputy Mayor of Kampala, Dr. Takube Kabuye; Mayor of Mukono, Mr. Johnson Muyanja Senyonga; Mayor of Busia, Mr. Mugeni Michael. Kenya:Mayor of Nairobi, HW Clr. Joe Akech; Mayor of Kisumu, Clr.C.O. Karan; Mayor of Kiambu, James Gicheru Karanga
Tanzania: Dep Mayor of Mwanza, Ms. Maria Hewa;
Sweden: Municipal Commissioner Ms. Mariann Nordlöf, Borlänge; Chief Executive Officer Mr. Roland Karlsson, Kalmar; Municipal Commissioner, Mr. Hans Lindgren, Robertsfors and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Dag Tingsgård, Strangnas. The City of Stockholm was represented by Museum Director, Ms. Berit Svedberg. A special seminar was held to share experiences of the Lake Victoria region. The Mayors were impressed by the children, their questions and concern for one another and the environment. At the final meeting the Mayors decided they will have a Children's Meeting Place close to the Mayor's Office/City Hall and meet with children and have dialogues on regular basis. The Mayors of the Lake Victoria Region plan to share the idea of Children's Meeting Place with all the other 35 mayors of the Lake Victoria region through their network LVRLAC (Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation). The Mayor of Kisumu, Cllr.C.O. Karan, expressed his feeling about the Roots meeting "These three days has totally changed my life, my attitude of children".

#5. The National Museums of Kenya
Ag. Director General of the National Museums of Kenya, Mr. Augustine Lomon' gin welcomed all to the Museum. A tree was chosen to be the Children's Tree at the Museum and was inaugurated with Our Uniting Water and Soil Ceremony. The children created the program and presented a handful of soil and a small bowl of water to their Mayors . All of them gathered around the Children's Tree and after one minute of silence the Mayors brought the United Soil and Water to the Roots of the Tree.

# 6 The United Nations - Specially Invited Guests
UNEP Executive Director Dr. Klaus Toepfer and Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, Ex. Dir. of the UN-Habitat participated in the Opening Program under the Acacia Tree at the Children's Meeting Place together with Kenya Ass. Minister for the Environment Prof. Wangari Maathai, the Swedish Ambassador Bo Göransson and the Mayor of Nairobi, Counselor Joe K. Akech. All specially invited guests shared their concern for the Children's Meeting Place. Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, UNEP: "Sustainable development is not charity but an instrument for the future" Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, Ex. Dir. of the UN-Habitat "We have been using children for entertainment - we should invite them more seriously - let them take part in an active way". H.W. Mayor of Nairobi, Mr. Joe Kotonya Akech spoke of the special problems of big cities and the importance to work together. The Ambassador of Sweden Mr. Bo Göransson said "it's important to work together over the globe. The rich shall help the poor. Why? Because he was certain other countries would help Sweden if we were the poor. Also - the whole world will benefit when all help one another". The Ass. Minister for the Environment, Prof. Wangari Maathai, brought two pictures of trees. One picture showed the roots deep in the soil. The other picture showed the roots bare in the open. The tree with bare roots will die! We need to care for the roots! "I'm certain this day will forever be in your memory. You will remember that we met today and you will be inspired as I am inspired by my mother who taught me the importance of trees and roots". The Children performed their concern for a better future and presented Our Uniting Water and Soil to their Guests of Honour who made a circle around the Children's Tree and silently shared their personal wishes to the Children's Tree before they brought the water and soil to the roots of The Tree.

# 7 Dialogue under the Children's Tree.
The Guests of Honour and the Mayors joined the children under the Children's Tree for a dialogue. All were deeply impressed by the children's questions and their concern for our common future. At times children stood up and gave their own answers to the questions. Both children and adults applauded!

# 8 Bomas of Kenya
A field-trip to The Bomas of Kenya, an outdoor Culture Centre, connected all participants with traditional dances, music and drama from many parts of Kenya. At the end of the program the professional artists invited children and adults on stage and the final dance became a joyful Roots Meeting!

# 9 Study-tours
The Roots Meeting also included three study tours to projects and programs in the slum areas of Nairobi. The impressions had a strong impact on the Swedish participants. Many of the written and spoken reflections share a feeling of Waking Up. - What you see on TV is here and now. But the deepest impression on all visitors was the joy; "In the midst of miserable life conditions how come so poor children can inspire me, enlighten my heart and give me a feeling of hope?"

9A Homes and centers for disadvantage children, Nairobi Abandoned Baby Centre and Al-Jaza Center Home (for orphans), Centers for blind and deaf children, children with HIV/Aids and a home for street children were visited. Meeting with the children with so different life experiences will forever be imprinted in the Swedish participants.

9B. Children's Garden, Nairobi
The Children's Garden is situated in between the two slum areas of Kibera and Dagoretti. Mr. Moses Ndungu is the leader of Children's Garden and Globetree supports the program with help from private donors. After the welcome program the children brought all visitors to their homes. After the visit they said: "How can one live with a family in such a small place and with literally nothing? How is it possible?"

# 10. Roots Meeting report
A report of the first Preparatory Roots Meeting will be available on the Globetree website in the end of August. It will contain reflections of the seminars and dialogues from both the African and Swedish participants.

# 11. Lake Victoria and the Baltic Sea - Co operation
A co operation is planned for between schools and municipalities around the Lake Victoria region and the Swedish citities/municipalities of the Baltic Sea region.

11A Follow-up Tanzania - Mwanza
During 3 days Globetree made a follow-up visit to Mwanza in Tanzania. We met with the Roots Meeting participants and joined them to their school. Project-leader Chrisopher Mafuru made a brief presentation of the Wet-land project situated by the shores of the Lake Victoria. We also met with the head of Mwanza secondary school and an interesting discussion with the Malihai Club members. H.W. the Mayor of Mwanca City Council, Mr. Leonard B. Bihondo personally took interest in the Roots Meeting Program and we agreed on future cooperation.

11B Follow up Kenya - Kisumu
Dr. Phoebe Nyawald introduced Globetree to Asenath Bole Odaga, Exec. Dir. of Gender and Development Center and to a center of street children, inspired by the Mucii Wa Childrens Program in Nairobi. H.W. the Mayor of Kisumu, Cllr.C.O. Karan invited us to dinner together with ten counselors of the Kisumu Municipal Council. Several ideas for cooperation were discussed during the evening. We also made two excursions on the Lake Victoria during the three days visit in Kisumu.

11C Follow up Uganda - Busia, Mukono, Kampala and Entebbe
H.W. the Mayor of Busia, Michael Mugeni, took personal care of us during our two days program in Busia. Globetree met with counselors of Busia, headmasters, teachers and pupils in six schools. Among the officials and at all schools there is a strong interest for the Rights of the Child and environmental programs and education. The biggest need for Busia is to get computers. H.W. the Mayor of Mukono, Mr. Johnson Muyanja Senyonga took charge of our two days follow up in Mukono. The main concern for Mayor Johnson Muyanja Senyonga is to develop the educational system. "We do not only need theory - we also need a lot of actions!" We visited St John's Educational Centre, which is under the patronage of the Mayor and where new ideas are tested. A tree planting ceremony was held in the middle of the school-yard. The follow up program in Kampala had focus on visiting the school that joined the Roots Meeting in Nairobi. Plans for the future were discussed with the Deputy Mayor Takube Kabuye. H.W. the Mayor of Entebbe Stephen Kabuye, invited us for dinner at his residence and presented us to other counselors of the Entebbe City Council. We were invited as Guests of Honour for the inaugu-ration of The Children's Meeting Place, a tree, close to the City Hall of Entebbe. Among the branches of the tree children shared their personal concerns and important messages to the City Council. Childen, counselors and headmasters of all schools participated in the inauguration ceremony. A dialogue beetween the children and the mayors/councellors took place under the Children's Tree Also the Deputy Mayor of Kampala joined. The City of Entebbe officially announced their concern for the children and their commitment to be in dialogue with the children at the Children's Meeting Place. Another meeting was held with the Secretary General of LVRLAC (Lake Victora Region Local Authorities Cooperation), Dr. Julius Ajo Odonga.

11D East-African youths on Study-Tour to Sweden
In May a delegation of 7 youths from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda did a 10-days study-tour in Sweden as a follow-up of the Roots-Meeting in Kenya. to establish new contacts and cooperation between schools and municipalities and regions around Lake Victoria. The participants were: Sharon Mwaura and Boid Oyier from Kenya; Anifa Amada from Tanzania; Richard Akuyu, Liliaen Babiyi, Penina Namukulawa and Fatuma Wamala from Uganda. The study-tour included visits to the Municipalities of Strängnäs, Skärholmen (Bredäng), Borlänge and Kalmar. The group was presented for the Globetree network. BO (The Children's Ombudsman), IPA (International Playground Association) and Håll Sverige rent (Keep Sweden
tidy) was visited.

11E The Baltic Sea Conference in Kalmar
The Study-tour with the East-African youth also included participation in the conference Young Voices of the Baltic Sea organized by the City of Kalmar. Chief Executive Director of Kalmar, Mr. Roland Karlsson invited the youth group to dinner and a dialogue together with the Youth Advisor of Kalmar Charlotte Gustafsson. Read more about Young voices of the Baltic Sea: http://www.kalmar.se/ungdom/youngvoices/

# 12. Roots Meeting November 2003
The Second Preparatory Roots Meeting will take place 23rd of November to 3rd of December in six cities of the Lake Victoria Region and at the Children's Meeting Place, United Nations, Nairobi. Do you wish to join? Please contact Globetree for Invitation and Draft Program.

# 13. Roots Meeting Event 2004
Next Newsletter will give information of the International Roots Meeting 2004 at the Children's Meeting Place, United Nations, Kenya.

# 14. Visit to the Globetree by UNEP Dep. Exec. Dir. Shafquat Kakahel Mr. Shafquat Kakahel, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, visited Globetree in half-a-day program at the end of June. The Lord Mayor of Stockholm, Mr. Barry Anderson, welcomed Mr. Kakahel in his office at the Stockholm City Hall. The Roots Meeting program was discussed as well as future plans for a Global Event in Stockholm.

Other reports

# 15. Youth Parliament on Water, Quebec, Canada and 3rd World Water Forum By recommendation from UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Globetree appointed three participants (from Robertsfors and Falun) to the youth conference The World Youth Parliament for Water, Quebec, Canada. 80 youth from 24 countries participate. The Parliament proposed a motion on water to the World Assembly of Wisdom on Water initiated by the International Secretariat for Water to be presented at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan

# 16.UNEP Global Planting Campaign - Sweden starts in snow
In the Municipality of Strängnäs, the Finningeskolan, is inspired to participate in the UNEP Global Planting Campaign. As the campaign started during the Swedish winter the pupils took the small plants outdoor for a short visit and promised to do the planting in the summer.

# 17. Global Connection; Program for the Environment, Sukabumi, Indonesia The Mayor of Sukabumi, Molly Mulyahati Djubaedi, led an environmental program for the city of Sukabumi and took contact with Globetree at the Opening Ceremony. The telephone conference was heard by the thousands of participants and received a joyous response! Globetree congratulated Sukabumi to their important initiative and interesting program.

# 18 Follow-up of the Future Vessel 2002
A follow up of the Future Vessel Event in June 2003 was done in all participating municipalities in the Nordic Countries and in Italy (Communa
Baires) and the Netherlands.
Municipality leaders who received the Golden Key, politicians, project leaders, teachers, children and youth were interviewed and video filmed. In many of the municipalities all participating groups were invited for a dialogue sharing their experiences. The follow up gives inspiration and guidelines to Globetree's planning of projects and programs, co operation between schools and municipalities in Sweden and other nations.

# 17. Globetree invited to Brussels - Renaissance Europe conference. Kajsa Dahlstroem, President of the Globetree, was asked to be one of the Alliance of Change Agents for a progressive, enterprising and sustainable Europe. The first Renaissance Europe Conference was held in Brussels in June. http://www.epe.be

# 19. Stockholm Water Symposium August 10 - 16.
Globetree participated in the Stockholm Water Symposium with an exhibition sharing the start of the Roots Meeting, networking and co operation between children, teachers and leaders in The Baltic Sea and Lake Victoria regions. http://www.siwi.org/

# 20. The Yearly Globedays; September 26th - 27th
Globetree invites for yearly Globedays. You find the Invitation and Draft Program on Globetree Homepage (in Swedish). If you need an English invitation - please contact Globetree!

# 21. Evaluation report on the Future Vessel Event 2002.
An evaluation report, a study on under graduated level called Framtiden i barns tankar (in Swedish) is presented by Roberta M. Johansson at the Stockholm University, Dept. of Education. Supervisor: Prof. Birgitta Quarsell. The study is based on the Future Vessel Event 2002 and the History of Globetree. (Call Globetree for further information)

# 22. Dalaskeppet - Vessel of Dalarna.
7 municipalities of the County of Dalarna, Sweden, who participated in the Future Vessel 2002 will work together and invite children and youth for a 3 days meeting 27 - 29 of August. For further information: Anders Sundvall, NaturResursCentrum Dalarna e-mail: anders.sundvall@nrc.se

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Editors of this Newsletter: Sam Samuelsson and Kajsa Dahlstroem
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