May 20th 2013

Ms. Cecilia Andrén Nyström, Futebol dá força

The title of the presentation is: “How Football Can Change the World”

At only 21 years of age, Cecilia decided to change the world – through football. She went to Mozambique, and started coaching one girls’ football team with the aim of strengthening the girls’ self-confidence and educate them in their rights, sexual & reproductive health as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and how to prevent sexual and domestic violence and abuse. She called it Futebol dá força (Eng. Football gives strength).

In only a years’ time and with financing acquired only through social media campaigns, the organisation has developed into a nationwide programme that today count with 200 trained voluntary football coaches and 4000 active girls.

She is today also the Programme Director of the Lurdes Mutola Foundation that implements the project in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Youth & Sport and the Football Federation, and has also founded the Futebol dá força Foundation in Sweden aiming at supporting the Mozambican program but also to spread the programme to Sweden starting autumn 2013.

Cecilia has been awarded various prizes for her initiative and has been called “one of Sweden’s future leaders”.

May 6th 2013

Ms. Emmi Josza from Energimyndigheten

The title of the presentation was: Promotion of Sustainable Bioenergy Production

Ms. Emmi Jozsa is a Senior Advisor for sustainability of bioenergy at the Swedish Energy Agency where she is responsible for sustainability related issues internationally and in the media. She has previously worked as an expert on biofuel legislation within EU.

April 22nd 2013

Dr. Elsa Coimbra, LUCSUS, Lund University

The title of the presentation was: Wilderness Entrepreneurship and the Rewilding challenges: Dispatches from an Intensive Erasmus Programme

This Erasmus Intensive Programme is designed to train students and promote projects in wilderness development in rural areas where populations are aging and decreasing and local economies are weakening. This parallels opportunities for renewed wilderness development that can potentially foster local economy. The project is promoted by Rewilding Europe (alliance between WWF, Stitching ARK, Wild Wonders of Europe and Conservation Capital) and supported by local NGO’s.

Dr. Coimbra is a Post-doc and guest researcher at LUCSUS and holds a PhD in Environmental Sociology. Her research is currently concerned with biodiversity conservation, having as empirical material the relation between humans and certain species, like wolves and more recently bees. Elsa favours transdisciplinary environments and enjoys developing new models for human-nature relationships alongside social technologies of transformative learning. She has been actively promoting these approaches with students in International Programmes related to development, land management and sustainability.

April 8th 2013

Mr. Sasja Beslik, Nordea Bank AB

The title of the presentation was: Capitalism 3.0

Mr Sasja Beslik is Heading Responsible Investment and Governance activities for Nordea Group. Beslik joined Nordea in 2009. During his time at Nordea he has worked as CEO for Nordea Investment Funds in Sweden and is leading development of Responsible Investment concept, products and solutions within Nordea Group.

Beslik has extensive international investment experience, before joining Nordea, working in Africa, Asia and former Soviet Union countries, Beslik worked also as Global Head of Engagement activities for ABN AMRO Asset Management. Appointed as most influential business individual in Sweden under age of 40 in 2007, Beslik have since then been awarded best ESG analyst in Sweden 2010 and Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum in 2011, one among 100 selected individuals globally.

Aside of his work within Nordea Group Beslik chairs UNEP FI Water Work group addressing global water issues within the context of financial industry as well as participating in steering committee within UNPRI on shale gas and water issues. Before joining Financial Industry 2003, Beslik worked for multinationals in extractive industries in the CSR field all over the world.

April 4th 2013

Mr. Michael L. Wilson, the PeerCorps Trust Fund

The title of the presentation was: The PeerCorps Trust Fund: Community-based efforts in community safety and sustainable development

The PeerCorps Trust Fund (founded 2004) is a non-governmental organization based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania which is dedicated to bringing sustainable health and development solutions to people of the United Republic of Tanzania. The organization is active in the areas of community safety, youth education and rural development. Michael L. Wilson has served as the organization's coordinator of international projects since 2007 and Director of its Centre for Injury Prevention (CIPCS) since 2009.

Each year approximately 950 000 children die as a result of a preventable injury worldwide - about the same number that die from measles, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough and tetanus combined. Most of these injuries are the result of road traffic crashes, drowning, burns, falls and poisoning. Despite this, injury prevention remains severely under-appreciated as an important aspect of development and population health. This talk will highlight the community-based and national efforts of the PeerCorps Trust Fund in Tanzania, and offer a glimpse into the myriad opportunities for unique student practicums and internships in the country and with international partners.

Mr. Wilson holds post graduate training in public health and his efforts include injury prevention, education and organizational development. Mr. Wilson has been a catalyst for the international efforts of the PeerCorps and continues to develop partnerships with academic institutions, health interest groups and community-based partners throughout East Africa.

March 11th 2013

Mr. Hans van de Glind, ILO Geneva

The titel of the presentation was: Fighting Worst Forms of Child Labour – Challenges and Opportunities.

Hans van de Glind is a Senior specialist and focal point for child trafficking of the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) http://www.ilo.org/ipec/ lang--en/index.htm. Currently based in Geneva, Hans van de Glind has previosly worked in the Mekong region and in China. He is the author and editor of several articles, training manuals and resource kits for policy-makers and practitioners who work on issues pertaining to child migration and child trafficking.

Feb 25th 2013

Dr. Monica Erwér, Svalorna Indien Bangladesh NGO

The title of the presentation was: To work for sustainable social change as an actor in the global civil society with support from the development assistance sector: Possibility or Co-option?

Monica Erwér is working as the Director of the NGO the Swallows India Bangladesh. Monica is also a member of Forum Syd’s board (the umbrella organization for the majority of organsiations in the Swedish Civil Society and one of the main mediators of grants from Sida) and has thus a good insight into the discussions on aid politics and the trends and changes of aid that is taking place today.

Feb 11th 2013

Ms. Åsa Skogström Feldt, IKEA of Sweden

The titel of the presentation was: Leadership, Action and Patience – what are the drivers for sustainable development?

Åsa Skogström Feldt is working at IKEA of Sweden with an initiative focusing on social entrepreneurship. She is also a member of the board of Hungerprojektet, the Swedish part of The Hunger Project, a global organisation focusing on ending hunger and poverty on a sustainable basis. Before she joined IKEA she was the CEO of Hungerprojektet during 8 years. She has also an extensive business background from Ericsson Mobile Communications in the Middle East and Africa, Sony Ericsson in Germany, and other positions within management and communication.

Jan 28th 2013

Dr. Christina Pallitto, WHO Geneva

The title of the presentation was: Violence against women as a public health issue: generating evidence and testing solutions.

Christina Pallitto works as a social scientist and epidemiologist in the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Her research focuses on links between violence against women and reproductive health and health sector based strategies to address violence. In addition to 17 years of research experience, she has also worked with community-based and non-governmental organizations doing advocacy, counseling, and health education. She has a PhD in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.