NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL MEETS in SWEDEN

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL

http://www.tupilak.se

Formerly  Nordic Homo Council

Member of ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network )

Member of ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association)

Co-operating across Nordic borders & beyond -   Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

PRESS RELEASE ------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 30, 2006

Continued Solidarity with Refugees, Eastern Europe

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL MEETS in SWEDEN

   Gothenburg - The annual session of the newly-renamed Nordic Rainbow Council  -- this time in this Swedish west coast city on the sidelines of the giant annual international book fair - approved efforts for continued solidarity over Nordic borders, with rainbow immigrants and refugees in the Nordic region and with colleagues on the barricades in Eastern Europe - including Belarus and Russia.

     The main priority is to continue to support events on the Eastern side of the Nordic region - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania struggling with hostile and increasingly homophobic forces.

      "We agreed to change the "Homo" in our name to "Rainbow" to be more up-to date and to make sure that trans people, bisexuals and other supportive "rainbow-minded" colleagues feel welcome," says Bill Schiller, international secretary of the Council.

                           2007 Nordic Rainbow Flags to Fly at Gothenburg Fair?

      The session also agreed to co-ordinate a joint effort in 2007 to repeat this year's successful pioneering effort of raising Nordic rainbow flags at the International Square - the largest section of the Gothenburg Book Fair, which is the biggest annual cultural event in the Nordicarea.  This was made possible with the financial grant from Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) in the form of the 2006 Loke Sister's award supporting rainbow cultural projects outside of the Swedish capital.

        The Nordic rainbow stand presented books, poetry, CD's, printed information, art and photography - and also co-ordianted two stage presentations on Nordic co-operation with Eastern Europe and with rainbow immigrants and refugees in the Nordic zone combined with highly-appreciated, humor-filled erotic poetry performances.

   The Council also agreed to seek further financial support - such as from the Nordic Culture Fund assistance for the Nordic delegation to the 1st  Moscow Pride in May, and other institutions.   And to send Nordic delegations to the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) world rainbow cultural conference stages in Minsk and Posnan this November, following the first stage in Moscow.

   The Council also pledged support to the first Nordic rainbow event in the Åland Islands this December - the "Rainbow Lucia" and to continue searching for projects in the other semi-independent areas of  the Nordic region -- Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

    The session also approved continued membership in the ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association (with the annual fee partly covered by Tupilak, the Nordic Rainbow Humanists, the ILGCN Information Secretariat in Stockholm and others.

                                Swedish Pol-Balt Solidarity Network Saluted

            In co-operation with Tupilak and the ILGCN Information Secretariat, the Council approved the proposal to grant the 2006 ILGCN "Arco Nordica" award diploma to Sweden's newly-created "Pol-Balt Network" - providing assistance, solidarity and exchanges with colleagues in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

     Decisions were also taken to keep Council bureaucracy to a minimum, charge no membership fee but instead to seek  voluntary contributions, and to search for more Network members even among more local sections of national organizations, since some of these are at times more interested in Nordic and international co-operation than the mother organizations

     Earlier Council sessions have taken place in Riga, Tallinn, Tampere, Oslo, Wasa and Stockholm.  Next year's session is preliminarily planned for Vilnius.
                                                       

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More Information:   info@tupilak.se

Note:  Photo available of Gothenburg Tupilak activists, Filip Vrba & Mats Råsmark, at erotic poetry performance at Gothenburg International Book Fair.

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1st NORDIC RAINBOWS at GOTHENBERG BOOK FAIR

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL ( Formerly Nordic Homo Council)
www.nrc.tupilak.se

Member of ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network )

Member of ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association)

Co-operating across Nordic borders & beyond - Sweden, Denmark,
Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

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PRESS RELEASE September 25, 2006


"International Square" Solidarity with Eastern Europeans,
Immigrants & Refugees:

1st NORDIC RAINBOWS at GOTHENBURG BOOK FAIR

Gothenburg - The first rainbow flags were raised September 21-23,
2006 at the "International Square" - the largest section of the
giant Gothenburg Book Fair in this Swedish west coast city - at a
colorful stand displaying art work, photography, poems, literature and
publications - and including humor-filled, erotic poetry readings and
happenings.

"Nordic rainbow cultural co-operation and solidarity with
colleagues in Eastern Europe under the title of 'Rainbows in Chains
and under Siege' -- and sharing Nordic rainbows with immigrants and
refugees were the themes of the our stage presentations and in the
information provided at our stand," says Bill Schiller of the Nordic
Rainbow Council.

Thanks to co-operation with RFSU (the Swedish sexual information
federation), the stage presentation on Eastern European barricades
included lawyer Evita Gosa of the Latvian rainbow organization, Mozaika
and Anna Kirey of the LGBT organization LABRYS of Kyrgyzstan.

"Freedom of Expression," Sweden's 'Multi-Cultural Year'

"With the city of Riga banning the Pride Parade again this
year and even worse violent homophobic attacks on Pride events there,
the visible presence of Latvia was especially important to illustrate
the Gothenburg fair's theme this year: "Freedom of Expression,"
adds Schiller.

The stage presentation on immigrants and refugees in the Nordic
area included Ardeshir Bibakabadi of Homan, (Persian-speaking and other
rainbow immigrants) - helping underline the reality that despite
dedicating this year as Sweden's "multi-cultural year," many
rainbow immigrants are often left in the shadows of the Nordic rainbows
celebrated by the native-born.

"There was great interest in our rainbow stand where we
re-discovered old members and recruited new ones, and established
working contact with several other International Square colleagues for
future co-operation," Schiller adds. "We hope to increase the
number of rainbow organizations working together with us next year at
this the biggest annual cultural event in the Nordic region."

Co-hosts of the 2006 stand included Tupilak, (Nordic
organization of rainbow cultural workers), Nordic Rainbow Humanists and
the Stockholm Information Secretariat of the ILGCN (International
Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network). Tupilak's annual "Loke's Sisters'
Award for cultural projects outside of the capital helped make the
rainbow stand a reality.

New Name for 'Nordic Rainbow Council'

On the sidelines of the Gothenburg event, the annual session of
the Nordic Homo Council (see separate press release) discussed ongoing
and future Nordic co-operation in the Nordic region and in Eastern
Europe and approved a proposal to change the name of the Council to the
'Nordic Rainbow Council' to be more inclusive and up-to-date. The
change is to be communicated to the ILGA where the Council is a member.

At the International Square, over 60 exhibitors work with
international issues and development co-operation: NGO's, publishers,
businesses and agencies with a program including Swedish and foreign
guests, performances, debates and images.

The Square also hosts a number of stands and exhibits where the
participating organizations offer information and activities; present
pedagogical tools and travelling tips; sell books and arrange meetings
and book signings with authors and other guests. The middle of the
Square features a big book stand with books from all over the world.

The Square has been a part of the International Book Fair in
Gothenburg since 2000.


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TUPILAK - Nordic Rainbow Cultural Workers
info@tupilak.se
www.nrc.tupilak.se


ILGCN Information Secretariat- Stockholm
www.ilgcn.tupilak.se


NORDIC RAINBOW HUMANISTS