Nobel Peace Prize 1982: Alva Myrdal

Here I am in Rome but yet still reflecting on the amazing time I spent in Sweden. It helped that it is raining and dreary cold outside, making the writing of this journal and work on the computer a bit more bearable, with a break to the neighborhood café for a late lunch. Plus, I know I will have to venture into the city (rain or shine) starting tomorrow (a meeting with International Rome Film Festival organizer Jacopo at his office in the Auditorium where all the events and activities are, a working lunch with staff of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights branch office here in Rome, meeting my visiting brother Sina from Michigan and at least one interview an Australian journalist in the late afternoon. (The screening is tomorrow night. I am very much looking forward to meeting Jacopo who called to express his welcome and to inform me of the various interview requests.)

For having only a population of 9 million, Sweden claims disproportionately acclaims for its impressive marks in international affairs and diplomacy (UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, Hans Corell, Ragnar Angeby, Raoul Wallenberg, etc.), international peace (Nobel founder Alfred, Alva Myrdal) and international business (Ericson, Ikea, Volvo etc.). I was nicely greeted by a very talkative taxi driver who with pride informed me of life in Sweden – it’s clean (and yes, it is!); it’s safe; it’s expensive but that’s the price for the high-quality social services of free excellent education, health and well-being. Stockholm is very beautiful and pristine, with all the old buildings standing in tact. Unlike London and other European cities, this Nordic country has not experienced the destruction since the mid-1800s.


Screening of Facing Genocide in Stockholm, here Theary with directors David Aronowitsch and Staffan Lindberg, producer Jenny Ornborn (now with Swedish Film Institute) and former chief of UN Office of Legal Affairs Hans Corell (20 Oct. 2010)



Folke Bernadotte Academy staff, 8 Resource Persons (including Theary Seng) and about 30 participants from around the world with expertise in reconciliation work memorializing their stay in Sando, Sweden (Oct. 2010).

Panel to discuss different reconciliation processes: Cambodia (Theary), Colombia (Hernando), Uganda (James), Kosovo (Omer) – FBA Course on Reconciliation