Calendar/ kalender

NEWS from the NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL

4th session -- Vaasa, Finland August 21, 2004

Decisions:

* To continue supporting such Nordic projects as the Nordic Queer Film Festivals. (the 2nd festival in Stockholm 2004 united film festival organizers from Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.) With Folkets Bio, Kombat and Norden i Fokus information office.

* To support the "Honored to Silence, Honored to Death" Nordic conference in Stockholm October 15-16, 2004 and Gothenberg October 23 about young homosexuals in the immigrant/refugee communities in the Nordic region. With Norden i Fokus.

* To hold a NHC multi-media seminar at Finland's Tampere Pride in 2005 and at the Oslo Europride in June, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to Jerusalem World Pride, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to the Nordic House – Krakow as part of the 2nd Krakow Cultural Days -- May, 2005. (The event in May, 2004 was attacked but not defeated by neo Nazis gangs). (The Swedish Embassy has pledged to continue supporting the event.)

* To increase Nordic participation in the annual Moonbow Human Rights & Homo Culture Festivals on both sides of the Baltic Sea: St. Petersburg-Stockholm-Warsaw-Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius. Minsk to have a "Moonbow in Exile" because of threats from the regime, neo Nazis.

* To make special fund-raising efforts for Iceland (because of the high travel costs) and for Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania to increase these nation's input into homo festivals, prides and other events on both sides of the Baltic Sea. ( Tallink Ferry Lines has already agreed.)

New Members Welcomed; Nordic Awards to Finnish/Swedish Bears, American Singer

New Nordic Homo Council members formally welcomed at the session include Homosexual Socialists (Sweden), Laihia Bears (Vaasa, Finland), NEWSMIX (Stockholm-based news agency) and HumanAid (Gothenberg/ Stockholm). Nordic membership drive is to continue.

The 2004 "Arco Nordica" award for Nordic/international and homo cultural solidarity from the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) - Nordic, was handed over to the Laihia Bears in an art-and-music-filled ceremony in the forest outside of Waasa. The 2004 award is shared with the Stockholm-based Viking Bears.

The 2004 ILGCN-Nordic "Arco Musica" award - was presented to American singer and musician, Doria Roberts, during the Moonbow Festival in Stockholm, August 1st.

Bill Schiller, NHC international secretary

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Note: The Nordic Homo Council is a member of the ILGA and the ILGCN.

NEWS from the NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL 4th cultural session - Vaasa, August 21, 2004

(plus e-mail proposals and contributions from those who could not attend))

Decisions:

* To continue supporting such Nordic projects as the Nordic Queer Film Festivals. (the 2nd festival in Stockholm 2004 united film festival
organizers from Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.) In co-operation with Folkets Bio, Kombat and Norden i Fokus information
office in Stockholm.

* To support the "Honored to Silence, Honored to Death" Nordic conference in Stockholm October 15-16, 2004 and Gothenberg October 23 about young homosexuals in the immigrant/refugee communiteis in the Nordic region. With Norden i Fokus.

* To hold a NHC multi-media seminar at Finland's Tampere Pride in 2005 and at the Oslo Europride in June, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to Jerusalem World Pride, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to the Nordic House homo cultural evening as part of the 2nd Krakow Cultural Days -- May, 2005. (The event in May, 2004 was attacked but not defeated by neo Nazis gangs). (The Swedish Embassy has pledged to continue supporting the event. Other Nordic embassies*.?)

* To increase Nordic participation in the annual Moonbow Human Rights & Homo Culture Festivals on both sides of the Baltic Sea: St.
Petersburg-Stockholm-Warsaw-Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius. Minsk -- "Moonbow in Exile" planned because of the threats from the dictatorship and neo Nazis. See press releases).

* To make special fund-raising efforts for Iceland (because of the high travel costs) and for Estonia, Lativa, & Lithuania to increase these
nation's input into homo festivals, prides and other events on both sides of the Baltic Sea. (Tallink Ferry Lines has already responded
positively.)

New Members Welcomed; Nordic Awards to Finnish/Swedish Bears, U.S. Singer

New Nordic Homo Council members formally welcomed at the session include Homosexual Socialists - Sweden, Laihia Bears - Vaasa, Finland, the Stockholm-based news agency, NEWSMIX, and HumanAid - Gothenberg/ Stockholm. Nordic membership drive is to continue.

The 2004 Nordic award, "Arco Nordica," for Nordic/international and homo cultural solidarity from the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay
Cultural Network) - Nordic, was handed over to the Laihia Bears the day before the Vaasa session in an art-and-music-filled ceremony in the forest outside of Waasa. The 2004 award is shared with the Stockholm-based Viking Bears.

The ILGCN-Nordic - "Arco Musica" award - was presented to American singer and musician, Doria Roberts, during the Moonbow Festival in
Stockholm, August 1st.

Bill Schiller, NHC international secretary

**************************
Note: The Nordic Homo Council is a member of the ILGA and the ILGCN.

NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL 2004 4th cultural session - Vaasa, Finland -- August 21

A May, 2004 reminder from the *.

(part of 2nd Vaasa Pride & Rainbow Cultural Events)

.... seminars, discussions, art, photography, films, music, performances

Discussions:

1. Nordic Homo Co-operation - from Iceland to Lithuania.

2. Nordic Moonbow and other Culture Festivals 2004.

3. Nordic Queer Film Festivals (2nd in Stockholm July 26-27, 2004
in collaboration with Norden i Fokus, Folkets Bio ).

4. Nordic Rainbow CD's (1st presented in Stockholm January, 2004.)

5. Welcoming new members: Homo Socialists - Sweden, Mea Culpa - Estonia, Lahia Bears Club - Finland, etc.

6. Membership Campaign: how to get national federations and others interested in Nordic co-operation?

7. Nordic Co-operation in Krakow 2005 - follow-up of Nordic House evening during violence-stricken Krakow Culture Days 2004.

8. Nordic caucus at ILGA European regional conference in Budapest, October, 2004 and joint Nordic 'ILGA' projects.

NOTE: Contributions wanted for Nordic Homo Council's ILGA 2004 membership fee:

(Contributions so far: Tupilak - 600 kr., ILGCN-Nordic - 100kr., Nordic Rainbow Humanists -100 kr.)

(c/o Tupilak postgiro 498 37 67-7)

Bill Schiller, Nordic Homo Council international secretary

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NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL .... is a member of the ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association) and the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network).

* is a network promoting co-operation between members and friends in Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, Finland, Estonia & Denmark.

* has no membership fee.

Note: Earlier cultural sessions: Riga 2001, Stockholm 2002, Tallinn, 2003.