Prominent Swedish diplomat donates his honorarium to organisers of Riga Pride
03/04/2007
By
Juris Lavrikovs
Sverker Åström, former Swedish diplomat, ambassador and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has decided to donate his honorarium received from the Swedish television to the organiser of the Friendship Days/Riga Pride 2007 - Mozaika.
During his long career Sverker Åström, among other duties, was Sweden’s ambassador to France, led Sweden’s negotiations team during the signature of the EC treaty, and was Sweden’s ambassador to the UN. One of his greatest achievements was an initiative to organise a large scale UN conference on environmental issues in 1968, thus initiating the development of the UN policy on environmental protection.
4 years ago, at that time the 88 year old diplomat, came out in a newspaper interview. He told that all Swedish Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers he worked with knew about his homosexuality – it was necessary to avoid any possibility of blackmail against him.
Last year Sverker Åström took part in the TV show „böglobbyn“ which he later criticised for not being serious enough and rather multiplying stereotypes about gay people. That is why Sverker Åström has decided to donate his honorarium to Stockholm Pride and RFSL (Swedish national LGBT rights organisation) with the condition that half of this money will be given to the organisers of the Friendship Days/Riga Pride 2007 and the other half used towards improving the rights of LGBT people in Eastern Europe.
“With this donation I want to help LGBT people in Eastern Europe who are facing a difficult situation” said Sverker Åström.
Sören Andersson, chairperson of the RFSL board, commented:” This is a very welcomed initiative. We need all the forces and resources to fight growing homophobia. We are proud of Sverker and glad to cooperate on this issue with the Stockholm Pride organisation.
Ulrika Westerlund, chairperson of Stockholm Pride, said: “We are glad that through our solidarity fund we can provide even greater support our sister organisation in Latvia.”
Kristīne Garina, chairperson of Mozaika, sincerely thanked Sverker Åström, RFSL and Stockholm Pride for their trust and promised that the donation will be used wisely.
The total amount of the donation is 30,000 Swedish Kronas (2,300 Latvian Lats or 3,200 Euro).
www.rfsl.se
www.stockholmpride.se
www.mozaika.lv
During his long career Sverker Åström, among other duties, was Sweden’s ambassador to France, led Sweden’s negotiations team during the signature of the EC treaty, and was Sweden’s ambassador to the UN. One of his greatest achievements was an initiative to organise a large scale UN conference on environmental issues in 1968, thus initiating the development of the UN policy on environmental protection.
4 years ago, at that time the 88 year old diplomat, came out in a newspaper interview. He told that all Swedish Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers he worked with knew about his homosexuality – it was necessary to avoid any possibility of blackmail against him.
Last year Sverker Åström took part in the TV show „böglobbyn“ which he later criticised for not being serious enough and rather multiplying stereotypes about gay people. That is why Sverker Åström has decided to donate his honorarium to Stockholm Pride and RFSL (Swedish national LGBT rights organisation) with the condition that half of this money will be given to the organisers of the Friendship Days/Riga Pride 2007 and the other half used towards improving the rights of LGBT people in Eastern Europe.
“With this donation I want to help LGBT people in Eastern Europe who are facing a difficult situation” said Sverker Åström.
Sören Andersson, chairperson of the RFSL board, commented:” This is a very welcomed initiative. We need all the forces and resources to fight growing homophobia. We are proud of Sverker and glad to cooperate on this issue with the Stockholm Pride organisation.
Ulrika Westerlund, chairperson of Stockholm Pride, said: “We are glad that through our solidarity fund we can provide even greater support our sister organisation in Latvia.”
Kristīne Garina, chairperson of Mozaika, sincerely thanked Sverker Åström, RFSL and Stockholm Pride for their trust and promised that the donation will be used wisely.
The total amount of the donation is 30,000 Swedish Kronas (2,300 Latvian Lats or 3,200 Euro).
www.rfsl.se
www.stockholmpride.se
www.mozaika.lv
