Get Active

All efforts for peace are needed, large and small! A warm welcome to you to engage in our peace work. There are many ways to contribute.

Action Network

In Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala violence is a part of many people’s daily life. In order to put a stop to violence and injustices people are committed to the defence of their own and other’s rights. But those who fight for human rights live in danger and many are killed, or live under conditions of constant threat and harassment.

This is where you will find the SweFOR’s 16 peace observers. They accompany human rights defenders during their work and they are the world’s scrutinizing eyes. In order to make a difference, people in Sweden must act, and for that reason an action network was established. 

The members of the network are informed when needed and they are encouraged to mail, e-mail or to take action in different ways to prove people in the North care and are committed to influence those who have the power to stop violence and repression.

Make a difference for people in Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala- join the action network at:  http://www.krf.se/ga-med-i-aktionsnatverket 

Network against Swedish arms trade

Although the basic principle in Swedish law is that arms trade is prohibited, many exceptions are made which make Sweden one of the world's ten largest arms exporters. In recent years the swedish weapon industry has broken new export’s records every year.

Swedish arms have killed , wounded, destroyed and treatened lives worldwide. We have learned that arms deals have been struck with both India and Pakistan despite the fact that those have been conflict-affected areas for decades, to countries such as Bahrain and Thailand where human rights are violated almost systematically and much more. Recently Sweden’s sale of JAS-aircrafts to South Africa in 1999 has drawn public attention as SweFOR, among others, has reported to the police authorities SAAB. There are suspicions of major bribing and cheating involving aid funds. The fact that Sweden for a long time has exported arms to Saudi Arabia caused a further scandal- particularly since the responsible minister denied that such deal was possible due to the country’s major lack of democracy and human rights.  

SweFOR has a network of people that are committed to work to expose the problems with the Swedish arms trade. They are active in writing letters to the editors of the major papers, mail and e-mail politicians and organize demostrations. Join the network by contacting pieter-jan.vaneggermont@krf

Courses in non-violence

SweFOR believes in non-violence as a means to overcome violence and injustices. Non-violence is the fundament, the way and the goal for SweFOR. It is not just about renouncing violence but uppermost it is about being active to counter injustices and repression with respect for the oppositor in a spirit of openness. The active non-violence work is about writing petitions, demonstrate, reject cooperation with the repressors as well as active interventions such as blockades and support to local peace workers (as SweFOR’s peace observers).

Yet for us at SweFOR non-violence is much more than achieving political goals - it is a process which affects both the inside and the outside, both politics and belief. In the daily encounters between people, in how people deal with each other and in the ways they manage conflicts, non-violence contributes to create the society we long for. We believe in non-violence as a way to change the world.

 From time to time non-violence is applied  with surprising results: dictatorships fall, empires collapse and racism is defeated by the power of non-violence. Read our quick guide on non-violence here: http://www.krf.se/ickevald-en-snabbguide

You can attend one the courses in non-violent principles, methods, and life given by SweFOR.  We can arrange courses for groups of confirmands, school classes and more. You are warmly welcome to contact our Education Secretary Kerstin Bergeå, kerstin.bergea@krf.se, tel 08-453 68 41

Local groups and Focus groups

There are active local Groups in Alingsås, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Uppsala, Härnösand as well as the group Smederna. Contact with local groups is coordinated by Marija Fischer Odén: mfo@krf.se, tel 08-453 68 45.

There are also Focus Groups on the Middle East, Sudan, preventive presence, churchs action for peace and non-violence, as well as the group Klistra Fred which assists with the mailing of our magazine Fredsnytt. Contact Marija (see address above) for more information.