Report: Peace Begins with you and me

By Halina Hylander,
Project Manager Peace Begins with you and me

See pictures from Kungsträdgården here

The initiative and the vision was of Birgitta Notlöf, head of Livstycket. Birgitta Notlöf was the project manager, Halina Hylander - project secretary. The Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (SOIR) was invited to join the project.

The peace message was  manifested by 40 Tibetan tents, made by Tibetans from Shanti Nivas, Rajpur, India. Twelve of them were decorated by the artists in cooperation with Livstycket’s students. The artist with origin from different countries and representing different cultures were:  Dorothy Nsonyiwa (Uganda), Bakary Sisay, Ismaila Fatty (Gambia), Magda Korotynska (Poland), Feri Fazeli (Iran), Anita Grede, Gunilla Larsén, Lisa Larsson-Sundling (Sweden), students from Nyckelvikskolan textile design.

The sound installation inside the tents was on all the time during days and nights. It symbolized transition from chaos and war towards peace, harmony and coexistence in a multi cultural society.  The music was composed by Carl-Michael Herlöfsson especially for this project. Light installation in the tents was done by Christian Dalberg.

The tent exhibition  was inaugurated by Christina Jutterström,  head of Swedish National Museums of World Culture (former head of Swedish TV) and Birgitta Notlöf, head of Livstycket and project initiator. Gunilla von Bahr, musician and former principal of Royal College of Music in Stockholm, arranged the music program for the exhibition days - inauguration concert, thereafter concerts every day. The music program carried the message of peace and coexistence as well.

A  work team from SKANSKA AB set up the tents on voluntary basis.

Guards were volunteers from SOIR and Livstycket’s members. Night guards  were hired.

There were no incidents during the exhibition days.

The installation has been given a lot of attention in the Swedish press, radio TV. We were helped by the blessing received from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

People came all the time, not very many but there were always some persons among the tents, though cold and rainy weather. Often curious about the idea, deeply moved by the subject and by the strong impression of the tents, music and lights.

Next step? We have already been contacted for setting up the installation in Vadstena in the spring 2008 and in Malmö in the autumn 2008.  The idea is that on every new place there will be 1-2 new tents added, decorated by local artists. So we will end up in 40 decorated tents!