Integration starts with babies

Integration: it has become an imperative for Sweden, and for Stockholm in particular, both in the light of recent acts of xenophobia and anti-Semitism, and because Sweden will need immigrants in the coming years to address needs in different economic sectors and public services, healthcare above all. According to forecasts, in Stockholm in 20 years there will be 1.3 million more residents. This is why integration programs are increasing on the initiative of government and municipalities, but also on the initiative of private citizens as Anna Libietis, thirty-one, social sciences graduate, with professional experience in an association for newly graduated engineers. Today Libietis chairs "Svenska med baby" (literally "Swedes with children"), an initiative launched in early 2013 to bring together parents of children between zero and two years. Making people meet. Anna’s grandmother, who flew Latvia and took refuge in Sweden some 70 years ago, used to tell her the story of her arrival and of how she settled down in Sweden. She studied to become a dentist and carried out her profession integrating within the social fabric a small town, overcoming suspicion and resistance. The fact that everything had gone so smoothly for her "made my life in Sweden much better than how it could have been", said Anna Libietis. With this experience of integration in her heart, the young woman, who became the mother of a girl two years ago, decided to make the most of her maternity leave "to do something useful and make people meet." She thus started to attend "Svenska med baby" that was taking the first steps. Anna left her old job and is now fully dedicated to this project. "We create places and occasions of exchange for people in maternity leave – she told SIR Europe – by promoting the encounter of mothers and fathers from different areas of the city and with different origins." There already existed many initiatives to make people meet, Anna said, like the Invitationsdepartementet, and associations that promote invitations between Swedish and immigrant families, or Internationella Bekantskaper, which furthers friendships with the goal of helping non-Swedes speak Swedish. But a place of encounter for those with very young children was lacking: our main goal is "for everything to take place at the level of reciprocity, marked by mutual exchange of experiences, dialogue and encounter", Libietis pointed out. Parents at the centre. The project is carried out in partnership with libraries and nurseries that provide space and resources and also help reach people in different neighbourhoods. "In the meetings we involve the parents who in turn organize the events and activities," Anna said. "Every meeting revolves around a particular theme: the problems of parenting, young children who do not eat or sleep, education … Sometimes we speak of free time or how to search for a job in Stockholm. Normally the participants themselves who animate the meeting: sometimes we invite outsiders to discuss specific themes or special activities." The weekly meetings last an hour and a half, they are open to all, free, there is no need for registration, nor membership. "The common ground is being the parents of those children playing around us during the meetings. There are also activities dedicated to children, but we focus on the parents: they are the key through which we hope there will be positive effects on the future of the children", starting from learning the language. Need for new resources. Anna Libietis cuts short when she is asked about the acts of xenophobia in Sweden: "We try to be a positive force in society, making people meet, trying to involve everyone in our activities are working to improve the situation in our Country." She added: "These groups are often critical about the fact that we cannot welcome more people in Sweden because we have to take care of those who are already here. For us, Svenska Mid Baby is an intelligent way to create a society where everyone lives together to share knowledge and experience." The initiative raises a lot of interest. A year ago two groups used to meet. Now there are 12 in Stockholm and the first is being created in another city. "We have started organizing some activities in the week-end for families and older children after having returned to work. But we need more forces and more resources." At the beginning it wasn’t easy to convince sponsors of the goodness of our project. But now "things have changed. I was able to quit my job because Svenska med baby gives me a living and I was also able to hire another person to help me out." On January 19 Anna received the Martin Luther King Prize, awarded by the Council of Churches in Sweden to people inspired by civil rights leaders. "The afternoon in which I received a phone-call from the jury of the prize I was alone in my office, a bit discouraged, and it was a reason for great joy." The greatest difficulty is "reaching out to people who have just arrived in Sweden. I spend a lot of time in the city speaking with people in the streets or meeting organizations and language communities, or even through ecclesial communities. Those who help us the most in the creation of this network are people taking part in our meetings who eventually become our ‘ambassadors’".