Victoria Enström new Chairperson at Forum Syd

To create and maintain active organisational participation is a challenge Forum Syd shares with many. We are therefore very happy that a third of all our member organisations chose the Annual Meeting before the spring sun! 47 of a total 140 member organisations where there to mingle, vote and give Forum Syd direction for the coming year. Ongjen Radonjic, hub manager for Eastern Europe, and Sofia Strive, coordinator for the EaP network held an appreciated presentation. The Annual Meeting was briefed on how the hub has worked to enhance the role of a platform by; matching Swedish civil society organisations with organisations in the Balkans, the EaP region and Central Asia, through support in grant management and through advocacy for the influence of civil society.

Saying farewell to Kent

The Annual Meeting also bade farewell to outgoing Chairperson Kent Härstedt. Over the last two years Kent has led Forum Syd and we wish to thank Kent for his time with us. We also wish him good luck in his next exciting chapter as the Sweden Special Envoy to the Korean peninsula and Myanmar. Some of the landmarks that Kent has been part of realizing are opening up of a new office in Liberia, the decision to open up office in Ukraine, reqruitment of both Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General. 

It's been a challenging journey but I think the capacity of Forum Syd is stronger today. I would have liked to stay on longer but it's impossible with my new commitment. But I don't plan to be a stranger to the organisation and will find different ways to continue my engagement.

Victoria Enström new Chairperson

Victoria Enström was nominated by Svalorna Latinamerika. For the last year, she has been Deputy Chairperson and been a member of the board for the past three years. Victoria has been working within the areas of civil society and democracy in a number of Forum Syd's operational countries and for several of our member organisations. During her time in the board she has been part of seeing the re-organisation "Going Glocal" through. 

It feels really fun and honorable to recieve the trust as Chairperson for an organisation who's recent past of complex re-organisation I have been part of carrying through. What Forum Syd needs now is stability and a chance to look forward. Forward is the only way to go and we have a huge potential to nurture our role and expand as Sweden's biggest platform for civil society.