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KRG Nordic’s second annual Gala honours
Kurds and friends in Sweden
31.1.2007
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January 31, 2007
Stockholm, Sweden , -- At its annual gala
last Thursday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
Nordic Representation awarded Dr Helena Svantesson
the Friend of the Kurds Annual Award for her
tireless work for children and Anfal victims in the
Kurdistan Region.
Awards were also presented to Olof G. Tandberg, who
has supported the Kurds since the 1960s, and Özz
Nujen, the famous Kurdish comedian.
Dr Svantesson received the award at the KRG Nordic
Representation’s second annual Kurdish Gala, where
it honours achievements by Kurds living in Sweden
and pays tribute to friends who have supported Kurds
over the years. The Gala was held at the Södra
Theatre.
Dilsa Demirbag-Sten, an author and journalist, said
of Svantesson before presenting her with the award,
“In 1992 she opened the Helena Centre, a
rehabilitation centre in Erbil.
Through a number of Kurdish associations and the
Organisation for Swedish Relief she initiated
several projects for children in Kurdistan,
including educational projects for victims of the
Anfal”. |
KRG Nordic’s second annual gala honours Kurds and
friends |
The KRG presented the prestigious 2006 Friend of the
Kurds Honorary Award to Olof G. Tandberg, who was a
founder of the Swedish Kurdish Committee in 1966,
the first such solidarity organisation established
at a time when the Kurdish question was unknown in
Sweden. He was selected by an independent jury.
When presenting the award, Taha Barwary, the KRG
Minister for Sport and Youth, added, “Through his
work at the UNESCO Council and published articles,
he has persistently worked to keep the Kurdish
question alive”.
Özz Nujen, a comedian and celebrity in Sweden,
received the 2006 Kurd of the Year award. The KRG’s
dedication to Mr Nujen stated, “Most of us know him
as the man who can joke about anything. In his
humour however lies a deep and serious commitment to
the Kurdish question.
Using his sense of humour as his main tool, he has
managed to convey the Kurdish question to a broad
audience. Through his dedication, he has introduced
the words ‘Kurd’ and ‘Kurdistan’ into everyday
Swedish vocabulary.” The award was presented by
Maria Leissner, Sweden’s Ambassador to Guatemala.
Minister Taha Barwary said: “We all wanted to show
our pride in Kurdish talents – on the radio,
television and in newspapers. Kurds are finally
being portrayed in a positive light that has not
only left its mark on society as a whole, but also
within their own communities and among their own
people.”
Politicians, famous artists, academic scholars and
representatives of the business and NGO world
attended the gala, including Minister for Migration
and Asylum Policy Tobias Billström, former Chairman
of the Liberal Party Bengt Westerberg, and Iraqi
Ambassador Ahmad Bamarni.
Comedians Özz Nujen and Nisti Stêrk were the
evening’s presenters, and three of the artists
performing were last year’s Kurd of the Year Darin,
the music group Hani, and dance group Baran. The
also guests saw a preview of the Kurdish-Swedish,
KRG-sponsored film Hope, in which two Kurdish boys
seek refuge in Sweden. The Kurdish Student and
Academic Association celebrated five outstanding
student achievements in Sweden by giving KRG grants
for the best academic thesis and high school essays
related to Kurdistan.
For more images of the 2007 gala, visit:
www.gkfoto.com/Kurdgalan07
krg org
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