TeliaSonera Sweden, Fryshuset and Staffan Hildebrand launch their campaign against youth violence

Today marks the start of a Swedish campaign against youth violence called “Just Think a Moment” (Tänk ett slag). TeliaSonera Sweden, Fryshuset* and film director Staffan Hildebrand are collaborating on the project, which aims to inspire young people and their local surroundings to get involved in initiatives to prevent violence.

This autumn marks the 20th anniversary of riots that took place in Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm. The event inspired Anders Carlberg, founder of Fryshuset, and film director Staffan Hildebrand, to produce the movie “Stockholmsnatt” (Stockholm Night) and start the “Tänk ett slag” campaign, a touring seminar against violence for which the former Swedish Telecommunications Administration – Televerket (Telia today) – was main sponsor. Violence among young people has not decreased in Sweden and positive role models and initiatives are needed to support them. TeliaSonera Sweden, together with Fryshuset and Staffan Hildebrand, has therefore chosen to relaunch the “Just Think for a Moment” campaign. The campaign is being conducted through seminars in different locations in Sweden, where a new documentary film by Staffan Hildebrand will also be shown. The film, titled “The Invisible Wall” (Den osynliga muren), is about youth reality in Sweden in 2005. Anders Carlberg, Managing Director of Fryshuset, is leading today’s seminar at Fryshuset. Lena Hallengren, Swedish Minister for Pre-School, Youth Affairs and Adult Learning, Ulf Johansson, Deputy Police Commissioner of Stockholm City and Roger Ticoalu, Manager of the Stockholm youth organisation Ung08, are also participating in the seminar. “Our company participated in the first ‘Just Think for a Moment’ campaign already in the 1980s and the need for similar initiatives to support and help young people is just as big today,” says Marie Ehrling, Head of TeliaSonera Sweden. “That’s why it feels natural for us to get involved in the new campaign together with Fryshuset and Staffan Hildebrand. We hope the seminars will stimulate some lively debate and creative ideas that lead to actions for a more humane and better society for young people in Sweden.” The seminars are being arranged in association with the municipalities in Sweden, ABF (Swedish Workers Educational Association) and NBV (The Educational Activity of the Swedish Sobriety Movement). The target groups for the seminars are everyone working with youth-oriented activities in the municipalities, schools and other organisations, but also young people themselves. Anders Carlberg, Staffan Hildebrand and representatives from the municipalities and adult educational associations will participate in the seminars. After the first seminar at Fryshuset in Stockholm on September 7, the tour will go on the road to Malmö (Sept. 12), Kalmar (Sept.13), Jönköping (Sept. 14), Göteborg (Sept. 15), Karlstad (Sept.16), Sundsvall (Sept. 20) and Östersund (Sept. 21). More information about the campaign can be found at www.fryshuset.se. People can also report their interest in attending one of the seminars on the website. - - - - - *Fryshuset conducts social projects, educational, sports, culture and entertainment programmes for young people in Sweden. Fryshuset means “cold store” and the name is derived from the building where the centre is located today, in a former cold store for meat products in Stockholm. The centre is run by the Fryshuset foundation, formed by the YMCA.