For the past forty years, current social issues have been discussed and debated in the week long annual event held in the main town of Visby. This year, for the first time, a forum is being organised for daily discussions on social policy issues, called the Security Policy Summer Market.
"We are delighted to have this opportunity to take part in discussions on defence with so many other important participants. Various different organisations have expressed great interest in taking part in the Security Policy Summer Market and we hope this can be even broader next year", said Staffan Dopping, Director of Communications of the Swedish Armed Forces.
The Security Policy Summer Market aims to host security policy debates and seminars featuring a broad range of participants. Participating organisations include the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the Swedish National Defence College, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the United Nations Association of Sweden, the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.
The seminars will run from 7 to 11 July and raise issues such as what threats is Sweden facing and why a gender perspective is so important in international missions.
Other Security Policy Summer Market participants will include Minister for Defence, Sten Tolgfors, Supreme Commander Håkan Syrén, Dag Klackenberg from the Swedish Trade Federation, LO chair Wanja Lundby-Wedin and Parliamentary Defence Group chair Karin Enström (m).
The seminars will be held at the Baltic Arts Centre in Visby harbour.