Stockholm, December 18, 2007
ANNUAL EAST-WEST BALTIC PRIDES to BOOST CO-OPERATION
To members of the Nordic Baltic Rainbow Network (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden (Swedish Pol-Balt Network) and special member Belarus:
A number of e-mail discussions have been taking place after our Gothenburg meeting in September the follow-up meeting in Stockholm on November 30.
Some members have already come with progress reports from the 13 points we agreed on in Gothenburg (see list on our NBRN Network!). Other reports very welcome at the coming Warsaw meeting in February.
A proposal for an annual, rotating, joint East-West Nordic-Baltic Happenings (adopting the excellent Polish proposal for a joint East-West Europride 2008 which was at first adopted and then dropped by the European Pride Association).
Aim: Getting increased Nordic/Baltic participation (seminar holders, performers, artists, film makers, etc.) in each other's event (even if limited in number) to boost East-West Rainbow Co-operation.
Possible name: "BLUE BALTIC PRIDE – East-West Rainbow Co-operation between Baltic cities."
Size: Large or small depending on local involvement and foreign input.
Date: Whenever locals decide is the best time . Can be an annual Pride, rainbow cultural festival, conference, etc. ….close by each other or spread out during the year.
Site: Need not be a national capital. Other cities are also welcome. Towns in semi-autonomous regions (Faroes, Åland, Greenland, Kaliningrad ) are also welcome.
Decisions: Preferably made a year in advance (at an NBRN meeting) to give participants time for planning, fund-raising, public relations, etc..
Budget: Can be kept very low with donated venues, private accommodation for visitors, low-budget travel by ship, airline or train.
QUICK DECISIONS FOR 2008 PLANNING
Since the coming Nordic-Baltic/Barents Rainbow Network February meeting in Warsaw is rather late for preparations for 2008 (since some Prides and other events take place in the spring) we offer to make the first Western city hosting the first " Blue Baltic Pride:"
Stockholm, July 23-24, 2008 (just before Europride-Stockholm .)
Eastern "Baltic Blue Pride" 2008 colleague (or colleagues) should be approved via e-mail as soon as possible for appropriate planning, joint public relations, etc..
Feedback very welcome now and/or at the Warsaw meeting in February.
Bill Schiller for Tupilak, Nordic Rainbow Council, ILGCN Information Secretariat – Stockholm and Nordic Rainbow Humanists.
