Hej Främling! (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: Hello Stranger) is a Swedish charity that introduces refugees to Swedish cultural events. In 2017, the group was the European finalist for the
Nansen Refugee Awards.
Organization and activities
Hej Främling! was informally co-founded in
Östersund
Östersund (; sma, Staare) is an urban area (city) in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-largest lake, Storsjön, ...
in November 2013, by Anne Lundberg and Emma Arnesson.
Official charitable registration occurred in September 2015.
Initial activities included teaching cross-country skiing to 300 of the refugees being housed in a former army base in Grytan municipality.
After initial success, the Hej främling activities expanded beyond Östersund to
Farsta,
Dals-Ed,
Höga Kusten
The High Coast ( sv, Höga Kusten) is a part of the coast of Sweden on the Gulf of Bothnia, in the Ångermanland province of northeast Sweden, centered in the area of the municipalities of Kramfors, Härnösand, Sollefteå and Örnsköldsvik. It i ...
, and Uppsala and activities expanded to the provision of sporting equipment and clothing,
and bicycle lessons.
Reception
A 2020 academic study undertaken at
Stockholm University
Stockholm University ( sv, Stockholms universitet) is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden, founded as a college in 1878, with university status since 1960. With over 33,000 students at four different faculties: law, humanities, so ...
indicated that the groups' activities generally improved refugees perceptions of being included in the surrounding community. In 2017, the group was the European finalist
Nansen Refugee Award.
References
{{Authority control
External links
Official website
Refugee aid organizations in Europe
Organizations based in Sweden
Organizations established in 2015
Recipients of the European Citizen's Prize