January 2010

SWEA Washington, D.C. holds Annual Meeting at the Swedish Residence in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 8:42 AM, Jan 30, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

SWEA Washington, D.C.'s new board members

THE WASHINGTON, D.C. chapter of SWEA, Swedish Women's Educational Association, held its annual board meeting at the Swedish Ambassador's residence on Wednesday evening, January 27. The organization's new board was presented, previous board members were thanked for their services, and information about the spring programs was provided. Cecilia Browning, who is the incoming chairwoman, will take over chairwomanship after Gunilla Stone. Afterwards a delicious buffet was served in the residence's dining room.

The annual SWEA meeting at the Swedish Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.

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SACU Luncheon with Karin Olofsdotter, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 12:37 PM, Jan 29, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

Ingrid Beach, Karin Olofsdotter, who is Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., and David Paul.

KARIN OLOFSDOTTER, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. spoke at a SACU (Swedish American Cultural Union) luncheon in the American capital, on January 27 regarding the recent Swedish European Union Presidency from July to December 2009. Ms. Olofsdotter provided interesting insights about the work behind the presidency and the Swedish accomplishments.

"I THINK THAT we were well-prepared for the presidency, but EU as an organization is not that well-known in the United States, and with a new American administration it took time, and was a challenge, to set up meetings with American representatives. But Mr. Bildt, who has good connections in Washington, was very helpful. It is important to know the U.S. position on different topics" she said.

BEFORE JOINING the Swedish Embassy in Washington, she served as Chief of Staff to the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, and as Director of the Ministers Office in Stockholm.

MS. OLOFSDOTTER admitted that it was difficult to set up a meeting between the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and the American president, Barack Obama, but that they were finally successful with some last minute arrangements. On Friday afternoon, in early November, there was a phone call from the Americans that a 30-minute meeting was scheduled for the following Monday at 2 p.m. It was supposed to be 30-minute meeting, but it lasted 50 minutes. A luncheon with Vice-President Joe Biden, followed the summit.

"OUR PRESIDENCY started with the crisis in Honduras, and Sweden is not too involved in that part of the world, so that was a new experience," Ms. Olofsdotter noted. She also mentioned that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's speech in the U.S. Congress was a "Great Day for Europe," but that the results from the Copenhagen Climate Conference were disappointing. During the presidency Sweden arranged more than 100 briefings, and the House of Sweden became the "House of Europe" during the period.

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Art Exhibition "Turner to Cézanne" opens at Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 3:27 PM, Jan 27, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Rachel Cothran of Corcoran Gallery of Art, Benjamin Loewy and Heather L. McCaw.

A FESTIVE preview evening and reception for the new exhibition "Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales," was held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening, January 26.

THIS INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art features masterpieces by J.M.W. Turner, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean-François Millet, Honoré Daumier, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh. The exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art will be open to the public from January 30 through April 25, 2010.

The British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald opens the exhibition "Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales."

THE ORGANIZATION responsible for running Wales' seven national museums, Amgueddfa Cymru, plays its part in putting Wales on the international map, an effort that is exemplified by this exhibition as well as the country's presence at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2009 in Washington, D.C. When the tour was announced in November 2008, Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM, gave his personal backing.

AMONG THE MANY guests at Tuesday night's event were the AOL founder Jim Kimsey, AFTA Arts founder Lolo Sarnoff and Theo Adamstein of Adamstein & Demetriou Architecture & Design.

CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART is located across from the White House at 500 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. Tel. 202-639-1700, www.corcoran.org. Museum hours: Monday and Tuesday closed, Wednesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lauren Gentile, Holly Rich and Kristin Guiter, who is Director of Public Relations at the Corcoran.

Mariana Nork, Senior Vice President at Corcoran Gallery of Art speaks at the opening.

Madeleine Starkey, of the Scene Bisnow, Kamran Hasan and Philippa Hughes, of the Pink Line Project.

Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM, who personally backed the tour, gave a speech at the opening reception.

The opening of the art exhibition "Turner to Cézanne" at Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

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NASDAQ CEO in Washington says "Swedish markets are dynamic, innovative and growing"

Posted by Susanna at 2:55 PM, Jan 25, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

The head of NASDAQ OMX Group Bob Greifeld discussed the economic situation at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

BOB GREIFELD, the head of NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., during a Newsmaker event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, January 21, mentioned Sweden as an example when warning about the recent proposal by some in Congress to introduce a securities transaction tax as a way to "punish" Wall Street for the excesses of the past decade.

"CONSIDER SWEDEN, a country NASDAQ knows well since our merger with OMX. In 1984, Sweden introduced a 1 percent transaction tax and then doubled it. By 1990, over 50 percent of the volume of Swedish shares traded in London. The day the tax was announced, the Swedish market fell by 2.2 percent," Mr. Greifeld said in his address. The tax was abolished in 1991. And, according to him, the Swedish markets are now "dynamic, innovative and growing."

IN A CLIMATE of economic uncertainty and anxiety, Mr. Greifeld mentioned that the financial landscape has improved but it is structurally the same as before the crisis. He pointed out how financial re-regulation and the urgency to create new jobs in the U.S. are fundamentally intertwined.

IT IS A JOBLESS recovery, and Mr. Greifeld's advice to turn things around is a good market structure which allows people with good ideas to raise capital. "Good ideas, funded by capital, produce jobs," he said. Additionally he talked about the connection between Wall Street and Main Street, to provide capital to grow jobs. Finally he pointed out that "an enlightened regulatory effort will encourage capital formation and growth. And sustained economic progress will be the best way to ensure the health of the markets."

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SACC-DC's Annual Meeting at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 3:25 PM, Jan 22, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

General Sven-Olof Hökborg, who was presented with the 2010 Wilhelm Wachtmeister Award, and Gunilla Girardo, President of SACC-USA.

SACC (Swedish American Chamber of Commerce) Washington, D.C.. held its annual meeting and the Wilhelm Wachtmeister Award Ceremony on Thursday evening, January 21, at the House of Sweden in the American capital. General Sven-Olof Hökborg was presented with the award during the reception, that followed the annual meeting.

Felipe Benitez, Fenton Communications; Barbara Baffer, Ericsson Inc., Washington, D.C.; and Claes Hammar, Minister for Trade and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Sweden

Chandrika Näsström, SACC-DC, and Larilyn André, Embassy of Sweden

Bo Börje Jonsson, Bank of Georgetown, and Cecilia Browning, House of Sweden

Swedish Ambassador Jonas Hafström spoke at the awards ceremony.

The awards ceremony: Swedish Ambassador Jonas Hafström; General Sven-Olof Hökborg; and Bradley J. Olson, incoming chairman of SACC-DC.

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Successful Scandinavian ensemble for new music performs at the House of Sweden in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 6:02 AM, Jan 14, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

The Peärls Before Swïne Experience ON WEDNESDAY evening, January 13, one of Scandinavia's most successful and original ensembles -- The Peärls Before Swïne Experience -- performed at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. During their relaxed stage show, the ensemble members played short five-minute works written specifically for them by well-known Swedish and other composers. Their setting of flute, violin, cello and piano combined elements of jazz, classical music, rock music, and standup comedy, built on a foundation of new art music from around the globe. The ensemble has toured extensively in Europe, North America and Japan.

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Euronet International hosts popular 007-themed New Year's Eve Gala in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 8:10 AM, Jan 11, 2010 (Comments)

Category: Events

Claudia Rodriguez and Paul Wood

EURONET INTERNATIONAL hosted a fun-filled New Year's Eve 2010 Gala event - "License to Thrill Around the World Gala" -- at the Washington Plaza Hotel on Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the start of the New Year 2010 and a new decade. The event included a number of James Bond/007-themed international spots, such as a Montenegro casino with mock gambling; a Caribbean-themed room with DJs spinning tropical rhythms; an Icelandic martini bar with ice luges; and other rooms representing New York, London, Istanbul and other international cities, with cocktails, food and entertainment inspired by each location, plus a singles mixer. Bipin Badhe, who helped out at the function, contributed with this report from the popular event.

Organizers Aki Partanen and his wife Shenaz Shaffee

John Allen and Bipin Badhe

Doug Boerman and Olga Vnukova

Izabela Wzeich and Bipin Badhe

Euronet International Gala

Euronet New Year's Eve Gala in Washington

Bipin Badhe (in the middle), Allyson Behnke (to the right) and a friend.

Euronet New Year's Eve Gala in Washington