Scandinavia

Topic Area One: Finland-- Meeting with the Prime Minister's Deputy or Rep. from Ministry of Defense

• The Finnish Presidency of the European Union begins July 1, 2006.
• Hate Speech Reforms Return to EU?  (Prime Minister's Office)
  • Denmark's Site on the Issue
• Turkish Membership and Cyprus  (Prime Minister's Office)
• European Union Constitution Debate (Prime Minister's Office)
• NATO vs. OSCE vs. European Defense Agency and Landmine Deferment (Ministry of Defense) European Union Battle Groups (Prime Minister's Office)

• Questions:

  • What must Turkey do to meet the Copenhagen Criteria for membership?
  • Will Finland return hate speech reforms to the EU Agenda? (Post-Denmark Muslim Cartoons)
  • What barriers are there to the new Constitution?
  • Why has Finland deferred on signing the Ottawa Treaty? How do its relationships with NATO, OSCE, EDA, and the EU Nordic Battle Group project affect it?

Topic Area Two: Sweden-- Meeting with Prime Minister's Deputy of Rep. from Sustainable Dev.

• The Swedish Government
  • The Green Welfare State: Sweden is Oil-Free by 2015; -25% emissions by 2020 (Ministry of Sustainable Development)
  • Sweden and the Euro: Sweden divides EU by postponing adoption of Euro (Prime Minister's Office)
  • Turkish Membership and Cyprus (Prime Minister's Office)
  • European Battle Groups in Northern Europe (Ministry for Defense)

              Questions:

  • What lessons can the US learn from Sweden's energy goals?
  • Does Sweden's deferment of the Euro impact the growth of the EU?
  • What must Turkey do to meet the Copenhagen Criteria for membership?
  • How does the EU Battle Group project better fit Sweden's goals for peace over pressures to join NATO, etc.?

Topic Area Three: Denmark-- Millenium Development Goals and the UNDP

• The UNDP in Copenhagen
  • Millenium Development Goals & Capacity 2015 (UNDP Nordic Office)
  • UNICEF Supply Division for Asia (UNICEF Warehouse & UNHCR)

  • Poverty Reduction in the Developing World (UNDP Nordic Office)

            Questions:

• How does UNICEF coordinate its extensive relief plans
• How do the different agencies of the UN work together?
• How much does the bureaucracy of the UN interfere with action in fulfilling the MDGs?
• What specific projects are best at alleviating poverty in the developing world?

Finland

July 3-4    Flight to Helsinki. 

July 5       Estonia.  Quick cruise over for guided sightseeing of the capital, Tallinn, the Raekoja Plats, and the many shops for an afternoon of shopping.  ALTERNATIVE:  Red granite parliament, green-domed cathedral, and the 1952 Olympic stadium in Helsinki.

July 6        Morning city tour including the Government, University and Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral.  Helsinki meeting with Finnish Secretariat to EU. Overnight ferry to Stockholm.

Sweden

July 7       City tour and exploration.

July 8       Free day of exploration, Drottningholm Palace, museums.

Denmark

July 9      Copenhagen by private coach. Stop in village of Granna; Cross Oeresund Bridge which connects Sweden to Denmark

July 10       Copenhagen city tour: Danish parliament, Rosenborg Castle, visit Hans Christian Andersen Little Mermaid statue; afternoon of shopping

July 11       Meetings with UNDP Nordic Office; afternoon and evening of jazz music and museums

July 12       Return home