Never again Utøya and the Copenhagen attack!

28.02.17 | News
Mayors from 12 Nordic cities and 150 city officials, experts, NGO’s and practitioners gather in Copenhagen to create safer Nordic cities. The mayors and city practitioners will join efforts to prevent new attacks. The goal is to pave the way from words to action together in the Nordic Region.

The Nordic Safe Cities network commits to cast light on our shared positive values and build on them to ensure safe societies where citizens do not have to live in fear. Politicians and practitioners from cities in the Nordic Region will act and show that our cities are safe. The network will identify, innovate, accelerate and scale best practices from the Nordic region

The first step of this work will be presented in the Nordic Safe Cities Guide at the launch on March 7 in the City Hall of Copenhagen.

On many occasions, all the Nordic governments have stressed that we must stick to our open and democratic societies

Secretary General of The Nordic Council of Ministers, Dagfinn Høybråten is convinced that this is an important project within the Nordic Co-operation in today’s turbulent world. 

 - When Oslo and Utøya was attacked in 2011 we did exactly the opposite of what the attacker wanted us to do. On many occasions, all the Nordic governments have stressed that we must stick to our open and democratic societies. A week after the attack at Krudttønden in Copenhagen eight Nordic ministers got together and worked out the idea that became Nordic Safe Cities, says Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten.

The Nordic Safe Cities guide shows the best practice from towns in the Nordic region. The Launch is held in Copenhagen, Denmark with Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, and Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten. The event will be the start of a broad and preventive Nordic campaign against extremist violence and radicalization.

The guide includes the story of Karoline Dam who lost her son Lucas to ISIS Syria in 2014. Since her loss, she has been working to help and support other families suffering from radicalisation thru the organization Sons and Daughters of the world.

At the launch you can also meet Kristina Westerholm from the Internet Police in Helsinki. You can get an insight into how Copenhagen is transforming Mjølnerparken by engaging the community, how Fredrikstad has developed an early warning system and how Bergen is using music, dance and storytelling to enable young people to exchange culture expressions and thereby understand each other.

You are welcome to join us at Copenhagen City hall 7th of March between 11.00 and 17.00.