The Expo foundation and Vepsen association starts cooperation

The Expo foundation and the Norwegian association Vepsen starts to cooperate.

The partnership includes Expo and Vepsen activities in close cooperation exchange information, ideas and experiences. In the long term cooperation underpin a broad Nordic cooperation between organizations working against racism and intolerance.

- Intolerant groups and networks operate across national borders. Therefore, we also ought to be better at taking advantage of experience and ideas from our colleagues elsewhere. This year we will review our international network. The goal is to establish partnerships with organizations around the world who share Expos basic ideas. We are thrilled to announce Vepsen as our first partner. Cooperation will make an impact in both the journalistic work, as in the Expo's educational and research activities, says Daniel Poohl, Editor in Chief of the Expo magazine and CEO of the Expo Foundation.

Vespen association was formed in the summer of 2011, in the awakening after the terrorist attacks in Oslo and at Utöya. Vepsen aim, through educational work, is to reveal information about environments that threaten democracy and human dignity. The association is chaired by sociologist Henrik Lunde who for years worked to identify and examine the Norwegian extreme right.

- The partnership is an important formalization of the cooperation that has lasted several years. Norway and Sweden face similar challenges and it is therefore important that we have a close and constructive cooperation against extremism and human rights and democracy. Expo and Vespen is today the foremost anti-racism actors in each country and our partnership will strengthen both parties, says Henrik Lunde, president of the Vespen association.

For more information, please contact Daniel Poohl at

 + 46 (0)8 400 219 61 or daniel.poohl@expo.se

http://vepsen.org/