Nordic Countries Working Together

Pärla Salomaa

Secretary General

Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL)

Nordic Countries

• Denmark (+Faroe Islands and Greenland)

• Finland (+Åland Islands)• Iceland• Norway • Sweden

Source: Wikipedia.org, Oerlikonbalzerscoating.com

Long history together

• Kalmar Union 1397-1523: Confederation with all Nordic countries

• Finland part of Sweden 1300’s-1809

• Denmark-Norway 1524-1814

• Sweden-Norway 1814-1905

Source: Globalsecurity.com

Nordic Council

• Forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries established after World War II

• 1954 Nordic labour market • 1958 Nordic Passport Union• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania observers

A lot in common

• Geography: location and climate

• Low population density (total population 25 million)

• Advanced gender equality level, high education level

• Welfare states• Different languages

Source: Nordregio.com

Also from lifesaving point of view

• Plenty of water: lakes, rivers, fjords, sea

• Cold water and ice Hypothermia real danger year round

• People spend time around water

Source: Koulukartta.fi

Image of Nordic Countries

Source: Turbosquid.com, Wikipedia.org

We have four seasons

Source: 123rf.com, Yachtpals.com, Icelandviking.com, Flickriver.com, Mtv3.fi, Pbase.com,

Nordic Lifesaving Federation

• Founded in 1945 in Stockholm, Sweden

• Founded by the Lifesaving Federations of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

• Iceland joined in 1970• Conference every 3

yearsSource: FSL

Federation becomes Group

• Since 2008 meetings every year

• In 2012 name changed to Nordic Lifesaving Group

• Bye-laws under revision

Source: DSF

Nordic Lifesaving Group

• Yearly meetings in the fall• Organiser rotates• No secretary or staff• No bureaucracy• No budget, no voting• Only regional group within ILSE

Nordic Co-operation

• Swimming ability• Drowning prevention and statistics• Sharing best practice• Protecting immaterial rights• International issues

Swimming Ability

• 1996 agreement on common definition of swimming ability:

• A person can be said to be able to swim when one, after being immersed in water, can swim continuously for 200 meters, out of which 50 meters backstroke.

• Sent to ILSE for approval• Hopefully to ILS in the future

Swimming Ability in Nordic Countries

Country Children (grade) Adults

Denmark 79% (6-7th garde) 66%

Finland 72% (6th grade) 68%

Iceland 96% (6th grade) 95%

Norway 50% (4th grade) Data not available

Sweden 92% (5th grade) 73%

Source: FSL

Swimming Education in Nordic Countries

• Swimming education in school curricula in all Nordic Countries

• Norway: most emphasis on cold water swimming

• Sweden and Iceland: no school diploma unless swimming abilitySource: SLS

Drowning prevention in Nordic Countries

• Typical case: Middle-aged man under the influence of alcohol

• Sharing best practice, like information, events, education, advertising, and methods to fight the common problem

Source: Kemijoki.fi

Drowning Statistics

• Most collect data from press clippings, followed by official statistics

• Sweden publishes a yearly report in Swedish and English

• Finland has same format since 2011, published in Finnish and English

• Studies in all countries but at different times• Plan to gather more information about

drowning statistics in Nordic Countries

Nordic Co-operation in sports and lifesaving

• Nordic Championships in many different sports disciplines

• Nordic Lifesaving Championships

Letter of Intent

• Signed by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in 2012

• Agreement to protect intellectual property from commercial actors

• Material first offered to other Nordic Federations

Source: SLS, NLF

Sharing knowledge

• Open camps and competitions

• Visiting coaches

• Ease of communication: Secretary General, Education specialist

• Sending or distributing materials

Source: DSF, FSL

International Work

• ILS International Lifesaving Federation• ILSE International Lifesaving Federation of

Europe • IFSTA International Federation of

Swimming Teachers’ Associations• No need to have own representative

everywhere: we still get the necessary information

New observers

• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania invited to Nordic Meeting in 2012

• Estonia observer status• Meetings open to other observers as well

Benefits of co-operation

• No need to re-invent the wheel• Better use of scarce resources• Working with same issues gives certainty

and confidence• Friendship

With the assistance of my colleagues• Karin Brand, Sweden• Erik Bech, Denmark• John-Inge Austad, Norway

• Hafthor Gudmundsson, Iceland

Together we are strongerSource: Kotu.oulu.fi

Pärla Salomaa

Secretary General

parla.salomaa@suh.fi