From: achristo@pons.uio.no (Alf Christophersen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Finns and Swedes and soc.culture.nordic
Date: 8 Nov 92 20:15:58 GMT
Organization: University of Oslo


>And yes, there are issues. However Finland and Sweden are very quite
>and nice parts of this violent world, and you could walk around
>five in the morning in the middle of Helsinki and speak Swedish
>without getting killed by an angry mob of Finns. And vice versa.
>
>It is fruitful to raise issues dealing with the Finns that emigrated
>to Sweden, and the Swedish speaking minority living in Finland. However
>just speaking from my own experience these issues will always be
>present because people are people, and there will always be those
>that feel their rights have been violated. I'm proud because due
>to my background I've had a possibility to experience both cultures.

I have just returned from the 6. Nordic symposia on Computer
assistance in Genealogical Research where there were
representants for Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia (Where was
the Danes???? Have you left the Nordic Countries to join EEC
forever??? We also still miss the Icelandic people at these
meetings, so you readers at Iceland, please write us so you could
join next time in 1994).

There were most finns, then swedes, 5 norwegians and one estonian
researcher.

I would just say now that the only time we heard about the
quarrels btw. Swedes and people from Finland, was the recent
quarrel on soc.culture.nordic! There was no other signs of alien
postures btw. the Finns and the Swedes. Maybe only when we
Norwegians told stories about Pekka (who some of the Finland
people said had the name Per in the sources:-) but others said
had the name Pekka.

We got descriptions of several genealogical programs for use in
Finland, both of them simultaneous writing the names in both
languages, at least, that was the goal.

I also discussed the matter of official languages in future
congresses, and was told to stick to Scandinavian languages. The
people of interest in all Nordic countries, that is, the older
peoples in Finland, speaks and understand
Swedish/Norwegian/Danish well enough. English was probably more
unknown to these people than even Danish.

Besides, it was given a very interesting speech by Jyri Myntel
(both y are u with double dots) who had the theme Computers and
Genealogy in Estonia. He was very sorry to tell the audience that
almost none Estonian had the money to use a computer. And he
didn't know when they would have that opportunity.

Since the COCOM rules of export of computers to the east-European
countries are now being tuned down, I would say you would do very
good to the culture of Estonia if you donate your old computers
(but still usable) to the Genealogical Society of Estonia. Also
other equipments like copymachines and other office equipments
are of use to this organizations.

Software and manuals for use in registration of historic
materials are also of interest to the Society.

If you would like to get a more accurate address of delivering
such equipments, please write

Ju"ri Mu"ntel
Volka 6-6
EE-2440 No"o
Estland


If there are Estonian readers here on the net, could some of you
stand forward as liaisons for the society???


Alf Christophersen
Roots-L list owner
Editor of 'Slekt og Data', DIS-Norge