The Swedish government has canceled the presentation of grants to civil society organizations that support peace and disarmament. SIA reports that the total amount of grants distributed among 18 organizations in 2023 was equal to approximately 2 million dollars.
Financial support has been given to Swedish organizations for a hundred years. Therefore, the decision has caused severe criticism.
“This decision will have an impact on the activities of organizations working for disarmament, conflict prevention or peaceful resolution. About a quarter of organizations will go out of business. Although it is not very large in terms of money, it was a very important contribution if we compare its volume with the huge investments made in defense”, said Kerstin Bergeo, the head of the “Swedish world” movement.
The organization “Swedish Doctors Against Nuclear Weapons” was also deprived of its financial support, which made up about 40 percent of its budget, after several decades.
“We cannot interpret it otherwise: the government wants to silence us – those who speak in favor of peace, security, disarmament,” said Josefin Lind, Secretary General of the organization.
