15 September 2006

Those wonderful Swedes always come through when you least expect it. After a disproportionate war on Lebanon that destroyed most of its infrastructure and made one fourth of its population homeless, the Swedish government was quick to call for an international donors conference in Stockholm. While the European community was considering boots on the ground, Sweden volunteered to help mobilize the international community to bring food to the table and roof over the house. While soldiers from various contributing countries will be attempting to bring peace, Sweden took the initiative to assist in getting the world to breathe life into the resilient Lebanese society.

Sweden's traditional links to the region are not as intense as most other countries. But its sense of human values, fairness and dignity propelled it to pioneer a welcome role to meet an urgent need. The outcome of the Stockholm 30 August international conference on aid to Lebanon reached $900 million. Thanks, Sweden.