“Why are environments that should be for everyone so homogeneous?” Wadood Suberu and his colleagues asked themselves. Now, they strive to open up the great outdoors in Sweden for “Third Culture Kids.”

As for many, the pandemic disrupted much of the Stockholm based agency Common Values United’s work. The founders Wadood Suberu, Babak Azarmi and Iskias Araya have their roots in urban expressions such as basketball, hip-hop and street-fashion. Together with brands and organizations, they work with creating positive community action and initiatives in lower-income neighborhoods. Suddenly, as in many other cities, everything was put on hold.

“Like others, we ended up taking long walks in nature during the pandemic. That was the only place where you could meet up and socialize!” Wadood Suberu recalls.

“Soon, we realized that we really enjoyed this – the silence, the simplicity. But we also started to see that there were mainly white middle-aged people out on the trails.”

In their work, Wadood Suberu and his colleagues often target what they call “Third Culture” kids: Young Swedes who mainly grow up outside their parents’ culture and/or have at least one parent born outside Sweden.

“This expression is gaining momentum, since it’s not stigmatizing as “second generation immigrants” etc. And in Sweden, up to 40% of people under 15 years of age belong to this group!”

When Babak Azarmi made a journey to one of the most popular trekking areas in the Swedish Mountains, Abisko, where the iconic “King’s Trail” – Kungsleden – starts (or ends), he realized that the outdoor community in Sweden was even more homogeneous.

“In theory, the great outdoors here are very accessible, with vast nature reserves and national parks, trekking trails, and the freedom to roam. Why do so few of us third culture kids go there?

Lower the thresholds – and have fun

In line with their other work, Common Values United wanted to create a positive, growing community here as well. The project Outsiders Lab was launched.

“It’s all about creating safe places where people feel comfortable. You must lower the thresholds! Once per month we rented a bus, invited friends and friends of friends to come with us for a breakfast outside and a walk in some of the many forests around Stockholm. We also tried stand up paddling and other activities. Step by step, everyone became more confident.”

This autumn, some from the group traveled to Abisko and the King’s Trail.

“When you look at websites, Instagram, brochures etc., from these parts of Sweden, you never see people like us. This makes many of us feel like we don’t belong there. We wanted to challenge this and made a four-day trek, staying in tents and finding our way in this beautiful but rugged terrain.”

Wadood Suberu points out that even though the weather conditions and the trekking sometimes were demanding, many in the group – as well as many third culture kids in general – have experienced much harsher conditions.

“People have fled from countries in war, left everything behind, crossed the Mediterranean Sea in shitty boats. Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and remember ‘I’ve been through much worse before…’.”

And the effort was not without rewards.

“It was tough – but I loved it. To leave the intensity of the big city and just land in yourself and hear your own thoughts again. For me, it was like a four-day meditation.”

 

 

Photos: Common Values United