expressen3

Expressen, Sweden, 21 Nov 2001

By Niklas Svensson and Malin Lundmark

Swedish taxpayers support the cult-like Tvind movement.    Among others, the military force donates equipment to UFF, the Swedish branch of Tvind. In addition, Expressen can tell today that several large Swedish enterprises are listed as "partners" of the movement.

In Denmark, just at the moment, one of the country's most extensive research about economical criminality against the relief organisation Tvindis going on.    UFF, which is the Swedish branch of the network, is
internationally called Humana.

- The whole Tvind movement is a cult, where the members are exploited to the maximum. And the money will end up at the leader outside Miami in the USA, says Sweden's leading cult expert, Karl-Erik Nylund.

On the international webiste of UFF, it is pointed out that large Swedish enterprises support its activity. But the mentioned enterprises don't want today to have anything to do with the doubtful movement. One of the
enterprises which was claimed to be a "partner" is Arla, owned by farmers.

- It is true that a daughter company donated computers to this organisation. But this does not mean that we are any "partner". Immediately when I heared of that, I called them and asked them to remove us from their
website, says Katarina Malmstrm, the information manager at Arla.

Also the IT-Company VM-data is listed as a sponsor. This summer, they donated a number of computers to UFF's Africa-project.

- We donated approximately a passenger car full, says the informator Anna Brogren. According to her, VM-data can imagine to donate computers to UFF also in future if "a good opportunity appears".

Even the taxpayers have supported the relief organisation. This happened, among others, by the military force which at least in two cases - in october 1999 and in march of last year - donated surplus material to UFF.

According to lieutenant colonel Thomas Johansson they always consult the national organisation for cooperation, Sida, before the military force decides about assistance.

- UFF was satifying the criteria that surplus material from the military force could be donated, says Johan Schaar, the chief of Sida'S humanitarian section.

It is a fact the all organisation which requested such assistance were satisfying the criteria.

- It is true that those criteria are not very strict. Those are some basic formal criteria, says Schaar. According to the military force, the organisation should be "democratic", "Swedish" and "should have existed since more than two years."

- Concering the activity of the organisation, we don't have any points of view at all.

It does not play any role if leading persons in an organisation are suspected for economical criminality?

- No. But if they would ask us to donate money for various projects, then we would make a thorough investigation. But this is not the case if it is the question of surplus material.

According to Johan Schaar, UFF got at the last time full containers with underware, covers, tools and sets of cutlery from the military force..

- The material obviously should be forwarded to another relief organisation in Mocambique. But what then happened I don't know.

In a contract with the military force, UFF promises that "on the last day in every quarter, they would report in which way the needed things will have been used for the intended pupose". But up to now - two years after
the first contribution - they have not seen any such report, according to the military force.

But the Swedish chief of UFF,  Tomas Gregersen, claims to Expressen that all economical surplus, as the material of the military force, ended up in various relief projects in Africa.

- I can guarant that each single crown is ending up correctly.

But the colleague of Gregersen, Trond Narvestad, admits that not all donations are sent away - and that they do nto report:

- Unfortunately, some of the material is still on stock. This is certainly our error.

Facts about the taxpayers donations:

Last year UFF received from the military force: 15 000 rain coats, 3 000 rain shawls, 2 000 hand basins, 300 cook dresses, 40 000 towels, 20 000 socks, 5 000 sets of cutlery, 300 tent lights, 100 crowbars, 200 bow saws, 500 camp spades, 200 digging spades and 400 axes.

Facts about the Tvind movement.

TVIND. Started 1970 in Denmark by the teacher Mogens Amdi Petersen. One of the activities is the travelling high school. In fact, Tvind is a multinational empire which, by means of foundations (among others in the
tax havens as the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands), owns enterprises, plantations, shippping-companies and, additionally, scholls (about 40 in Denmark). Somen countries have made investigations and have tried to forbid the movement.

UFF. U-landshjlp frn Folk till Folk (Development Aid from People to People), a relief organisation, founded 1979 in Sweden. The activity is based on collecting clothes in yellow containers. According to the Danish police, UFF is a "daughter company" of Tvind. Ten years ago, the Swedsih Sida made a report which showed that only two percent of the profit is used for development aid.

HUMANA. A network of national UFF-associations in 25 countries. The main office is located in Zimbabwe, Africa. At the end of september this year,Humana organised a conference in Denmark in the place of the Tvind
movement. At the same conference, according the Humana's website, UFF Sweden was present with a worshop.

PLANET AID. The american part of Humana. Patrly works the same way as the Swedish UFF. Led by DAnes, Swedes and Norwegians.  

The TEACHER'S GROUP. The executive body within the Tvind movement is the Teacher's Group. The TG consists of about 500 people and is leading pedagogically and economically.

TVIND ALERT. A website in the Internet, run by journalists and ex-members. There, the Tvind movement is discussed and investigated continuously.     According to ex-members who write on this website, the Tvind movement may   be compared to a cult.

http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=88831