We believe that people with different knowledge and experiences can make great things together.

In order to prove that point, we hosted a free summer course in June of 2009. 100 students attended from Berghs School of Communications, Stockholm School of Economics, Forsberg’s Design School, KTH, Hyper Island, Konstfack and Stockholm’s University. They were divided into interdisciplinary teams with five different problems for society and ten days to solve them.

The thought was to channel creative resources to create usefulness instead of advertising and to show what possibilities emerge through the cross-fertilization of different disciplines and professions.

TASK 1

It is said that a society can be judged best by the way it handles its youngest and oldest inhabitants. In regards to the latter, Swedish Senior Services have lately received a lot of criticism. One of the repeating opinions is that the elderly are treated as bodies without integrity, without souls and without interests. Many even claim that eldercare is organized based on prejudices and wrong ideas in regards of the nature of ageing and old age. The flaws become most apparent in the daily service, mainly the food. The municipalities’ procurements are similar to each other, but the quality of the commercial food-suppliers varies significantly: unfortunately is most often quite low.

Your task is to improve the quality of food in the eldercare.

Do not forget that Swedish municipalities are not made of money. Public procurement is complicated, but there is certainly room for improvement. The solution is most likely to be found in the cooperation between public and commercial players.

TASK 2

Stockholm offers its citizens possibilities that large parts of Sweden lack. Because of this, the city attracts lots of different people. This immigration has, together with a wide housing shortage, resulted in a price explosion for apartments and a gentrification of complete neighborhoods. Stockholm is risking becoming a homogenous place, where only the wealthier can afford to live, a catastrophic development for urban dynamics. Up to the year 2030, the city’s population is expected to grow by almost 1 million people. The planned new housing projects will not be sufficient.

Your task is to renew and show distinct alternatives to the tenant-owned property system.

Do not break the law. All other rules should be questioned thoroughly and broken when needed.

TASK 3

The World consists of 6 783 421 727 people, who speak 6 912 different languages. Whether we worship different Gods or none at all, we are all driven by the same dreams. We suffer and appreciate the same things; we have similar interests and learn more about each other than ever before. We travel, talk and do business with each other is a way that has not been seen before in the history of mankind. This diversity is experience by many as scary and threatening. Instead, they demand more distinct frontiers between nations, cultures and people. They are represented in all countries and levels of society. They are advocates of fear and intolerance. And their political parties are winning seats in the European parliaments and governments.

Your task is to limit the possibilities for parties like Sverigedemokraterna to be elected to the parliament.

Remember that democracy and the freedom of speech cannot be violated. Everyone has the right to his or her own opinion. Respect that and ideally do not break the law.

TASK 4

Egg donations became legal in Sweden on January 1^st, 2003. Since then, University hospitals administer the treatment for women up to the age of 40, who for whatever reason do not have functioning eggs. Many fertility clinics are in desperate need of egg donations. At Huddinge hospital alone, there are 300 childless couples queuing for treatment; because of the shortage in eggs, the waiting time is up to three years. The reason for the shortage in donations lies in part in the time consuming process and in the fact that it requires a massive hormonal treatment. On top of this, the awareness of both the egg donations and the shortage of the same are very low in Sweden.

Your task is to increase egg donations to fertility clinics.

(Don’t nag, don’t beg, and don’t scare.)

TASK 5

You see us every day. Garbage men. Bus drivers. Nurses. Security guards. Cleaners. Cashiers. Mailmen. Construction workers. Maybe you have been one of us, the invisibles who make society work? We have the lowest wages for work you try to avoid. Nobody is talking with or about us, apart from election times. There is honor is to fulfill a task after a given framework. Despite of that, we are still living in a world where an individual is still judged in proportion to the status of their work.

Your task is to increase the status of low-status-professions by giving them a stronger recognition compared to what they receive today.

Do not kick upwards or downwards.