The following is an attempt at painting a portrait of Copenhagen through documentation of her people, institutions and architecture. Later this will be followed by a similar post from Kabul. The emphasis is on catching glimpses of everyday life and show the particularities of the different cultures.
Summer in Copenhagen. Blue skies and warm days of just over 25 degrees Celsius. Every inch of grass is occupied by relaxed Danes enjoying the sun beer in hand. There is a central garden called Kongens Have (Kings Garden). It’s central location attracts all kinds of people and it is a favourite meeting point for students, parents and tourists. There is a imaginative and wonderful playground build by prisoners from one of the state prisons and a puppet theater for the children. An outdoor café is situated in a 18th century gate house which used to be the entry point when the royal family lived in Rosenborg castle and the garden really was the Kings garden. In Copenhagen you will find bicycles everywhere. There are dedicated lanes with curbs and separate traffic signals. There is also a variety of very different bikes mostly developed by Christiania Bikes like the very popular one bellow which has a large box in front for carrying goods or children. 
Denmark is a very liberal country, strongly based on socialist principles of equality for all. These values are deeply ingrained in the population and are vital to remember for any public figures in Denmark. This may also be one of the reasons why it is not uncommon to see a minster on the way to parliament riding his bike in the crowd of people in the early morning hours. For the past 9 years the political leadership has been in the hands of the the Liberal Venstre party which forged an alliance with the far right Dansk Folke parti. This has resulted in a number clashes with other nations, espcially the 2005 case of the Danish Cartoons, in which a number of illustrators were asked by the newspaper Jylands Postento draw caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. This incident received resolute critisism form the Islamic world. The then prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is now secretary general of Nato, denied a request from 11 ambassadors of Middle-Eastern countries to discuss the issue which became a major international scandal. In the wake of the crisis it finally became legally possible for Muslims in Denmark to build a proper Mosque a project which is still not realised. Evidently Denmark is very open minded as long as long as it is concerned with “traditional” liberal topics. Everybody are equal but some are more equal than others. One of the great liberal projects is the rights of homosexuals. It is possible for gays and lesbians to marry in Denmark and even some churches sanction the marriage of partners of the same sex. The homosexual community is very strong and receives political support. In the yearly event Gay Parade thousands of supporters march through Copenhagen in a carnival of colours and celebration. Many political parties send delegates to join the march and so does some of the big international companies like MicroSoft and IBM.
The Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen is among the politicians joining the parade.
Denmark is a welfare state which means that there are social systems in place to take care of the needy but the system encompasses the lives of everybody in Denmark. Everyone is guaranteed free healthcare although you will have to pay a subsidised rate for prescription drugs. Schools, High Schools and Universities are free and students on higher education receives a monthly grant from the government to assure equal opportunity for students from lower income families who otherwise would have to work on the side to pay for living expenses. The unions are independent of the government and very strong. If you are without work the government will pay you a welfare amount but you will have to be upgrading your skills by attending special courses or actively seeking a job to get the money. Some people fall through the system though and end up on the street without help however there are a number of specialized organisations who are able to pick up those the state fails. One of these initiatives is the publishing and distribution organistaion Hus Forbi which offers homeless people a way to make a living by selling their magazine. Another great organisation is Kofoed Skole which I hope to give a description of in a separate post. This non-profit takes drug and alcohol addiction as it’s main sphere of operation and does it very well.
Posted on September 6, 2010
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