Is this the solution?

Since I wrote my first blog entry, I have been talking to many people about the best way forward.

I said that there should be an association –("forening") which would be the voice of expats here in Denmark. Now, the expression "expats" covers a lot of ground; What do I mean by an expat? Personally, I think it means someone who was not born in the country that they live in. They do not have that fundamental cultural knowledge that comes with being born into a society such as the Danish society.

There are other definitions of expats, which serve to differentiate groups. There can be immigrants "invandere", who have elected to leave their original countries to be integrated into their new host country. There are also those who come to a country for work, and intend to stay for just a few years. There are others who come to a country because they have found love with a citizen of that country. There are also students, who are on exchange and want to get an education in a country.

As I said, the common thread is the fact that none of them are born in the host country, meaning that cultural customs have to be learnt. I would like to add another category, though. Once one lives in a different country or culture, one becomes an expat: an adventurer, cosmopolitan, international, and possibly a linguist. It is just as difficult for an expat who returns to his or her original country. So these are also "expats".

I was looking for an association that could aggregate all the voices and most importantly, be run by fellow expats. I did not want an organisation with an ulterior motive, or one that patronised its members.

I think I have found one. It is an existing association called "Novum". It was established to find jobs for highly-educated "nydanskere". They have been successful to date, by running training programmes and matchmaking with small and medium businesses throughout Denmark.

There is an annual subscription of 150 kr, and my first question was "What does a member get for 150 kr a year?". This led to some brain storming and has resulted in some initiatives. The first one is to provide a "clinic", where expats can come if they have any problems getting around the "system". There are volunteers who will help and help find professional advice if required.

The original idea involves expats sending in their CVs to a CV bank. This does not mean that Novum should be regarded as a headhunter and works with those who are prepared to change direction to apply their advantage to help companies discover new export markets. In Sweden, they have followed 12,000 expats who have generated SEK 7 billion in export revenues over the last few years. That is an exciting prospect for Denmark. Apart from membership fees, Novum has been financed by the Municipality of Copenhagen for the training, but funding is being sought to enhance the effect.

This is a win-win situation for everybody; Expats get jobs, Denmark gets export income, the state gets more in tax revenues, and the welfare state survives!

But what else would I and hopefully other expats like to see? I feel that we need representation in a unified group but work with others to get political results. Danes Worldwide is working hard to press the Government to change the rules on bringing spouses to Denmark, dual-citizenship and national voting rights. Therefore, we will also be lobbying politicians to get better recognition of what expats can contribute and how they can help make Denmark a more attrctive place for expats.

You see, I would like every expat to be an ambassador to tell the world that Denmark is a great place to be and they would highly recommend it.

I can hear some sighs! But what about the Danes? Well, let them be! Let them come to us, if they want to! In the meantime, make Denmark and especially the major cities into cosmopolitan oasis, where we as expats, get to know each other, create a network and learn each other's culture. If open-minded Danes want to join in, fine! But don't expect to change the Danes. Respect it. No Dane-bashing. They are as they are - but hey! there are worse places to be in the world.

So, there should be better co-ordination of social and corporate events - more involvement by expats themselves.

I mentioned the "clinic". This is a good start by Novum, but eventually, by having a strong association, expats may be helped in individual situations, such as when “swords are crossed” with the authorities, landlords, employers, schools, etc.

The "core business" of employment is fundamental, though. There are far too many people not in jobs or in the wrong jobs. How I hate to see "success stories" of "nydanskere" getting a job as a cleaner, when they could be utilized far more productively. And here is a country that criticizes countries for not using the brains of women in some foreign societies!

Denmark is known as the "Green Capital of the World", and now energy prices have risen worldwide plus the recognition of climate change, Danish know-how and technology is a sought-after commodity. Are there enough Danes to follow the demand? The plain answer is "No" and the situation, due to demographics, is about to get worse.

The existing expats in Denmark have an important role in attracting and retaining the thousands of highly-qualified foreigners who will be required to fill the jobs that will keep Denmark in business in the future. A good story has to be told to those thinking of coming to this country. They must know beforehand that they will find a community that will be open for them, if not welcome them – and that is the expat community.

So I have become a member of Novum, and to make the voice of the expats heard, there have to be more members. It is an association, so you will be able to have your say by active participation.

Novum is investigating how to create some financial benefits for members, such as discounts, so the subscription will be easily covered in kind.

Maybe I am right – maybe I am wrong. If you have a different view, an endorsing view, or otherwise feel strongly about it. (OMG, I may be getting emotional about it – huge no,no!)

Link to Novum