Introduction: ICMA invites its members to the 2024 Northern Europe Regional Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden from 22-24 April 2024. This meeting will gather members and partners from across the region. The seminar focus will be on key trends and challenges in seafarers’ welfare of common interest to our members. The meeting will take place at the Scandic Sjöfartshotellet in central Stockholm with opportunities also to visit with maritime partners in the area.
Meeting hosts and sponsors: Thank you to the Katarina Sjöfartsklubb and the Sjömanskyrkan Nynäshamn for hosting us. Financial support from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. Thank you to Pastor Matthias Ristau (Deutsche Seemannsmission eV) and Rev. Nicolaj Wibe (Indenlansk Sømandsmission) for work on the program committee.
Invitation: ICMA’s Northern Europe region includes chaplains, ship visitors, and staff from ICMA members in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany’s Baltic Sea Coast, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Norway and Iceland. Other members or partners are welcome, if places remain.
Hotel: Scandic Sjöfartshotellet (Katarinavägen 26, SE-104 65, Stockholm, Sweden)
Registration for meeting: register for meeting and book hotel room here [click here]. ICMA has booked rooms. Due to the generosity of our local host partners and the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, we can offer the program at no cost for all registrants and also a limited number of hotel rooms (2 nights) at no cost.
Theme: “Connected by the Sea: (Re)building Partnerships”
Schedule: (subject to minor changes)
Monday 22 April
- 13h00 – 13h30 – Welcome and Registration Scandic Sjöfartshotellet (Katarinavägen 26, SE-104 65, Stockholm, Sweden)
- 13h30 – 15h15 – Session 1 (meeting room at Scandic Sjöfartshotellet)
- Welcome and Introductions – Dr. Jason Zuidema (ICMA General Secretary)
- Welcome from our hosts – Katarina Sjöfartsklubb and the Sjömanskyrkan in Stockholm
- Bengt Sandberg, Board member, Katarina Sjöfartsklubb
- Board Member, Sjömanskyrkan in Stockholm
- “Connected by the Sea: (Re)building Partnerships” – Pastor Matthias Ristau (Deutsche Seemannsmission), ICMA Northern Europe regional coordinator
- “Seafarers’ welfare and well-being: Perspective of the Swedish Maritime Officers’ Association” – Capt. Lennart Jonsson (CEO, Sjöbefälsföreningen)
- (15h15 – walk to Den Norske Kirke i Stockholm – 750m)
- 15h30 – 16h00 – Coffee Break at Den Norske Kirke
- 16h00 – 17h00 – Opening Prayer (Den Norske Kirke i Stockholm, Stigbergsgatan 24, 116 28 Stockholm, Sweden)
- Homily: Rev. Frank T. Skofteland, Senior Pastor – Seafarers’ Group, Sjømannskirken
- 17h30- 18h30 – Session 2 (meeting room at Scandic Sjöfartshotellet)
- Sara Baade (Sailors’ Society) – “Learning from results of Sailors’ Society 2023/2024 Cadet Survey Report”
- “The Future of Seafarers’ Work, Training, and Welfare” – Dr. Khanssa Lagdami, (ITF Seafarers Trust Assistant Professor of Maritime Labour Law & Policy, World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden)
- 19h00 – Opening dinner (provided by Katarina Sjöfartsklubb)
- 20h00 – Free time
Tuesday 23 April
- 9h00 – bus departure from hotel
- 10h00 – Visit to Vasa Museum (one of the most visited museums in Scandinavia featuring the world’s only preserved 17th century ship)
- 12h00 – departure for seafarers’ center
- 13h00 – Lunch and visit to seafarers center – Kaknäs Seamen’s Center
- 14h00 – Session 3 – Partnerships for Seafarers’ Welfare and Well-being
- Jari Raminen (Director, Kaknäs Seamen’s Center) – Presentation of the work of Kaknäs Seafarers’ Centre and the Swedish Seamen’s Service
- Small group workshop – best practices for ship visiting, digital programs, well-being services, and running a seafarers’ centre
- 15h15 – coffee break
- 15h45 – Session 4 – Partnerships for Seafarers’ Welfare and Well-being
- Stefan Scheja, (Manager, Cruise and Ferry, Ports of Stockholm) – Presentation of the facilities and trends in the Ports of Stockholm
- Capt. Christer Lindvall, FNI (Former President and Honorary Member, IFSMA and Board Member, Stiftelsen Stockholms Sjöfartshotell) “Recruitment and retention of seafarers: looking back for the future”
- (con’t) Small group workshop – best practices for ship visiting, digital programs, well-being services, and running a seafarers’ centre
- 16h45 – bus departure for return to hotel
- 17h30 – Free time (no dinner provided) (click here for Stockholm tourism ideas)
Wednesday 24 April
- 9h00 – 10h30 – Session 5 (meeting room at Scandic Sjöfartshotellet) – Partnerships and Programs to Expand Capacity
- Dr. Jason Zuidema (ICMA General Secretary) – “ICMA’s Voice for Seafarers’ Welfare: Updates from our Delegations to IMO and ILO”
- Hanna Pedersen (Sømandsmissionen) – “The Sømandsmissionen serving maritime students”
- Mia Haapakorva (Finnish Seamen’s Mission) – “European Solidarity Corps, Vol. 2 – Seafarers’ Missions and Refugees”
- 10h30 – 11h00 – Coffee Break (provided next door at Katarina Sjöfartsklubb (Glasbruksgatan 2, 116 20 Stockholm, Sweden))
- 11h00 – 12h00 – Session 6 (meeting room at Scandic Sjöfartshotellet) – Partnerships and Programs to Expand Capacity
- Fr. Dr. Edward Pracz, CSsR (Stella Maris – Gdynia, Poland) – “Pastoral care of people of the sea in the European Centres of Stella Maris” (note: Fr. Pracz obtained his PhD in 2022 at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow with a dissertation on this subject)
- Rev. Nicolaj Wibe (Sømandsmissionen) – “Lessons Learned from Operating Seafarers’ Hotels in Greenland”
- 12h00 – 12h15 – Closing prayer (meeting room at Scandic Sjöfartshotellet)
- 12h15 – Lunch (provided by Katarina Sjöfartsklubb)
- 13h00 – End of Program
For more information: gensec@icma.as
