Evictions, demands and graffiti. During the extraordinary meeting at Smålands Nation last Thursday evening, feelings were growing strong, and the confusion was at times absolute. Board member Carl Emilsson has decided to step down.
An extraordinary nation meeting was held last Thursday evening, during which a motion was put forth to declare no confidence in the entire board at Smålands Nation´s Housing, SNB. Ordinarily, the meetings in the nation´s recreation room are attended by around 20 members. This time about 90 people had gathered to decide the future of Smålands.
“There atmosphere was weird, and many people told me that they even felt it threatening,” says Johanna Söderman, nation representative and one of the organisers of the meeting.
Evictions, demands and graffiti
According to the motion and the people behind it, the background for the declaration of no confidence is several events taking place during the last three months. Amongst other things, they point at the way SNB have dealt with evictions, demand notes and graffiti. Documentation proving the board´s misconduct was being requested during the meeting, but none was available.
The board claimed that they had not received any official complaints and thereby hold that they have not had a chance to deal with these. The board also held that several of the complaints were directly wrong or built on misunderstandings. One of the board´s spokespersons was board member Carl Emilsson.
“They tried to covertly advertise and hold a meeting on a declaration of no confidence in the board. I have not received any information, either about any problems or the motion. I found out about the meeting by pure chance”, says Carl Emilsson, board member of SNB.
Confused meeting
According to one person living at Smålands and participating in the meeting, everything was very confused. She saw the invitation the same day the meeting was being held, on which someone in addition had scribbled an urge for violence.
“I found the mood at the meeting bad, and I fear that many people took offence. Of course I am worried about what will happen now and my own living situation. If the entire board is let go, a lot of know-how would be lost, and I also think that they seem to have done a good job in general”, says the resident who does not want to reveal her name.
A nation divided
During the meeting, it was obvious that there are two distinct groups that want to gain power at Smålands Nation. David Veisland, the man behind the motion, claimed that it all boils down to an ideological struggle between one autonomous and one reformist left-wing group in the nation. Several of the members participating in the meeting clearly expressed that they were only there to vote with one group or the other, without being conversant in any of the claimed problems.
“This divide is well known at Smålands Nation. I believe it´s unavoidable and creates a lot of dynamics, even if it also hurts us at times,” Johanna Söderman says.
According to Johanna Söderman, it was necessary to address any claimed problems with quick, drastic means.
“If things do not change fast enough, they might not change at all”, Johanna Söderman says.
Cross-examination at the meeting
After a three-hour long discussion, a decision was reached to postpone the question to the 6th of October. However, the conflict continues on social media. Carl Emilsson promised an explanation and summary of his thoughts on Smålands internal Facebook page last Friday. Carl Emilsson feels upset and disappointed about how the situation has been handled and states that if the nation does not ask him to remain he will step down.
“This felt like a three-hour long cross-examination on problems I did not know about. It´s not worth my time,” Carl Emilsson says.
Johanna Söderman holds that the intention with the motion first and foremost was to shake the board, point out problems and highlight faults in the chain of information between the board at SNB and the residents at Smålands. She supports the motion to dismiss the board.
“This should not be seen as a declaration of war from me. Ideally, it does not end with a dismissal of the entire board, but with a closer dialogue between SNB and the nation, and that all residents realise their power to influence the decisions SNB make,” Johanna Söderman says.
Lundagård has tried to reach David Veisland, author behind the motion, for a comment, but is yet to receive any answers.
Info: Smålands Nation´s Housing (SNB)
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- The SNB board make general decisions about the housings, work entirely non-profit, and are not paid by the nation. The nation do, however, have employees to take care of everyday tasks, for example in the form of nation representatives.
- Smålands Nation´s Housing provides a total of 242 corridor rooms, kitchenettes, and apartments.
- Reformists – Want step-by-step changes and reforms of society.
- Autonomous – Also called extra-parliamentary. Often want to change society through radical means.
- You can read the summon to the meeting and the motion in its entirety here.
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Text: Tindra Englund/Carl-Johan Kullving
Translator: Carl-William Ersgard
