Swedish military runs targeted ads in Arabic in name of diversity
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/swedish-military-recruiting-in-arabic-for-the-sake-of-diversity-1110510201.html
Swedish military recruitment in Arabic “For the sake of diversity”
Swedish military recruitment in Arabic “For the sake of diversity”
By the military’s own admission, the targeted advertising campaign aims to increase its legitimacy, with diversity seen as a way to increase capability.
2023-05-22T06:36+0000
2023-05-22T06:36+0000
2023-05-22T06:36+0000
military
Sweden
Russia
swedish armed forces
military intelligence
Arab
immigration
Scandinavia
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The Swedish Armed Forces have been working for several years to increase diversity within their organization. Now they are trying a new approach through targeted advertisements on the Arabic-language news site Alkompis in hopes of attracting more recruits of non-Swedish origin. “The more different we are, the more dangerous we are for the enemy,” the Swedish military said, further saying that diversity is good and necessary for building capacity. “The aim of the campaign is to increase the legitimacy of the armed forces,” the military told Swedish media. individual, but also on creating a more inclusive culture within the defense forces. It increases the ability to adapt – which is needed to stay strong in the rapidly changing world we live in – and to find new solutions,” he said. The Alkompis site describes itself as “a home of Swedish Arabic press, as opposed to an Arabic press house in Sweden” and was founded in 2012 by Mahmoud Agha, formerly of Swedish Radio. It claims to be financed by advertising, but it also enjoys tax breaks. The decision to run targeted ads in Arabic has drawn heavy criticism on social media Josefin Utas, a former member of the Green Party and Citizens’ Assembly, said that as a Swedish speaker with no knowledge of Arabic, she had to turn to an Arabic-speaking friend who said the ad said, “What we do today, we do for the future. We are growing, developing and changing in the shadow of The situation in the world is deteriorating.” The news was not well received on Twitter and one user fumed: “Swedish Armed Forces advertisement in Arabic? First LGBTQ drag queens and now Arabs. They will therefore defend Sweden. Reading fairy tales is forbidden and the benefits cease, will we go to the front ourselves or will the drag queens scare away the enemy? Another wrote sarcastically: “By God, we need cannon fodder for the impending Russian invasion. promise, my brother. Sincerely, Armed Forces”, also having a nudge at the Swedish military’s obsession with “Russian invasion” which is often used as a reason to increase the budget. Others wondered what people who do not speak Swedish must do in the armed forces or what is expected of them. Others see the announcement as clear evidence of the politicization of the armed forces. Previous attempts to increase diversity in the ranks Swedish military, admittedly understaffed, include advertisements aimed at women and immigrants in general.After a decade of massive immigration, during which the In 2015 alone, this country of around 10 million population hosted 163,000 asylum seekers, Arabic has overtaken Finnish as the second most spoken mother tongue in Sweden (with around 400,000 Arabic speakers compared to around 200,000 Finnish speakers). both local media and national broadcasts available in Arabic, as well as book fairs and other events. Arabic is said to have become the primary language in some kindergartens and schools, as immigrant communities tend to form clusters in and around major cities, such as Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230504/sweden-launches-dont-come-here-campaign-to-discourage-immigration-1110075410.html
Sweden
Russia
Scandinavia
2023
News
en_GB
swedish army, swedish armed forces, diversity strategy, targeted ads, arabic language
swedish army, swedish armed forces, diversity strategy, targeted ads, arabic language
By the military’s own admission, the targeted advertising campaign aims to increase its legitimacy, with diversity seen as a way to increase capability.
The Swedish Armed Forces have been working for several years to increase diversity within their organization. Now they are trying a new approach through targeted advertisements on the Arabic-language news site Alkompis in hopes of attracting more recruits of non-Swedish origin.
“The more different we are, the more dangerous we are for the enemy“said the Swedish military, further asserting that diversity is good and necessary to build capacity.
“Diversity and equality is ultimately about seeing and respecting each individual, but also about creating a more inclusive culture within the defense force. This increases adaptability – which is necessary to stay strong in the rapidly changing world we live in – and to find new solutions,” he said.
The Alkompis site describes itself as “a Swedish Arabic media house, as opposed to an Arabic media house in Sweden” and was founded in 2012 by Mahmoud Agha, formerly of Swedish Radio. It claims to be financed by advertising but it also enjoys tax advantages.
The decision to run targeted ads in Arabic has drawn heavy criticism on social media.
Josefin Utas, a former Green Party and Citizens’ Assembly member, said that as a Swedish speaker with no knowledge of Arabic, she had to turn to an Arabic-speaking friend who said the ad said: “What we do today, we do for the good of the future. We grow, develop and change in the shadow of the deteriorating world situation.
Josefin Utas added: “I am writing to tell you what is happening in Sweden. There are also things to discuss here. Is it reasonable for our armed forces to communicate in a foreign language to Swedes? Politicians think so- they really when they claim that it is important for immigrants to learn Swedish How to achieve cohesion in an increasingly divided country.
The news was not well received on Twitter with one user fuming: “Swedish Armed Forces ad in Arabic? First LGBTQ drag queens and now Arabs. So they will stand up for Sweden. When reading the fairy tales is forbidden and the benefits cease, will we go to the front ourselves or will the drag queens scare the enemy away?”
Others have wondered what non-Swedish speakers have to do in the armed forces or what they are expected to bring. Others see the announcement as clear evidence of the politicization of the armed forces.
Previous attempts to increase diversity in the admittedly understrength ranks of the Swedish military include advertisements aimed at women and immigrants in general.
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