In all the countries in Asia and in all the Nordic countries there are many children with a dual nationality whether or not it is legally registered. Imagine if we helped these children a little bit in feeling more Nordic or feeling more Asian according to where they are growing up.
I would like to suggest setting up exchange visits between children of the same dual nationality who live in opposite countries. For example, a Thai Swedish child living in Thailand could have summer vacation in Sweden with a family with a Swedish Thai child. Next year, the Swedish Thai child would fly out for vacation in Thailand with the family of the Thai Swedish child.
Both children would grow up to be genuine and unique ambassadors for their second nationality in the country they eventually choose to live in.
Let’s not look to our governments or embassies to create this exchange network but use our own private platforms like our social clubs, our chambers of commerce and our churches. We should have competence among ourselves to set up the required legal documents to be covered and we have always people going back and forth who could take care of unaccompanied children when they travel home or travel out.
At first we would have to identify a few families in the Nordic countries who would be happy to be hosts and would be happy to let their own child experience the uniqueness of living in their “other country” with a host family like themselves in Asia. Experience and obstacles would be recorded which would be useful for the next couple of exchange children.
The perspective is mind blowing. Over 20 years we would have created a strong dual nationality community covering a whole generation of Nordic-Asian children to the joy of the young people and to the benefit of all our countries.
If you read this, do you think this is something that you would like to have fun with helping to create?
