A brief explanation of Folkevirke is:
Folkevirke is the women's own cross-political movement of folk
enlightenment or adult education.
It was founded in 1944 by Bodil Koch, later minister of the church
and minister of culture.
The initiating point was the anger or indignation the Danish women
felt after the general election in 1943 for our "FOLKETING", the
Danish parliament, when only two out of the four female members
were re-elected. Considering the fact that Danish women won the
right to vote and to be elected to Parliament back in 1915 - 2
members was a meagre result!
This took place during the German occupation when larger public
meetings were prohibited. So only after the liberation in May 1945
Bodil Koch called - over the radio - the Danish women to a grand
meeting in the Town Hall of Copenhagen - over 1.000 gathered and
heard her speech - a document we keep as a "sacred paper"
today.
We quote from Bodil Koch's speech:
"Women must take their share, not because we are better or cleverer
than men, but because our talents, our way of tackling the demands
of life, are fundamentally different. Both are of equal value, both
are necessary. We must take part, listen and learn from others and
thereby contribute to preserve justice and respect for others".
Today one third of the members of parliament are women, and so
are several of the ministers - and the mayor part of adult women
are active in the job market.
This of course is not achieved by Folkevirke alone, the time has
been ripe in Scandinavia, but we claim our share in encouraging
Danish women to take their share in public life.
But how did Folkevirke achieve that?
In order to make the housewives open their doors and take active
part in the surrounding society, study circles were formed in each
county - including Greenland - meetings and conferences were held
over weekends and one single full week each year, where everybody
involved met and still meet for new knowledge and inspiration.
During the first years everybody volunteered, no payment was
involved, only a modest annual fee to cover mailing expenses.
Years later the government allocated the wages of a consultant,
with a sum to cover teachers training courses.
Still the mayor part of the work done over the country is
voluntary.
But how, would you ask, do people get together, and what
keeps them going?
Whenever there is just one person who has the initiative, she
invites a small planning group around her, choosing the subject for
the circ1e and inviting sometimes a number of - often non-paid
lecturers. Everybody adds to the mailing-list, and a place and a
date is chosen. Often smaller meetings take place in private homes.
At larger meetings a modest entrance-fee is raid - from time to
time less modest, if meals are inc1uded.
In principle all meetings are open to everybody - the open door
works both ways!
What subjects do we take up?
Whatever we find important: Environmental questions - new
technologies including genetic technology - food-radiation - the
challenge of migration and minorities - ethical questions -
economics national level, questions arising up to the national
referendum on the Maastricht treaty - literature - theatre - music
- museums - art, especially women artists, and so forth.
Folkevirke has been known to bring what you would call "early
warnings". Time and again a subject has been thoroughly treated in
our circles and meetings, when the government sets up a campaign
over the country dealing with just that issue!
Right from the start our major principle has been to keep our
courses cross-political, i.e. not representing any of the political
parties. Also time is always set aside for discussions with the
participants and lecturers, to help promoting genuine
democracy.
To keep all this going, some funds are of course necessary. A
modest contribution is collected from our members and various
foundations are approached for special purposes.
Now I have mentioned women time and again, and the attentive
reader might wonder, why not "WOMEN-VIRKE" (=work) in stead of
"FOLKE-VIRKE"?
This is essential: Again to quote from Bodil Koch's "grand
speech": "Man and women must work together on equal term, but both
from their special talents, only thus can we create a balanced
world".
Men are always welcome and do take part in our meetings, but for us
it is essential that women set the agenda and lead the
meetings.
It is important to democracy in Denmark, that everybody is heard -
and that it is the argument that counts.
"The word and not the sword" to quote from the book "What is
Democracy?" by Bodil Koch's husband, professor of theology Hal
Koch. This book has been translated to a number of East-European
languages.