Anton Abele
Encyclopedia
Anton Abele is an award-winning young activist, debater, politician and member of the Swedish Parliament who committed himself to working against street violence after the death of 16-year-old Riccardo Campogiani
, who was beaten to death at a party in the centre of Stockholm in October 2007.
Abele created a Swedish Facebook group called "Bevara oss från gatuvåldet" (Save us from street violence). In one week, the group grew to having more than 100,000 members. In addition, on October 12, 2007, Anton Abele arranged the demonstration "Stop street violence" with more than 10,000 young people and adults participating in Stockholm. Simultaneously with the massive demonstration in Stockholm, anti-violence demonstrations were also held in other major cities in the Nordic region.
" at the European Music Awards gala in Munich in November 2007.
The rapper Snoop Dogg
handed him the prestigious prize, which has also been given to Mikhail Gorbachev
, Bono
, Bob Geldof
, Amnesty International
and Greenpeace
. In January 2008, two major Swedish newspapers independently awarded Abele the "2007 Stockholmer of the Year" prize. The Swedish King H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf
paid tribute to Abele's initiatives in his televised Christmas speech on December 25, 2007. In the same speech the King also said that "Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something". In May 2008, Abele and his Swedish campaign "Stop Street Violence" received the "2008 Most Important Communication Effort" award.
Anton Abele has held a number of speeches and presentations. The Council of Europe invited Anton Abele to participate in the conference "Building a Europe For and With Children-Towards a Strategy for 2009-2011" in Stockholm, and to hold the speech "Children Changing Societies" on September 8, 2008. On April 30, 2008, Abele held the traditional Spring Speech at Skansen, Stockholm. The theme for the speech was "Change". At the demonstration against street violence in October 2007, Abele gave a speech to over 10,000 people, who had gathered in Stockholm to show their disgust against violence. Anton Abele is frequently invited to speak at various events. These events most often have the escalating violence and actions against it as the topic.
As a result of this initiative, triggered mainly by young people to young people, the topic of escalating violence and insecurity among young people has been lifted to governmental level. More people than ever are now engaged in this matter and actions on all levels to stop violence, are initiated.
Riccardo Campogiani
Riccardo Campogiani, 16 at the time of death on October 7, was a Swedish teenager who was beaten to death at a party in central Stockholm, Sweden October 6, 2007.Campogiani died at the hospital from severe injuries sustained after multiple kicks to the head....
, who was beaten to death at a party in the centre of Stockholm in October 2007.
Abele created a Swedish Facebook group called "Bevara oss från gatuvåldet" (Save us from street violence). In one week, the group grew to having more than 100,000 members. In addition, on October 12, 2007, Anton Abele arranged the demonstration "Stop street violence" with more than 10,000 young people and adults participating in Stockholm. Simultaneously with the massive demonstration in Stockholm, anti-violence demonstrations were also held in other major cities in the Nordic region.
Achievements
The initiative of Anton Abele has been rewarded several times. Among other things, he received the MTV peace award "Free Your MindFree Your Mind
"Free Your Mind" is the name of a Grammy Award-nominated hit single released by the American all-female R&B group En Vogue. Released on September 24, 1992 "Free Your Mind" is the third single released from En Vogue's critically acclaimed album Funky Divas...
" at the European Music Awards gala in Munich in November 2007.
MTV Europe Music Awards 2007
2007 was the 14th MTV European Music Awards, taking place at the Olympiahalle in Munich with hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg as host. The show attracted 78 million votes, the biggest in MTV Europe Music Awards history....
The rapper Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
handed him the prestigious prize, which has also been given to Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
. In January 2008, two major Swedish newspapers independently awarded Abele the "2007 Stockholmer of the Year" prize. The Swedish King H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
paid tribute to Abele's initiatives in his televised Christmas speech on December 25, 2007. In the same speech the King also said that "Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something". In May 2008, Abele and his Swedish campaign "Stop Street Violence" received the "2008 Most Important Communication Effort" award.
Anton Abele has held a number of speeches and presentations. The Council of Europe invited Anton Abele to participate in the conference "Building a Europe For and With Children-Towards a Strategy for 2009-2011" in Stockholm, and to hold the speech "Children Changing Societies" on September 8, 2008. On April 30, 2008, Abele held the traditional Spring Speech at Skansen, Stockholm. The theme for the speech was "Change". At the demonstration against street violence in October 2007, Abele gave a speech to over 10,000 people, who had gathered in Stockholm to show their disgust against violence. Anton Abele is frequently invited to speak at various events. These events most often have the escalating violence and actions against it as the topic.
As a result of this initiative, triggered mainly by young people to young people, the topic of escalating violence and insecurity among young people has been lifted to governmental level. More people than ever are now engaged in this matter and actions on all levels to stop violence, are initiated.
Non-profit organisation
Abele founded a non-profit organisation called Stoppa Gatuvåldet (Stop Street Violence), which now operates several projects against violence. The main focus of the group, is to increase the understanding of the medical and legal consequences of violence mainly among young people. The group also works with ethical issues and works toward changing attitudes. The group, which is politically and religiously independent, has both young people and adults as members. On February 10, 2008, the group organised a conference "Stop Street Violence" bringing together over 1,000 young people and adults in the Stockholm City Hall. The group has a website www.stoppagatuvaldet.nu and an international forum on Facebook called "Save Us From Street Violence".MP career
On October 14, 2010 Abele became the youngest Member of Parliament in Swedish history, as he was chosen to fill the spot from Abele's Moderate party colleague Anna König Jerlmyr who was named as the new Stockholm deputy mayor a few days earlier.External links
- stoppagatuvaldet.nu - Stop Street Violence website (Swedish)