SWEA, Swedish Womens Educational Association International, Inc., is a global non-profit organization founded in California in 1979 for Swedish speaking women who live or have lived abroad. Today SWEA has some 8000 members in 80 local chapters in 40 countries on six continents.
The objects of SWEA is to engage in activities related to the support, preservation, promotion and development of the Swedish history, language, culture and traditions, and to support education through awards of scholarships.
SWEA Toronto was founded in 1982. Since its first year our members have presented an annual Swedish Christmas Fair at Harbourfront Centre sharing Swedish traditions with our multi-cultural community. Exhibitions of Swedish art, craft and design are usually part of this presentation, celebrating Swedish glass, textiles, ceramics and silver.
Over the years there have been many opportunities to promote and support visiting Swedish cultural personalities, from authors, musicians and designers to dancers, actors and artists.
The Swedish School, the Swedish Lutheran Church in Toronto and the Toronto Swedish Folkdancers and Singers are annual recipients of donations, as are Canadian university students studying at Swedish universities. We celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2007 with a significant donation to Interim Place, a place for battered women. A room, now called Room Sweden, was decorated and furnished in Swedish style.
Our membership, from Ottawa to Sudbury to Buffalo and places in between, fluctuates around 200, and we embrace and welcome new members. For more information please email president@sweatoronto.org.