History
In December 1971, the Swedish Development Forums' constituent meeting is held. The purpose of the organization, which is initially called the "Swedish Development Association", is to "promote information and exchange of ideas regarding development problems in developing countries and development cooperation between rich and poor countries". The membership fee is set at SEK 25. In 1972, the first ordinary board is elected with Göran Ohlin as chairman.
For fifteen years, it has been debates and conversations that completely dominate the activities, even though as early as 1973 people began to think about whether FUF should have an activity that extends beyond the traditional lectures and seminars. In 1978, FUF's first series of publications is published. The scriptures are based on the seminars, conferences, and meetings that are arranged. In 1983, the ten-year anniversary publication "For development ahead" is published. It was used at universities, folk high schools and in the training of aid workers. It even generates a main leader in DN.
During both the 80s and 90s, FUF participates in several international conferences. Then seminars are also banded and members can come and borrow the bands at the office - an early forerunner to today's streaming!
In 1986, FUF expands its activities and begins with internships (the trainees are called FUF juniors). In the same year, the FUF award and membership for organizations and companies are introduced.
1990 is a financially difficult year and the board even decides to close the office and cease operations temporarily for a couple of months.
The first issue of FUF's first magazine UtvecklingsNYTT comes in 1992. The magazine was discontinued in the early 2000s.
1994 was the first year that student members become more than 50% of the total number of members. 1996 FUF creates its website.
During the late 90s, full- and half-day seminars in the Riksdagshuset are common. These sometimes draw as many as 300-400 participants.
At the turn of the millennium, FUF has a youth activity with internships, information meetings and mentoring activities. In the youth activities, young people are involved two to five times a year and the activities are mainly about informing about how to get involved and work with development issues. The youth activities can be said to be a precursor to today's student activities.
In 2006, the youth activities are developed with FUF representatives. FUF representatives get to learn more about FUF and how to get involved.
In 2008, student activities will begin to have more similarities with today's communication groups, with more focus on communication around global development issues, not just working life focus / practice. The internship agency will be an internship bank and more time will be spent on providing international internships.
In 2009, the entire student activities will be reformed and FUF's first three student groups (the film group, the student panel and the newspaper group) will be formed. The first FUF sheet is released. The idea of the reform is that young people should become producers of communication and information and not, as before, only consumers. 10 students are active in the business.
FUF finances a large part of the organization's activities via Sida's information grant. At the turn of the year 2009/2010, Sida halves the grant and at the beginning of 2010, FUF is forced to issue an emergency call for extra contributions from the members in order not to have to close down the business. The organization survives and during the difficult times new ideas develop. During the year, it is the premiere for FUF's "master classes" which are later developed into the "Armchair talks". A major internet investment is taking place and people are moving, for example, from posting invitations to sending via e-mail. In 2010, Biståndsdebatten.se will also be launched. As early as 1994, the question was raised whether FUF should take on a journalistic task and try to coordinate the debate. The idea is realized through the student-initiated project Biståndsdebatten.se, which today has grown to become one of FUF's main activities.
In 2011, the financial situation is still difficult and FUF has less money than in about 10 years, but the business develops and they start the FUF radio, the project group, the seminar group (former student panel) and the FUF correspondents. In 2012, the first issue of the FUF correspondents' online magazine "FUF in the World" will be published.
In 2012, FUF's activities will take on a more structured form. Four permanent branches of activity are formalized: the seminar activities, the Development Aid debate, internships and student activities (which in turn consist of the FUF magazine, the radio group, the FUF correspondents, the film group, the project group, the seminar group and the development assistance debate group).
2012 FUF celebrates 40 years, FUF acquires Twitter and gets a new Facebook page (The aid debate has previously existed on both Facebook and Twitter).
In 2013, the first Pop Ups appear in Lund, Gothenburg and Växjö. Of the groups that were initially created in Stockholm, it is noticeable that some are more successful and stable, while others are closed down as time goes on. In order for no opportunities to disappear, the Pop Up concept is introduced, which aims to take advantage of all kinds of involvement, also outside the Mälardalen region, but in groups that do not necessarily have to be permanent. The mentorship program is pilot tested. FUF provides Instagram to FUF and to the FUF correspondents and starts filming / streaming seminars via the YouTube channel fufplay. FUF gets a new graphic profile and a brand new website. 2013 is also the first year that FUF through Biståndsdebatten.se had an organized Almedalen presence with external monitoring of development issues.
FUF works successfully to broaden funding and activities and in parallel with the seminar activities and several new seminar series with debate elements, more and more focus is placed on competence development and to make the active students competent informers of global development issues. As part of this, a three-day communication course is tailored and the FUF days have their premiere.
In 2014, the internship program is launched, a development of the internship agency with more focus on competence development, networking and inspiration. The FUF supportership is also launched as a way for organizations / companies / authorities to be seen in FUF's and the Development Aid debate's channels and for FUF to generate more revenue. 173 students are active in the various groups.
In 2015, FUF's operations will continue to grow. Within the seminar activities, we conduct a special project on peace and security. We launch a new design of biståndsdebatten.se and also adapt the site to mobile. We also have our largest presence to date during the politicians' week in Almedalen, where we cover the debate on global development issues. Student activities are being restructured to be broadened and adapted to the target group. The branch of activity changes its name to "Active in FUF" and now houses the communication groups (former student groups) that are aimed at university students and recent graduates, as well as professional networks that are aimed at professionals and pensioners. The previous mentorship match is being developed into a mentorship program. The Young Professionals network is created. In total, half of FUF's 650 members are active in the organization - in communication groups, professional networks, the board, trainee programs and in the seminar activities.
The development of FUF's operations will continue in 2016. The professional networks will be expanded with a book club and a total of 256 people are active in the various communication groups and professional networks. The live streaming of the seminars is supplemented by the fact that they are also published as podcasts so that more people, regardless of where they live, can take part in FUF's seminar activities. An investment in Agenda 2030 begins. Bl.a. organized during the summer Summer Academy at Sida Partnership Forum in Härnösand - a course week for people aged 18-25 without previous knowledge and experience of global development issues (a new target group for FUF). During the autumn, FUF was granted funds to disseminate information about Agenda 2030 to the public. A chocolate calendar with the theme Global Goals is produced. The purpose of the calendar is to reach new target groups in an innovative way with information about the goals, but also with tips on how you yourself can be involved in your everyday life and contribute to sustainable development. The calendar was distributed to 5000 commuters at Central Station in Stockholm. A digital version of the Christmas calendar, containing a lot of famous faces, is also published on social media.