We have many exciting members from Scandinavia in Los Nórdicos (AHN-CN) on the Costa Tropical. Nicke Bäcklund is one of them and he shared his story with us during one weekly gathering.

Nicke came to Almuñecar in 1967, when he was only twelve, with his mum, dad & brother – he has kept coming back ever since. Now he lives with his wife in Almuñécar  Old Town – and his kids’ families keep coming too. He calls both Grötö, , and Almuñecar home.

Nicke is a man of education. He spent most of his life in the school world – from kindergarten, as a student, teacher and then headmaster of a major school. Now he talks to students and teachers around the world about the benefits a non-violence culture built on respect, trust and community.

 “There is nothing that makes me more angry, upset or disappointed than when we humans choose violence and force when we try to resolve our conflicts,” says Nicke. “Sometimes we disagree, fine, we get angry at each other. But we must learn to solve our differences  through dialogue. Violence is never an option! Not between kids nor adults nor between nations. Violence only leads to violence!”

 How did you get engaged in the Non-Violence movement? 

“When I was the Headmaster at Lilla Samskolan in Gothenburg I wanted to find a project (in 2014) that could engage with the whole school and create a stronger sense of community.

I was a fan of the Beatles, and like many others, I was blown away by the murder of John Lennon. He promoted peace and love his whole life – and met a violent and early death in 1980. I knew about the Knotted Gun and got in touch with the Foundation.

Talking about conflict resolution and designing a knotted gun everyone together in our school became a fantastic way to engage students all ages, teachers, parents, and the town.

This culture has prevailed and has been taken up by other schools and cities in Sweden.”

So, what are the origins of the Knotted Gun? 

The Swedish artist, Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, John Lernnon’s and Yoko Ono’s friend. He created the first Knotted Gun in tribute to his friend and gave it to Yoko.

This later gave birth to the Non-Violence Foundation and movement, aiming at stopping bullying in schools and workplaces, street violence, and ultimately to end racism and wars. The work contributes to a world where people are capable of conflict resolution and peace building.

The global symbol of Non-Violence was exhibited in the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, New York, and then later, a bronze edition was donated to the United Nations Headquarters in 1988.

Identical sculptures are featured in more than 30 significant places worldwide, i.e., Lausanne, Cape Town, Belfast, Beijing, Beirut, and beyond. Many of them are placed in Swedish cities. The iconic sculpture marked historical occasions, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to Global Peace Days.

Today, the symbol captures the attention of more than 100 million people globally every year through the educational outreach and the placement of the sculptures, promoting peace and inspiring action. Many celebrities have designed their own sculptures which have been donated to the work of the Foundation (see more at https://nonviolence.com/).

But there is no “Non-Violence city” in Spain. Nicke’s dream is that Almuñécar becomes the first, his current hometown. With a knotted gun in bronze and one designed in the typical, beautiful mosaic pattern and placed in a spot for everyone to see. The commitment would be accompanied by an educational component for children in schools and other means. 

On the Costa Tropical we live in a relatively peaceful paradise already. We can make it even better by sharing with others! Quoting John Lennon and Nicke: Peace and Love 

(National Clubs: Los Nordicos, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Los Nordicos, Nicke Bäcklund, Knotted Gun

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