During the work with my next podcast episode the information have researched me that

The âSwedish Emigrant institute â here in vÃxà the museum and research institution about the Swedish emigration to USA and  other parts of the world. Is in danger of being forced to merge with The SmÃlands Museum â (our local county museum) It would probably BE THE END OF THE Swedish Emigrant Institutes time as an independent museum and research institute  and  the museums exhibitions would be in danger of closing or be substansially reduced. Its research department would also be in danger closing and with that the possibility for  people witch Swedish ancestors to write or visit it and with the help of its material to find out where their Swedish ancestors came from.

The institute has extensive collections of microfilmed Swedish-american church records-swedish-american newspapers  Swedish-american  society archives as well as collections of individual emigrants letters back to Sweden and an extensive library with books  about Swedish immigrations to other parts of the world.  In my podcast of jan 25^th I had an interview with the Swedish emigrant Institueâs librarian Yngve Turesson  (please listen to it if you want)

The Swedish emigrant Institute has suffered from some turbulence in later years as well as economical problems  and the politicians in VÃxjà want to merge it with the local county Museum  and has  taken away all economical backing to both the museums  until they agree to the merge.

Both Museums are well woth looking at  and while I think that a cooperation between them would be a good idea . I think that a total merger could be a disastrous for the Swedish Emigrant Institutes future . 

Here are the URL of the Swedish Emigrant institutes webpage  in English

http://www.utvandrarnashus.se/eng/

on the Swedish version of the website its current head has written about the institutes present situation (unfortunately they have not put up the text  on the English version).

The website of the SmÃlands Museum is here

http://www.smalandsmuseum.se/engelska/eng_frameset.htm

There is a petition  to the politicans (Bo Frank and Kristina AlsÃn) aginst the merge  here are some instructions oin how to sign as wellas an approximate translation of the petition

Go tto the folloving URL 

http://www.namninsamling.com/site/get.asp?Emigrant

then you will see  Swedish text  witch I says in Swedish  aproximatley wha ti have translated into below

To Bo Frank, Kristina AlsÃr

Shall the Swedish Emigrant Institute (SEI)  be incorporated in a local historical Center under a with The Museum of SmÃland common  head and  board  of directors .The consequence for the Swedish Emigrant Institute would be that it would abdicate from its role as a national and international research institute and it would become a archival depot under The Museum of SmÃland  wich goes against its statutes  and aginst the ideas of The Swedish Emigrant Institutes founder Gunnar HelÃn and against four decades  successful work on both sides of the Atlantic. What reactions would this create on the Swedish level, i on the Swedish-American level, among researchers and in Knut and Alice Wallenbergâs foundation witch have during the years donated 20 million Swedish kronor to the Swedish emigrant Institute and motivated its generosity with the Swedish Emigrant Institutes national and international role   Is the Institute  witch since its foundation in 1968 has drawn more than one million visitors to The house of Emigrants (the building in witch the Swedish Emigrant institute resides) and witch according to guidebooks in English is of the biggest tourist attractions in the city of VÃxjà not worth more. Let the Swedish âemigrant Institute remain as an independent unit. Instead of subject it to budget cuts let it expand !

With kind regards

Under it you will see the word  âundertecknadeâ if you click that you will see those who have signed the petition

Somewhere further belowthe petions text you will se a text

âSkriv pà listanâ it means  sign the petition   if you click there  you will come to a page on wich it says

âemigrantinstitutet, Ny underskriftâ  it means the emigrant Institute new signer

Under that you will se bowses with the word âfÃrnamn âwitch means firs tname  âEfternamnâ wich means  last name  âE-postadressâ wich means e-mail address  âPostortâ witch basically means were you live  and âkommentatâ wich means  comment   .

When you have signed your name e-mail and place of residence  you click on the button parked âSparaâ  wich means save

You would then recive a confirmation e-mail   called something like âbekrÃftelse av tillage pà namninsamlingâ

It will say something like

Hej  (your name)  =  Hello (your name)

Klicka pà lÃnken nedan fÃr att aktivera din inskrivning = click on the link below to activate your signature

Then follows the link you should click to activate your signature

Then follows

Med vÃnlig hÃllsning  =  with kind regards

Namninsamling.com  = witch is the name of the site that managed the petition

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If you  want to sign the petion I hope you will be able to follow my instructions