Danish American Heritage Society Conference to be held October 10-12, 2013 in Des Moines, Iowa

The Danish American Heritage Society, in partnership with Grand View University, the Danish Immigrant Museum and the Danish American Archive and Library, announces “Innovation – the Danish Way,” a conference to be held in Des Moines October 10 – 12, 2013 at the Embassy Suites.

This conference, the fourth sponsored by the Danish American Heritage Society, features a keynote by Søren Hermansen. As the Director of the Energiakademiet (Energy Academy) on the Danish island of Samsø, Hermansen has been a key player in a great social and scientific experiment – the effort to transform Samsø into Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island. Today that tiny island, 15 kilometers off the coast of Jutland in the Kattegat, has become a model for the world, and the people who live there have learned a lot about working together to achieve a goal. Hermansen’s recent book “Fælledskab=Fælled + Fælles,” co-authored with the science writer Tor Nørtrander, addresses how the environmental movement can lead us to a deeper sense of community, and how stronger communities can help us better protect the environment. For his innovative work, Hermansen was named one of the “Heroes of the Environment” by Time magazine in 2008, and in 2009 he won the Gothenborg Award (which some call the Nobel Prize for the Environment). Best of all, he’s an engaging and lively public speaker, who is invited to speak all over the world.

Attendees will enjoy thought provoking, challenging, and uplifting presentations from both Danish and American experts on innovation in a wide array of areas, from energy and sustainability to culture and the arts, as well as exhibits and tours, including those of the Grand View University campus, the Danish Immigrant Archives and the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, IA.

Early online registration is now open on the conference website: www.grandview.edu/DAHS. The website also provides detailed information about all conference activities and will be updated as the conference nears. Join us also on Facebook: Danish American Heritage Society Conference; and Twitter: @DAHS_Conference. Those interested in joining the conference mail/email list can sign up on the conference website to receive information periodically. Look for stories in upcoming issues of The Danish Pioneer Newspaper also.