What does Nordic Paradise “provide” as a camp?
The camp and everything we have and do are created by our members. We get what we provide ourselves, nothing more and nothing less. We aim to create a nice and safe space for all members. It includes:
* Two meals per day – Brunch around noon and dinner at sunset.
* Water for cooking and drinking
* Handling of MOOP and grey-water
* Shade structure over your sleeping arrangement
* A basic shower
* Dining tent with chairs and tables
* Public space with hang-out space, bar, music etc
You will have to engage in the camp, bring your own sleeping arrangement (e.g. tent), bike (there are some you can rent), extra food and water, cup, cutlery and plate, bags for taking care of your personal MOOP and a great spirit.
Where is the application form to Nordic Paradise 2023?
You find it in the top right when you have created a profile and joined Nordic Camp NPO. You also find the short-cut to join Nordic Camp NPO at the top right of the page. You need to be a member of Nordic Camp NPO in order to apply for membership in Nordic Paradise.
What does the camp fee cover?
“Fee” is not the best word. We have a shared economy, meaning that all members pay an amount (4000 SEK 2023) to an account held by the NPO. We create a budget together, allocating funds to the different teams and when a member pays for something to the camp, they ask for reimbursement and get money from the account. The camp gets nothing, there are no paid members, there is no profit made, just cost sharing.
The major economical posts are food, water, transport (rent of truck and payment for our trailer), build (material needed and transportation) and energy production. Other teams also get funds and some years the camp invests in new infrastructure (new public space and bar planned as well as an upgrade of the camp’s kitchen for 2023).
If there’s money left post the event, they are rolled forward to the next year’s camp. If there’s a deficit a equal deduction from all members deposit (1000 SEK) will be made to cover the negative balance.
Why an organisation?
Previous years we have arranged the camp without having a NPO. However, the camp fees and other financial transactions exceeds $50.000 (500.000 SEK) at this time and we believe it is better to handle these amounts via an organisation with a separate bank account and with proper book keeping. Having an organisation also allow for the NPO to formally own all equipment that Nordic Camp/Paradise have accumulated over the years.
Why different names on the camp and the organisation?
The name of the camp was Nordic Camp when the organisation was founded. The camp changed named early 2023 to “Nordic Paradise” but the organisation has (yet) not changed the name and is still “Nordic Camp NPO”.
Why a membership fee to the NPO?
The fee is 200 SEK/year. A practical reason is that it is very hard to maintain an updated membership list without a yearly fee. This makes it much easier to remove persons from the list in the coming years and maintain an updated membership list. But more importantly, it costs money to have a bank account, to have a homepage and to handle all administration around a NPO. The membership fee of 200 SEK is intended to cover these costs.
Can I apply to the camp without being a member of the NPO
No, you must become a member of the NPO in order to apply to the camp. The fee is low but is used to run the NPO, which is needed for the camp. The two are very much connected. You need to become a member of the NPO before you can apply to the camp. The membership fee of 200 SEK is non-refundable and a place in the camp is not guaranteed even if you are a member of the NPO.
How are the memberships in the camp allocated?
The lead-roles for all the teams are allocated in January by a “application committee”. The co-leads are allocated in February by the respective leads and membership team. The remaining memberships are allocated in March and April by the membership team. The camp uses a policy to allocate membership. Read more about the allocation here
Isn’t the application and selection process a violation of “Radical Inclusion”?
Radical inclusion means that all should be equally invited to participate. However, the event or group can set up conditions for participation and apply them to all members. The 10 Principles of Burning Man are such conditions. Nordic Paradise has additional policies that all members need to accept and abide to. Hence, persons that do not want to accept the 10 principles or the policies in Nordic Paradise may not be invited to participate. (Exclusion principle)
The camp has a limited number of memberships. In 2023 we have stated that the camp will have 90 members. This means that 90 persons must be selected from all that have applied to the camp and passed the “exclusion principle”. Selection can be done in many ways, one is “first come, first served”. Random allocation is another. A third is to try and match the needs of the camp with the membership candidates.
Nordic Paradise have used the “first come” principle previous years. However, this creates a bias that favours those that are quick and not necessarily the ones most motivated or suited to join the camp. Nordic Paradise have adopted a new way to allocate memberships where motivation and skills are assessed. We are fully aware that this introduces a new kind of potential bias, where allocation of memberships theoretically can be made on other grounds. We are working hard to minimize this bias by having an extensive application form, using interviews when needed and having a group, rather than one person, allocating memberships based on the selection criteria created before the application was opened. Read more about membership allocation here.