Board Meeting in Iceland

2018-10-16T09:33:33+01:00September 22nd, 2014|

The College Board Meetings were hosted in Reykjavik this week, a visit that included activities with other stake holders in Iceland. The Education Ministry provides the annual scholarship for Iceland. We were received at the Ministry, the Danish Embassy and the Nordic House.  We received guided tours of both the ancient and the present parliament; – at Thingvellir by Director Ólafur Örn Haraldsson and at Allthingi by Speaker of the Parliament Einar K. Gufinnsson.  The greatest surprise of the day was to find paintings of our own village Dale at the most prominent place of the building – a testimony to Ingolfur Arnason – the first settler on Iceland, who sailed from our Dalsfjord in 873.

An article about the meeting was published in one of the main Icelandic newspapers. Here it is, with English translation.

 

Svein Harberg

2018-10-16T09:33:33+01:00September 10th, 2014|

Svein Harberg, leader of the Family and Culture Committee in the Norwegian Parliament, visited the College today, together with a group of local politicians and professionals within the cultural sector. His visit to Fjaler is about ongoing work to establish a professional support system for artists in our region. Mr Harberg visited our art class and engaged in a dialogue about creative learning and production. He also took an interest in the Nordic dimension of the College.

Postveitrimmen

2014-09-09T13:12:40+01:00September 9th, 2014|

The Postal Walk is a well-attended annual event locally, hosted by Svint Sports Club in Flekke. This year it was held on Sunday 7th and approximately 50 students and staff took part. The walk follows the old postal route from Bergen to Trondheim, the part from Rennestraum to Hovland. The terrain is relatively flat, along lakes and in woodland and was enjoyed by all who took part.  After the rigours of the walk, the participants were treated to food and drink prepared by  the local supporters of the event.

Takk for turen!

Alumnus Saye-Maye Cole

2018-10-16T09:33:33+01:00September 8th, 2014|

Our alumnus Saye-Maye Cole came back to our College as part of his visit to Norway last week. Saye-Maye was chosen on an SOS scholarship in 1998. Having completed his education, he has now taken up a central position for the government in his home country, Liberia. Our regional news on NRK has covered his story here.
While he was at the College he told something of his story to second year student Nabila Nur…

Saye-Maye Cole was one of the victims of a Liberian civil war and, at an early age, he ended up in a SOS Childrens Village where he found the stable family that he so needed.  At that time there were many abductions of children taking place for the recruitment of child soldiers. Saye-Maye was almost a victim of this but luckily his SOS mother had been able to intervene and announced that if Saye-Maye was to be taken then the recruiters have to take her too! And the soldiers gave up. Later, due to the ongoing violence and instability in Liberia, SOS children with academic potential were taken to Gambia to continue studying as the instability in Liberia had resulted in many schools having to close. Saye-Maye was one of the fortunate students who were taken to live in an SOS village in Gambia.

Saye Maye described the reason behind his motivation being in following way: “I wanted to show that their money was not wasted”.  Saye-Maye received a full scholarship to UWC Red Cross Nordic, for the two years which he described as “…the best years of my life’’.

Saye-Maye now works for the government of Liberia coordinating the aid received from the IMF and various other organizations. He says that the two years spent at RCN helped him a lot in his life and especially in his work now, where cultural sensitivity and careful communication is required.  Saye-Maye gave a presentation about his life and told that the volunteering aspect that he learnt during his time at RCN had continued ever since he left and, even at the moment, he works at the University in Liberia as a volunteer teacher of Economics. He reminded us that it is good not be only on the receiving end of generosity and kindness, but also to give. In his visit we could see the UWC mission statement being brought to life as he is now helping to build his country with tools developed from his UWC education.

For more in English, see here.

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