Graduation 2023: Celebrating the Graduates of UWC Red Cross Nordic

2023-05-31T11:05:30+01:00May 31st, 2023|

With a mix of emotions, we bid farewell to the exceptional graduates of UWC Red Cross Nordic, whose presence has left a permanent mark on our hearts and the fabric of our tight-knit community. The Class of 2023, consisting of 100 brilliant minds and compassionate souls, has not only flourished academically but has also embraced the values of empathy, resilience, and global citizenship during their time with us.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the parents, friends, and families who joined us, physically or virtually, on this unforgettable day of celebration. Their persistent support and encouragement have been instrumental in nurturing the growth and success of our graduates. We are grateful for the love and guidance you have given them throughout their transformative journey.

Amidst the heartfelt farewells, we must recognize a special Alumnus, who sent an impactful graduation speech has resonated deeply with the younger generations of RCN Alumni. We extend our sincerest gratitude to David Moinina Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Chief Innovation Officer for the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation in Sierra Leone, for his inspiring words, which have motivated and empowered our graduates to become catalysts for positive change.

Photos by RCN Media Crew

Furthermore, we must acknowledge the guests who joined us; their presence symbolizes the collective commitment to education, compassion, and humanitarian values that define UWC Red Cross Nordic. We extend our appreciation to:

Kjetil Høgseth Felde, Mayor of Fjaler
Jenny Følling, Mayor of Sunnfjord
Thor Erlend Mehammer, Red Cross Norway
Synnøve Sande, Red Cross Norway
Jon Atle Sagebø-Rise, Red Cross Norway
Gro Fivelsdal, Rektor of Dale Vidaregåande Skule
Inger Johanne Bergstad Osland, CEO of Red Cross Haugland Rehabilitation Centre
Ane Normann Kjørslevik, NOREC
Elizabeth Sellevold, Chair of the Board
Jens Pettersen, Deputy Chair of the Board

To the Class of 2023, we offer our warmest congratulations! Your determination, resilience, and commitment to positive change have been truly inspiring. As you step into the world beyond our college, we have full confidence in your ability to continue building a better, more compassionate world. Your time at UWC Red Cross Nordic has equipped you with the tools and mindset to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

While we bid farewell to this remarkable graduating class, we also want to remind you that you will forever be a part of the UWC Red Cross Nordic family. As Alumni, we encourage you to stay connected, share your experiences, and inspire future generations of students.

May your future endeavors be filled with success, fulfillment, and the continued pursuit of making a positive impact on the world. Farewell, Class of 2023. You will be missed, but your legacy will endure in the hearts and minds of our community.

See the Graduation video of the Class 2023:

Navigating Neutrality: Red Cross and Red Crescent Day at RCN

2023-05-15T11:41:55+01:00May 15th, 2023|

May 8th marked World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the essential principles of voluntary service and neutrality. The Red Cross movement and UWC have formed a unique partnership in a small Norwegian fjord in 1995. While these organizations share core values and principles, their combination also presents its own set of challenges.

The event at UWC Red Cross focused on shedding light on the Red Crescent’s initiatives in Palestine, prompting deep contemplation about the complexities of maintaining neutrality. The students delved into the question of how the principle of neutrality upheld by the Red Cross Movement aligns with the UWC mission of fostering peace and social justice. This exploration aimed to understand the circumstances under which neutrality becomes valid and necessary.

To initiate the plenary session, Rektor Pelham Lindfield Roberts and History teacher Mariangela Lanza shared their insights on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a neutral standpoint. Additionally, Palestinian students provided glimpses into their lives, highlighting the vast differences experienced by Palestinians depending on their location, be it East Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank, or distant lands far from their ancestral homes. While our College currently does not have Israeli students, the hope is to welcome more in the future, as their perspectives would contribute to a deeper understanding of the conflicts at hand.

In the pursuit of understanding complex dilemmas, RCN relies on the guidance of dedicated staff and students. Completing the Red Cross Start Course for volunteers, led by instructor Anders Ekeland, equips students with the necessary tools to navigate these complexities with greater knowledge and empathy.

In addition to the course, RCN welcomed visitors from a local primary school for Search and Rescue activities. The resounding enthusiasm from the Flekke kids, their teachers, RCN students, and First Aid instructor David Robertson led to a unanimous sentiment: “We want to do this again!” The event also extended an invitation to refugees settled in Dale, providing them with a campus tour and an opportunity to share their stories with students who spoke their mother tongue. These connections forged during the event are expected to endure through the Language Café, organized by Frivilligsentralen, and the introduction program designed for refugees settling in Norway. The involvement of Frivilligsentralen, a volunteer center, further enriched the exchange of experiences related to volunteering in Fjaler.

Workshops addressing Water Scarcity and Geopolitical Conflicts, facilitated by teachers, stimulated thoughtful discussions among participants. Simultaneously, students organized workshops on cooking, baking, and arts and crafts, all inspired by the Middle East, UWC, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Throughout these engagements, participants familiarized themselves with the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. This knowledge was reinforced by a group of students led by Lesley Wilson from Fjaler Red Cross, who completed the Red Cross Treffpunkt Course. Their objective is to establish meeting places and organize activities that promote healthy lifestyles and combat youth loneliness—a venture that holds great promise.

The impact of these initiatives and events is best understood by experiencing UWC Red Cross Nordic firsthand. Politicians, including Kathrine Kleveland from Senterpartiet Noreg, Catarina Deremar from the Centre Party of Sweden, and Kjetil Felde, Mayor of Fjaler, recognized the significance of RCN’s work and paid a visit on Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. In return, the Leadership of the College had the opportunity to meet parliamentarians from Vestland at the Parliament in Oslo the following day.

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Council Meeting 2023: New Opportunities on the Horizon

2023-05-04T07:26:41+01:00May 3rd, 2023|

Frants Bernstorff-Gyldensteen, Chair of the Council at UWC Red Cross Nordic, shared his thoughts on the Council Meeting that took place recently at the College. It was, as always fantastic to welcome our Governance, the Council provided invaluable input that led to important progress on topics such as mental health issues or the Campus development plan. Please read his thoughts about the meeting:

“It is always a pleasure to visit the beautiful campus of UWC Red Cross Nordic, especially in such sunny weather! It was invigorating to have the opportunity to connect with so many students and staff members throughout the weekend. I am grateful for the enthusiasm and dedication of the Council when addressing the important topics on our agenda. The program that was offered for us was both informative and thought-provoking, and I am excited to see the progress that we can make as a school community in the future. The council met Rektor Pelham Lindfield Roberts for the first time and received his report on the state of the college.

I would like to highlight the initiative of the students, who challenged us to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Programme. We share the same concerns about environmental sustainability and climate change as the students and each of us was inspired to consider endorsing the Programme as individuals. Whether the College should collectively endorse this Programme was left to the College Board to consider.

We discussed the new structure of the Council and Board, and we welcomed the new members to both the Board and Council; we also said goodbye to two Board Members who have served the College for decades and whose dedication has made a significant impact in UWC Red Cross Nordic. One of them is Sigridur Anna Thordardottir,  from Iceland, who has been in our Governance since 2007 and who we can thank for our very strong ties to both the Icelandic National Committee and the Icelandic stakeholders. The other was Ivar Lund-Mathiesen, from Norway, who has been involved UWC Red Cross Nordic since the start, and even before. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sigridur and Ivar, who have dedicated their time, passion, and effort to supporting the College over these years.

Mental health issues is a challenge in schools around the world, also at UWC Red Cross Nordic. The council was invited to discuss the approach to this challenge taken by Rektor and the staff. This issue is being addressed by the Community Life Model that deals with support structures of the College in mental health issues. It is great to witness the significant progress made in the safety net the College provides for student support. The challenge remains one of to taking good care of our students and at the same time, inspire them to become independent adults.

After almost 30 years the College needs a Campus development plan. I am happy to report that NORCONSULT has started work on a harmonized development plan for the area of the Red Cross Rehabilitation Centre and the UWC Red Cross Nordic.

It will conclude in an updated plan for both entities that will be the basis for our shared development. The plans will allow the College to pursue its Strategy and allow the educational model to unfold in an appropriate setting.

In the afternoon the Council participated in workshops facilitated by members of the leadership team exploring the educational model and strategy of the College. The theme this year aimed the efforts to strengthen the Nordic characteristics of the educational and life experience enjoyed at UWC Red Cross Nordic.

Overall, this was a very productive and successful meeting, The council came away with a sense that the dark covid years are behind us, and there is plenty of reasons to believe in a bright future for the College. We are excited to continue our work supporting the efforts to ensure that our school remains excellent. Thank you to all members of the council for taking an interest and making the effort for the benefit of UWC Red Cross Nordic.Thank you to all members of the College community for looking after us and making sure that we look forward to returning in a years’ time. I can’t wait to see you all at the next meeting!”

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Annual Report 2023

2023-05-06T06:56:25+01:00May 2nd, 2023|

We are delighted to announce that our Annual Report 2023 has been released and is now available for you to read. This report highlights our organization’s accomplishments, milestones, and progress made over the past year. We invite you to take a closer look at our work and learn about the impact we are making in the world. Leaf through the pages online below or download the report and discover more.

Let the foreword of Hilde Sandvik (Board Member, Producer of podcast “Norsken, svensken og dansken”) stand here uncut:

Hilde Sandvik, Portrett, Burde vært pensum

“On the morning of the 24nd February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, Europe and the rest of the world has been thrown into a conflict in which we are forced to take a stand. For Norway – which shares a border with Russia – it is a warning of how quickly a neighbour can become your worst enemy. For United World College, the war is a reminder of why the painstaking work of bringing students from all over the world together for education, for togetherness, is so important.

What role can UWC Red Cross Nordic play in the Nordic region?

These are our times: Wars, climate crises, rising inflation, the aftermath of a pandemic. The very foundations of democracy are threatened, freedom of expression is under pressure. In 2022, only 21 countries in the world will be classified as full democracies. Norway is at the top of the democracy index – all Nordic countries are in the top 10. Only ten countries are classified by Reporters Without Borders as having full freedom of expression*. The trust index shows the same: the Nordic region is at the top, but trust is eroding. People don’t trust the authorities or each other.

Why is the annual report for the beautiful school in Fjaler so gloomy and seemingly depressive? Because this is where the opportunities and the gold are: What the school does, learns from and passes on is nothing less than vital learning. In the Nordic region, we can demonstrate in practice what democracy can do, how trust can be built – even how disagreement can be accepted. A heterogeneous society requires more, not less, freedom of expression, the British writer Kenan Malik has written and spoken about this time and again. As a child of Indian immigrants to England, he knows what he is talking about. Learning to disagree respectfully is increasingly important in a world at boiling point.

UWC Red Cross Nordic, nestled in the mountains of western Norway, shows that this can be done – respectful disagreement, different backgrounds meeting and challenging each other, showing precisely that it is through open, free conversation in an open and free society that safe spaces are created. It is when we close the door to our neighbours that everything becomes unsafe.”

*https://rsf.org/en/rsf-s-2022-world-press-freedom-index-new-era-polarisation

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