‘Every time I come here it is even better’

2018-10-16T09:33:03+01:00September 25th, 2015|

Our Jubilee event on Monday 21st September marked the ninth time in 20 years that her Majesty Queen Sonja has visited our College: a definite highlight in the two year stay for each student, and an honour for us as an institution. Her strong involvement is a living reminder of the value of our work to make education a uniting force. It was all meticulously planned in advance by staff, students and the Fylkesmann team.

The progamme started with  the official opening of the Thor Heyerdahl Building and the Henry Dunant Building (named after the Norwegian Explorer / UWC International Patron and the founder of the Red Cross respectively).

At the opening ceremony of these two buildings, Director of Development Arne Osland spoke about the challenge of receiving the many that have been pushed out of their homes. It is the College’s ambition to find occasions for opening the buildings for recent immigrants, as we do during the summer with Red Cross camps ‘Holiday for all’.  Thor Heyerdahl jr echoed his father’s words from the opening ceremony 20 years ago: ‘By living together and going to the same school, we learn from personal experience that we are all part of the one and only human family’ The choir for the day, led by Jorunn Bakke Nydal, was composed of RCN students, local Norwegians and recent immigrants to Førde. What would be more appropriate for the occasion than lifting us all with  a rendition of ‘What a wonderful world’?

A main focus for the visit was value-based learning, voluntary service and ethical leadership – the underlying ethos of our Red Cross education. In practical terms this was done through stands of student work which exhibited projects which are part of the College’s extra-curricular programme – these exhibitions were open to HM the Queen and also our other 100 guests who were on campus for the Jubilee celebrations. HM Queen Sonja’s tour also included a Mountain Rescue scenario conducted by student First Aiders and some activities run by our students for patients at the neighbouring Rehabilitation Centre. Her Majesty took the time to talk to students in and outside of the planned programme.

In the evening, Her Majesty returned from the Royal Yacht ‘Norge’ and attended a drinks reception in the Høegh Building – some students and staff had erected a photographic exhibition on the theme of ‘Peace’ for this event. The drinks reception, dinner and Cultural Show were attended by our many Jubilee guests, including former Rektors, representatives from the Red Cross, Board and Council members, and supporters both local and from across the Nordic region. The Rektor gave the welcome and Jubilee Address at the start of the Cultural Show – please click here for the speech and programme.

We are proud to see the reflections of the visit on the Palace’s own home pages.

The challenge Her Majesty Queen Sonja gave to our students on departure will be shared with the rest of the UWC movement: ‘For the next 20 years you should double the number of United World Colleges – the world needs this’. What better encouragement for an education that holds knowledge and values equally high?

The Jubilee focused on the 20th anniversary of UWC Red Cross Nordic and the 150th anniversary of the Norwegians Red Cross with a real appreciation of the past – but, more so, these days have been dedicated to looking ahead for what the UWC and the Red Cross can achieve together. Alluding to Ben Okri in his Jubilee Address to Her Majesty the Queen, Rektor Richard Lamont is aspirational: “Our future [must be] greater that our past”.

For an album of photos from the day, click here.

HM Queen Sonja at RCN

2018-10-16T09:33:03+01:00September 23rd, 2015|

The celebrations of our 20th anniversary were crowned with Her Majesty Queen Sonja’s visit on a day of beautiful early autumn sunshine. The Queen took her time as she moved around the College talking and listening to many students on her route. The National News on NRK focused on her meeting with Melvin Cornejo Gomez (El Salvador) and his way of expressing aspirations for peace.

After a breathtaking student show in the evening her Majesty addressed the College and our many visitors saying, “This must be the best school in the world. In 20 years we must double the number of UWCs!” After the show, as she was taking her motor launch back to the Royal Yacht KS Norge which was moored in the fjord, Queen Sonja was given a spectacular send-off: 200 students stood on the shoreline holding aloft 200 flaming torches singing that anthem for peace, John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. Unforgettable.

Her Majesty Queen Sonja has been an active supporter of the College and our partnership with the Red Cross since it all began as the seed of an idea more than 20 years ago. Her continued engagement and interest warms us and is a true inspiration in our continued work in promoting education that serves peace.

Click here for an album of photos from the day.

Jubilee / UWC Day

2015-09-20T18:21:52+01:00September 20th, 2015|

We are one day away from the main Jubilee event at UWC Red Cross Nordic – an opportunity to celebrate our 20th anniversary in tandem with the 150th anniversary of the Norwegian Red Cross – alongside UWC Day and the
International Day of Peace as observed across the world. Her Majesty Queen Sonja will be arriving in the Royal Yacht for the event.

In this weekend’s edition of Bergens Tidende (BTmagasinet), an article was published on the 20th anniversary of RCN…..

Local Elections

2018-10-16T09:33:04+01:00September 17th, 2015|

It has been an exciting week with local Norwegian elections gripping the campus.

Robin Stokke, Norwegian first year, reports:
We started by announcing the whole project during an assembly on Monday. All of the first years found out which party they had been placed in, and were encouraged to start researching their party and democratically electing a leader.

On Thursday Jacob and I had a short presentation about the actual Norwegian election on Monday 14th Septemner, in other words some background for why we’re doing all of this. Afterwards we went outside where each party had a ‘stand’ (a table with their party’s logo on it). The first year students took turns walking around asking the other parties about their policies and ideologies, whilst the rest would stay at their own table to answer the same kind of questions. To finish off, every party leader was asked to present a 30-second speech to sum up their party’s most important issues.

On Friday we welcomed local politicians from 6 different parties to campus. We invited 9 different  parties, but being the weekend before the election not all of the parties had the opportunity to come. During dinner, each politician had his/her own table where students could ask them questions and discuss issues. At 1900 we hosted a panel debate in the auditorium, where the politicians discussed 3 different issues before opening up for questions. The topics they discussed were the dumping in the Førdefjord, oil boring in the Artic and today’s migration issue.

This has all been as a preparation for Sunday, where all first years will represent their party in a large debate mainly about those three issues. The second years will be watching the debate, and voting on the party they agree the most with afterwords. We will also choose a student who is ‘The most promising Norwegian politician’ to join Jacob, Thea and I at the ‘valgvake’ in Førde on Monday, and (fingers crossed) get on national television.
Thanks to Jacob, Thea and Robin – and Summer – for their excellent work introducing students on campus to the dynamics of local politics in Norway. Their work also served to launch RCN’s new course for first years, Nordic Life Skills.
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