Polar Expeditions

2018-10-16T09:33:59+01:00September 10th, 2013|

Karin Strand, once-upon-a-time a lawyer, now, and for the last ten years, an expedition leader on the polar exploration vessel the MV Fram, visited the College to talk about her work in the polar regions. The MV Fram, named after the expedition vessel of the great Norwegian explorer Fritjof Nansen, spends seven months of the year in the polar regions – half of the time in the Arctic, half of the time in the Antarctic.

She gave a vivid overview of Norwegian exploration of the poles over the last hundred years – talking about the adventures of Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and, of course, the remarkable Roald Amundsen. She quoted Amundsen who famously wrote in his 1912 book, ‘The South Pole’, that, “Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”

Karin’s work, while not necessarily involving victory and defeat, does require a certain amount of luck. In taking groups of visitors to inhospitable and inaccessible places plans are always needing to be adjusted, destinations altered and chances taken. She showed us film clips of the seal and penguin colonies in Antarctica, of dramatic seas in the far north and of kayaks moving towards astonishingly blue icebergs.

Questions from the audience? “What do I have to study to do what you do?!”

After the talk Arne Osland presented Karin with some gifts from the College and she kindly stayed behind to answer the many questions that students hadn’t been able to ask during the presentation.

Then, as she was leaving, Karin said, “Thank you for having me, it was truly inspirational for me to see this fantastic environment, you are doing the world more good than you know.”

Many thanks to Karin for coming to talk to us. For more information, click here, and here.

Norwegian Elections

2013-10-08T15:48:17+01:00September 7th, 2013|

On Friday, September 6th Norwegian youth representatives of different political parties visited the college for an election debate in advance of the September 9th Norwegian elections. Hosted by the World Today (the College debate forum), the representatives managed to fill almost every seat in the auditorium; first debating, then answering questions on diverse topics such as international politics, immigration, and the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Represented on the panel were the Christian Democratic Party (Kristeligt Folkeparti), The Christians (De Kristne), the Conservatives (Høyre), the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet), the Socialist Left (Sosialistisk Venstre), the Centre Party (Senterpartiet), and the Socio Liberal Party (Venstre). The one-and-a-half hour debate started out with the representatives introducing the audience to their respective parties and their positions on key issues, which served as a basis for the students to later question the opinions and policies of every party from the far left to the far right wing of the political spectrum. This also provided an interesting opportunity for the students to get an insight into Norwegian politics, which could not be timed more fortunately, as the parliamentary elections would be held on the following MOnday.

Reactions from the representatives ranged widely, provoking many “shaking hands” moments from the RCN students – silent shaking hands signifying audience agreement – and a few incidents which prompted signs of disagreement, which gave the debate some edge.

After the debate, some representatives took the time to stay and talk about their parties’ politics and to discuss Atlantic College, as AC ’12 alumnus, Albert Andersen Øyvind, was present representing the Socialist Left on the panel.

After the debate, the World Today Team conducted a survey to find out how the votes of UWCRCN would have been placed on the political spectrum, which will be posted in the next issue of the newsletter.

Many thanks to all who organised and participated in the event.

Max Secher Quorning (RCN 12-14)

Outdoor activity for all

2018-10-16T09:34:00+01:00September 2nd, 2013|

A weekend of outdoor life and activities for all, regardless of disability, on Erling Stordahl’s farm. “Fun and inspiring!” says Lakpa Lama, one of eleven RCN students who took part in the very first Ridderdagene (The Days of the Knights).

We all wander in the darkness. Some because they don’t see with their eyes, some because they don’t see with their thoughts. Most of us because we don’t see each other…

Erling Stordahl gradually lost his sight, and became fully blind at the age of 13, but proved to himself and to the world that people with disabilities can have a rich life and do great things in spite of – and sometimes even thanks to – At the farm their handicap. He said that “Life is what your thoughts make it into.” and “We all wander in the darkness. Some because they don’t see with their eyes, some because they don’t see with the thoughts. Most of us because we don’t see each other”.

RCN students have regularly attended ‘Ridderrennet’, the winter sports event that Stordahl initiated 50 years ago at Beitostølen, where people from all over the world, with different abilities, come to compete with each other and challenge their own, and others’ expectations. This year Ridderdagene was organized for the first time at Stordahl’s farm in Sarpsborg, South of Oslo. Ridderdagene is a bicycle race, but also a chance for people to meet over a weekend, and try out many outdoor activities. Anyone can try the activities and learn about how we can include all people in different kinds of situations.

Edwin Gonzalez and Yeison Santos from RCN participated in the race and came in as number 9 and 13 out of 17 participants in the 24.8 km long race (the short race was 3 km): very impressive results when you know that Edwin doesn’t have hands and has limited sight, and that Yeison has a foot prosthesis! All participants had “buddies”, who cycled along with them, either on a single or a tandem bike. Edwin and Yeison cycled with Nghiem Huynh and Modi Elisa.

So what did the other students and Fk volunteer Andrew Mkumbi do? They pushed participants up a hill during the race; they helped setting up the arena and the tents; they instructed people in activities; interacted and helped people that came to the farm during the weekend and got to know a team of very helpful scouts, who gave us a tent and food during the stay.

The accommodation was very simple – there were no 5-star hotels at the farm! – but, when the night came, the RCN delegation discovered that they were staying in a million-star hotel, and were in the good company of fine, kind and very inspiring people.

Our thanks go to all those who made it possible for us to attend this event – hopefully we’ll be able to do it again next year!

Volunteers at RCN

2018-10-16T09:34:00+01:00September 2nd, 2013|

Jadiyetu Dah

Jadiyetu Dah

For several years, as part of our ongoing Fredskorpset-sponsored Exchange Project with the Western Sahara refugee camps in southwest Algeria, we have hosted two Saharawi volunteers at the College. They have come from the baking Sahara desert to the slightly cooler shores of Flekke fjord to live and work with us for the academic year. We are continuing this happy tradition and are pleased to welcome Salma Mohamed and Jadiyetu Dah to our staff. They arrived in late July to participate in the Summer Course and are busy finding their way into this wonderful – and to them, very strange – community!

Ged Kanchang

Ged Kanchang

Andrew Nkumbi

Andrew Nkumbi

As the political situation in the Maghreb continues to be volatile, Fredskorpset has enabled us to extend the project and we are now sending the Norwegian FK volunteers to Thailand and Tanzania instead of to the Sharawi refugee camps. In turn, we are hosting a volunteer from each of those countries, Ged Kanchiang from the Mercy Centre in Bangkok, Thailand and Andrew Nkumbi from the Great Lakes Training Institute in Mwanza, Tanzania. Read more about the Fredskorpset Exchange Project here.

We welcome these four enthusiastic young people, and look forward to their contributions to College life in the coming year.

Veronika Kara

Veronika Kara

We are also fortunate to be able to strengthen our ties to Hungary through an EEA grant. This grant has enabled Veronika Kara to come to the College until December to learn about how UWC uses education as a uniting force, as an exchange between UWC and the ‘Never Give Up Foundation’ in Hungary. While here Veronika will work on our engagement towards Roma people through education. Later she will bring back experience to her organization, with the aim to further develop co-operation. Read more about this exchange program, here.

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