As part of our anniversary celebrations we received a visit by President of the Norwegian Red Cross, Robert Mood on Feb 4th – 5th. During the stay he got to learn about and experience the values-based activities that the institutions at Haugland offer in the fields of education and rehabilitation. What combines it all is a shared focus on the resourcefulness of the individual – or with the words of Kurt Hahn: “There is more in you than you think”. In his address in the auditorium, Robert Mood emphasized what qualities the leaders of the future needs: Values, culture, collaboration and teamwork – indeed, what we are trying to nurture.
Giulio Regeni was born on the 15th of January 1988 in Fiumicello in north-east Italy. With a strong passion towards politics and human rights, Giulio applied to UWC and joined the UWC USA class of 2007. While studying at University he became a member of the UWC National Committee team in Italy. On 25th January 2016 he disappeared in Cairo (Egypt), where he was doing his PhD studies. His body was found a couple of days after, with evident signs of torture, in a ditch alongside the Cairo-Alexandria highway. Since that day of 2016, Giulio has become a symbol for the victims of forced disappearances around the world.
A group of students at UWC Red Cross Nordic organised the making of a video to raise awareness about Giulio’s story and to highlight the current situation of forced disappearances in many countries. Since Giulio was a UWC alumnus they wanted to cooperate with the whole UWC movement, bringing together the efforts and passion of 10 UWC colleges. The result is this video made by UWC Red Cross Nordic with the collaboration of UWC Adriatic, UWC USA, UWC Costa Rica, Li Po Chun UWC of Hong Kong, UWC East Africa, UWC Atlantic College, UWC South East Asia, UWC Changshu China and UWC Dilijan.
Truth for Giulio Regeni. Verità per Giulio Regeni.
War is the exemplification of hell on earth for all involved. I know it, because I have been there and come back.
These were the words of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali in his speech during the ceremony in Oslo City Hall today. It was an honour for our students Edda Iveland (Norway), Leane Ickes (Malaysia), Elin de Wall (Germany), Manuel Macedo Lamana (Uruguay) and Ghulam Ali Doulat (Afghanistan) to attend the ceremony together with our acting Rektor Jo Loiterton.
One of our students said, “It made an impact to hear the laureate talk about his personal background, and to learn he had been a soldier in war. He gave examples of how he was fighting the war, and it gave a less intellectual and more concrete understanding of peace.”
