Nobel Peace Prize 2017

2017-10-06T14:55:40+01:00October 6th, 2017|

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced at 1100 on Friday 6th October 2017 that it has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The organization is receiving the award for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons.

For the full press release on the Nobel Prize website, please click here.

Given UWC’s commitment to ‘peace and a sustainable future’, please join us here at UWC Red Cross Nordic in congratulating ICAN for its ongoing commitment to a world without nuclear weapons – and in celebrating the award of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

We have again received the honour of being invited by the Nobel Committee to send a delegation of students to the Award Ceremony at Oslo City Hall in December.

Changemaker Schools

2018-10-16T09:31:50+01:00October 6th, 2017|

Ashoka Scandinavia is proud to announce the selection of three Norwegian schools to be part of Ashoka’s global network of innovative schools. Nordahl Grieg Videregående Skole, Ung Invest Arbeidsinstituttet Buskerud and UWC Red Cross Nordic have officially become Ashoka Changemaker Schools after a thorough evaluation.

Each school’s work with what Ashoka calls changemaker skills such as empathy, creativity, leadership and team work has been explored by Ashoka and the experts within our network throughout the selection process. The schools’ different approaches towards incorporating problem-solving into education and strengthening students’ ability to develop ideas have also been assessed.

For the full press release, please click here.

Climate Voices in Sogn Folkmuseum

2018-10-16T09:31:50+01:00October 2nd, 2017|

RCN students at the conferenceForsikningsdagane (Research Days) is an event organised nationwide in Norway. This year Vestlandforsikning, the research institute of West Norway, organised an international climate change workshop for youth called ‘Climate Voices in Sogn Folkmuseum’ on Friday 29th September. RCN participated with eleven Geography and Environmental Systems and Society students and we met students from Vestland Universite’s Climate Management Master’s course. To our great surprise we also met a recent RCN alumna, Sara-Estelle Gößwein who wrote the theme song of the local Youth Peace Conference.

From the speakers of the workshop we learned about issues of climate change including interesting angles on immigration, indigenous peoples’ rights, and how minorities and gender groups are more prone to the effects of climate change-induced natural catastrophes.

We also had the chance to visit the museum with a guided tour.

In the workshop, the students worked in mixed groups on different aspects of climate change, such as food, gender issues and awareness. The results of the workshops were shared with the audience in the plenary session and also will be exhibited in the new exhibition of the museum, ‘Our Everyday Food’.

Nansen Refugee Award Winner

2018-10-16T09:31:50+01:00October 1st, 2017|

The 2017 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award winner has been announced as Mr. Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer, school-founder and peace-maker from north east Nigeria. He is being honoured for his dedication and commitment to ensuring children and orphans affected by the conflict in Borno State can attend school. Mr. Mustapha will be bestowed with the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award at a ceremony taking place in Geneva on Monday 2 October. Given UWC’s recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with UNHCR and UWC’s Refugee Initiative, UWC has been invited to send three representatives to the event coordinated by UNHCR. Arne Osland, Director of Development, will be attending to represent RCN.

The event will be live-streamed here on 2nd October at 12:50 New York | 17:50 Abuja | 18:50 Geneva.

NansenThe prize is given in the name of Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) – famous Norwegian explorer, author, statesman, Nobel Laureate. Nansen requested in 1921 in his capacity as High Commissioner for Refugees (appointed by the League of Nations) that the League validated the “Nansen Passport”, which gave the stateless people the right to enter different countries. Thanks to these passports 320,000 Armenians won the right to move freely to their preferred country. Nansen was also responsible for resettling 7,000 people in Armenia in 1925 – those refugees who had been displaced during the First World and ill-treated up until 1925 when Nansen drew up and implemented a plan for resettlement.

Her Majesty Queen Sonja, RCN’s patron, was awarded the Nansen Medal in 1982 by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for her work towards refugees.

Congratulations to this year’s winner – Mr. Zannah Mustapha of Nigeria – from UWC RCN.

For an article from the UNHCR about him, read here.

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