On Monday we hosted the Student Climate Summit, with 60 participants from the colleges of Dale, Firda, Mo & Øyrane and Sogndal. The focus was on how to meet climate change on an individual and group level. The conference was a cooperation between UWC, Fylkesmannen and Sogn og Fjordane County. Karen O’Brien, Tora Hope and Linda Sygna from cchange/University of Oslo were the organizers of the workshops. The results of the Student Climate Summit were then taken to the National Climate Conference in Sogndal on Tuesday 3rd May.
“Education is the key to the transformation that we need.” said Karen O’Brien after the conference. “The human dimension to this is central. The young participants who came to this event already knew a lot and are eager to seek new solutions. I think they will become the new leaders of the future, be it on a local or a global level.”

Student participants Meriem (Morocco) and Linnea (Sweden) wrote about the follow-up in Sogndal:

Following the Student Climate Summit, four students – Linnea, Meriem, Bernard and Roche – accompanied by member of staff Judit Dudas and Prof Karen O’Brien went to participate in the National Climate Conference in Sogndal. The trip started with a visit to the Glacier Museum where students had the opportunity to see a glacier and to visit the interactive presentation on climate change at the museum and where the students also gave a presentation about the College, its Environmental Pillar, and reported on the results of the student climate summit.

At the conference in Songdal several scientists and other experts, together with the county governor, gave presentations about adaptation to global warming. The conference had a global and local perspective about the consequences of climate change and it also gave an insight of the role of Sogn og Fjordane Municipality as well as the plan to find solutions.

We recorded the visit on the UWC RCN Environmental Daily facebook page.

Click here for the cchange report of the event.
See here for a collection of photos from the day.

We are delighted to announce the election of the following individuals to:

UWC Red Cross Nordic’s Board:

Jan Björkman is a social democratic politician from Sweden. He was Member of the Swedish Parliament from 1988 to 2010, representing the County of Blekinge. For most of these years, Jan was a central member of the Education Committee. From 2006 to 2010, he was First Vice Speaker of the Swedish Parliament. He has been a member of the UWC RCN’s Council from 2012 to 2016 and now takes up the position of Swedish representative on the College’s Board. With his deep knowledge of education politcs in Sweden and the Nordic region, Jan has much to offer our College.

Laila Bokhari has been State Secretary for the Prime Minister of Norway since October 2013.  Her portfolio includes foreign and security policy, justice and emergency preparedness. Laila is a political scientist and a researcher on political violence, terrorism and radicalization; she was a member of the 22 July Commission of Norway.  She has held a diplomatic posting at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, Born in the UK of a Norwegian mother and Pakistani father, her childhood was spent between Norway, Pakistan and the UK. Laila and her brother also oversee the running of a school for girls in Pakistan – this school is something she cares deeply about and provides a strong link with one of her most valued causes, the global right to education.

UWC Red Cross Nordic’s Council:

Teresita Alvares Bjelland: having been the President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Teresita has a unique experience when it comes to networking and alumni fundraising, a new strategic area for UWC RCN. Teresita has taken interest in our alumni at occasions such as Partnership for Change and knows the College well through interviewing our students who have applied to Harvard. She is currently a member of the Harvard Global Advisory Council. She has an international background (Cuba born and a naturalized US citizen) and has been based in Norway for 25 years – she has lived and worked in Spain, Denmark and England in addition to Norway and the US. She will bring much relevant competence and experience for our Council.

Zhe Wang Gresvig is an alumna  of UWC RCN and was raised in a SOS Children’s Village in China. She currently lives in London, working for Save the Children. Her husband Haakon is the son of Tom Gresvig, one of the founders of UWC RCN. With her skills, affinity to the College and the Gresvig heritage, Zhe will be a definite asset to our Council.

 

Arne Osland / Larry Lamont
18^th April 2016