Fjaler Prize for 2015

2015-12-15T12:22:12+01:00December 15th, 2015|

On Monday 14th December, The Fjaler Prize for 2015 was awarded to UWC Red Cross Nordic in Kommune Huset in Dale. This is the first time UWC RCN has received this award as an institution.

The purpose of the Fjaler Prize is to honour a particular effort to the benefit of the municipality and for focus on innovation, openness and inclusion. The candidates considered for the annual award should have:

  • profiled Fjaler Kommune in a positive way
  • made a particular contribution to the Fjaler Community
  • made a particular contribution to the marketing of Fjaler Municipality
  • made extra efforts to promote the mentioned values

Mayor Gunnhild Berge Stang , Gudmund Solheim, the Chair of the Prize Committee, presented the award to our Rektor (Larry) and Director of Development (Arne). In his presentation speech, Gudmund Solheim generously said:

“It would take much to find a candidate who would fill the criteria for the Fjaler Prize in a better way than UWC Red Cross Nordic” – and then  went on to speak about a before and after the creation of UWC for our local environment. The College received a framed award, a painting by Dale artist, Helge Segrov, and a cheque for NOK 15,000.

Nobel Peace Prize 2015

2018-10-16T09:32:53+01:00December 15th, 2015|

Inside the HallFor twenty years our college has attend the world`s most prestigious award ceremony in Oslo City Hall on the 10th of December. Unfortunately for the selected RCN ambassadors this year (Narender (India), Anna (Finland), Karma (Tibet), Maja (Poland), Maria (Colombia) and Abdul (Syria/Sweden) the school seats this year were overbooked. However, that did not prevent Karma and Anna from wearing their national customs.

This year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Tunisian national dialogue quartet to their contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia. The Tunisian national dialogue quartet is a coalition of civil society groups that came together in the summer of 2013 when Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab spring, was at a crossroads between democracy and violence. The quartet comprises the following organizations in Tunisian civil society:Abdul with one of the prize winners

  • The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).
  • The Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA).
  • The Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH).
  • The Tunisian Order of Lawyers.

Although not being able to attend the ceremony as such, a couple of our delegates had an exciting opportunity to attend the press conference and meet the winners in person. They also had a short conversation about the transition towards democracy in the Middle East with Abdessattar Bin Moussa, the President of the Tunisian Human Rights League.

The winners talked about the importance of the education among people, the effectiveness of tolerance among civil society representatives, the consequence of economic and living conditions and most important their role in promoting peace in Tunisia. It was interesting to follow their perspectives on the Jasmine revolution of 2011 and how they will manage to keep promoting peace in the future.

Written by Abdul Abo Shokur

 

To our local supporters

2018-10-16T09:32:54+01:00December 11th, 2015|

Dear Host Family / local supporter,

As you know each year, the College puts together a Winter Break Programme for 25 students who are unable to go home due to financial reasons or political instability in their home countries.

It is very important to us that we put together a programme which is stimulating and supportive – and compensates for the fact that they are unable to return to their families as the other students do after a busy and challenging term at UWC. This year, we have planned a programme after the end of term – from the 9th to 23rd December – which includes a visit to Oslo and Lillehammer and a stay at the Red Cross Cabin at Langeland.

The students will be based on campus from the 23rd December to 11th January (when term resumes). I appreciate that this is a special time for Norwegian families but ask that you consider inviting a student or two for a short visit (a day trip or overnight stay) during this period. This will give the students on our Winter Break Programme an invaluable break from their daily life on campus and an opportunity to meet local people in a friendly and homely setting. In return, our students offer friendship, good company, an introduction to their language(s) and culture(s), a bit of help around the house, a free child-minding service and much much more.

We are hugely appreciative of all the support we receive already and hope that some of you will open your homes in this period to students who are a long way from home.

The students can come individually or in pairs. If you would like to support our Winter Break Programme, please contact Hildegunn on nc12hbar@staff.rcnuwc.no / 5773 7098 – and she will coordinate the logistics.

God Jul –

With best wishes

Richard D A Lamont
Rektor

World Human Rights Day 2015

2018-10-16T09:32:54+01:00December 10th, 2015|

Members of the College Amnesty International group

Members of the College Amnesty International group

Today is World Human Rights Day 2015 – as part of RCN’s commitment to this special day in the annual calendar, some of our students are in Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize and last Sunday evening a group of students set up an Amnesty International stall on campus:

Magnus við Streym (Faroe Islands) reports on the Amnesty event:

Amnesty RCN had a booth in the Safuge Café last Sunday, where locals and students alike could go and write letters to people in need and to their respective governments. The group focused on girls being forced into marriage in Burkina Faso, Waleed Abu al-Khair who is a journalist from Saudi Arabia, and the Burmese protester Phyoe Phyoe Aung. Amnesty managed to gather 60+ letters from the event, and hopefully the letters will help to release these individuals from captivity. We wanted to write to these individuals to show that we care, and that there is still hope and justice for them. Overall, we are very proud to have organized this event, and hopefully it will manage to help people to break their shackles and pave their way to freedom.

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