Tom Gresvig

2018-10-16T09:32:53+01:00January 10th, 2016|

The cover of the Order of Service

The cover of the Order of Service

On Friday 8th January, Tom Gresvig’s funeral was held at Uranienborg Kirke in Oslo and was followed by a reception at Bølgen & Moi. Her Majesty Queen Sonja sent a royal wreath in her capacity as patron of our College and other tributes have been delivered for Tom, a member of the founding team of UWC Red Cross Nordic, to both his family and the College.

Representatives from Haugland included: Inger and Arne Osland, Kari and Eirik Fismen, Anette Wolff, Daniel Toa-Kwapong, Stig Moltumyr, Kathini and Larry Lamont – alongside many Oslo-based representatives from our Board and UWC Norge and our partner organisations (including SOS Children’s Villages and the Norwegian Red Cross).

Jens Waltermann, Executive Director of UWC International wrote:

“UWC International and the entire UWC community mourn the death of Tom Gresvig – one of the great figures of the UWC movement.  Tom was the founding father of UWC Red Cross Nordic and a long standing and substantial supporter of UWC internationally. Thousands of UWC RCN students bear witness to his legacy through their live changing experiences at UWC. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones and together with them the entire UWC family will honour Tom’s memory.”

 

Please click here for Larry’s address at the reception in honour of Tom on behalf of RCN and for the obituary in Aftenposten (7th January 2016) and the obituary notice written by UWC Norge and RCN.

If you could like to write Tom’s sons (Håakon and Knut) please use the following address:

President Harbitz Gate 21
Oslo 0259

The UWC and Norwegian flags will be flying at half-mast on the first day of term and we shall hold a minute’s silence at the first College Meeting of term for students and staff.

Larry
Rektor
9th January 2016

Renewal of Patronage

2015-12-25T06:59:40+01:00December 25th, 2015|

It is with pleasure we have received the news from the Royal Palace that Her Majesty Queen Sonja will continue to be the patron of UWC Red Cross Nordic. This renewal is for the next 5 years, 2016 to 2020.

Her Majesty Queen Sonja continues to be an inspiration for our students and staff in our work to make education a force to unite people.  During the visit for our 20th anniversary, this autumn, she expressed a genuine interest in this. In addressing our purposely diverse student body from more than 90 countries, she said “Every time I come here it is even better”. We will aspire to live up to this, also for the period to come.

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

 

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