HM Queen Sonja

2018-11-21T11:42:20+01:00September 26th, 2017|

“… A hope for the future … Because every time I come here, I get new stimulation and know that you will go back to where you come from and that you be will very, very good servants of your countries … And also just think now that you will remember these two years – and I hope indeed you will.
This year you have one word which has been quite important to me as well as I have a school prize that carries my name. And the two most important things for getting this award are actually, as you have here, inclusion and equality and, of course, education.
Education is the most important thing we can give you young people.”

HM Queen Sonja – UWC Day 2017

HM Queen SonjaIt was a great pleasure and honour to welcome Her Majesty Queen Sonja back to UWC Red Cross Nordic on the 21st and 22nd September 2017 in her capacity as our patron. She has been a supporter of the College since it started – as first a dream and then a vision of the founding team – indeed she was a supportive voice in her time as the Vice President of the Norwegian Red Cross from 1987 to 1990 about the possibility and potential of a partnership between the Norwegian Red Cross and UWC.

We hugely appreciate her ongoing commitment to this College and to the UWC movement as a whole. She has remained committed to our UWC mission and values and an advocate of ‘The Power of Diversity’ – the theme of UWC Day 2017 across all UWC schools and colleges.

As part of our Nordic pillar, we hope that students and staff learn about the role of a constitutional monarchy within Norwegian society, first defined at the Eidsvoll Assembly on the 17th May 1814, and the moments in Norwegian history when members of the royal family have played a prominent and vital part in maintaining the Norwegian spirit – from King Håkon’s BBC World Service broadcasts to the nation from exile in London during German occupation of Norway in World War II to the Royal House’s response to the tragic events both in Oslo and the island of Utøya on the 22nd July 2011.

Her Majesty Queen Sonja maintains a strong sense of social engagement both abroad – from her work in support of the Norwegian Refugee Council to her visit in 2011 to the world’s largest refugee camp on the border between Somalia and Kenya – and at home – with her concern with conditions for immigrant women in Norway and other vulnerable and sometimes voiceless and vulnerable constituencies within the population.

Since 2006, there has been an award in her name for a Norwegian school which has demonstrated excellence in its practice, promotion and celebration of ‘inclusion and equality’ as vital ingredients of education.

Each time she comes, we like to rethink and adjust her programme to introduce her to different elements of our work as educators. The visit in 2015 was centred on the 20th anniversary of the College and the 150th anniversary of the Norwegian Red Cross – and she added her own colourful contribution by choosing to arrive by the Royal Yacht ‘Norge’. We were delighted to see that the Royal Yacht was back in our fjord earlier this summer.

At UWC Red Cross Nordic, we consider ourselves as privileged to work with a deliberately diverse community. We – alongside our partner, the Rehabilitation Centre – take great pride in inclusion and encourage all on campus to value those around us and to celebrate and support all our differences and recognise the resourcefulness in all.

With the encouragement of Her Majesty and her team at the Palace, we continue to seek to develop into a ‘lighthouse’ for inclusion in Norway – a fitting image for a college on the west coast.

We continue to feel that, here at RCN, we have something to contribute to both the debate and the development of education in this country given our DNA of over 200 students representing 95 countries alongside 30% selected from the Nordic region.

Towards this, we decided to place ‘inclusion’ as the central theme of the programme for this royal visit.

As part of this initiative, it has been extremely encouraging and rewarding to connect and work alongside the Sogn og Fjordane Education Committee (and our local vidaregåande schools) in the design of this programme for UWC Day. We have been breaking new ground together under the banner of inclusion and equality.

Increasingly, I realise that our role as teachers is to help to build communities on our campuses with the associated challenges and sensitivities – and to encourage our students both to take a more inclusive approach in the world beyond and to contribute actively to building communities.

The programme for UWC Day was designed to introduce participants through presentations, workshops, and key-note addresses to different practical ways of both practising inclusion in education in its many forms and supporting diverse communities – expressed in terms of geopolitical, cultural, gender, body and socio-economic diversity.

During the showOn Thursday evening, we held an International Matbord / Feast in the Høegh which gave our guests the opportunity to explore delicacies from across the world – and to meet those who had prepared them.

The RCN students also designed an evening of entertainment for HM Queen Sonja alongside all our other guests which we hope re-introduced them to the diversity and the magic of our world.

At the end of the cultural show, HM Queen Sonja was presented with a print of the College and a belated hand-crafted birthday card (signed by all our students) by Vicky, a second year from Greece. To close UWC Day 2017, HM Queen Sonja then gave this final message to all gathered in the auditorium:

‘..A hope for the future….

Because every time I come here, I get new stimulation and know that you will go back to where you come from and that you be will very, very good servants of your countries.
And also just think now that you will remember these two years – and I hope indeed you will.

This year you have one word which has been quite important to me as well as I have a school prize that carries my name. And the two most important things for getting this award are actually, as you have here, inclusion and equality – and, of course, education.

Education is the most important thing we can give you young people.’

We remain deeply appreciative of HM Queen Sonja’s work as our patron – raising public awareness of Red Cross Nordic – and we are extremely grateful for the supportive engagement, warmth and generosity of spirit that Her Majesty continues to bring into our world.

Richard D A Lamont
Rektor
UWC Red Cross Nordic

For an album of photographs from the visit, click here.

For profiles and news of other students and alumni, click here.

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Angelika Love (’09 – ’11)

2018-10-16T09:31:53+01:00September 20th, 2017|

I still have not shaken off the idealism that two years at a UWC foster, almost without fail, among its students: the conviction that we can work towards a society in which people from different backgrounds can live together peacefully and benefit from each other’s wisdom and experiences in a way that challenges their preconceived notions. I am still convinced that openly acknowledging differences and thus diversity, and staying curious about people whose backgrounds are unlike our own, facilitates innovation or improves our ability to solve problems, while also instilling within members of diverse communities a sense of humble agency and courage – citizenship.

When I graduated from RCN in 2011 and began my degree in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, I found that the world beyond the UWC bubble was certainly nothing like that ideal society and yet it often did not seem to care much for less isolationism or more diversity. I also realised that the pain of the world is harder to bear when you know people from “places in the news”. As I got bogged down in my university studies – Neurophysiology, Statistics, Developmental Psychology, Psychophysics, etc. – some of these musings faded into the background and the immediate benefits of two intense years at UWC were primarily of an academic nature. Having been a rather study-minded student at RCN, I felt comfortable writing essays, constructing an argument, defending my point in debate, and working late hours.

However, in my second year as an undergraduate, I came across the area of Social Psychology, specifically the psychological study of inter-group conflict and research on how knowing people from other groups can reduce prejudice and improve relationships. Many Psychology students, myself included, will tell you that studying behaviour and cognition is rewarding because it helps us make sense of the everyday human experience. That sense of relief and inner coherence that I felt when, halfway through presenting my social psychological undergraduate research project, I suddenly realised that I had come full-circle since my UWC years, remains unparalleled by any other learning experience throughout my degree.

Unsurprisingly, I spent the following five years focussing my studies increasingly on the question of how increasing societal diversity affects inter-group relationships and how to reduce prejudice. I am now back at Oxford writing my doctoral thesis on the potential of individuals of mixed background, including people with multiracial or multicultural identities, to build bridges between segregated parts of societies. Together with colleagues from all around the world, I then seek to translate some of this research into policy recommendations – recently for the Mayor of London – and into support for charities that deliver programmes to facilitate social integration.

Today, eight years since I first arrived at RCN, I think about these two years often and my reflections are tinged by what I now know about group identities and inter-group processes. I understand better now that, in order approach that “ideal pluralist society”, it is not enough to create diverse environments. Rather, I would argue that the true potency of the UWC environment lies in the constant salience of group identity, the reluctance to revert to a cosy colour-blind approach, and the experience that we can be different and yet have a lot in common.

A couple of days ago, I went through some old files in my childhood bedroom and re-discovered a mock award given to me by my peers at the RCN graduation party in 2011: “Most likely to become an IB teacher”. At this stage in my life, that seems rather unlikely, and yet I am keen to keep engaging with RCN with my education-hat on. Recently, I returned to Flekke for the first time since that graduation party and, to my relief, I found the place as compelling in reality as it was in my memories. My hope is that RCN continues to be a place where we practice overcoming the challenges and learn to value the rewards associated with living in heterogeneous communities.

For profiles and news of other students and alumni, click here.

Foundation Year Programme Students

2018-10-16T09:31:57+01:00August 30th, 2017|

Sonia Soledad Leiva, or Sole, is a 20 year old student from Argentina.

Sole is a welcome addition to our student body and has shown herself to be committed to the scholarship she has taken. She knows that her English abilities will need to be improved for her to attempt the IB diploma after the Foundation Year but she has shown a real commitment and drive to achieve this.

Sole’s favourite subject in Argentina was Biology, in particular the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Since arriving at RCN, she is interested in developing a broad subject range and is waiting to see what she will enjoy most in the future. She has always been interested in working in education and wants to continue to explore this, but now she is attending UWC – and hearing the aspirations of others – she is considering how best to achieve this.

It is already clear that given the opportunity Sole will grasp it with both hands. She is a capable and mature student with a real sense of respect and gratitude for the chance she has been given and is determined to make the best of this scholarship.

Omar Baiba Mohamed Salem is 17 years old and from Western Sahara.

Omar has come to RCN with a sense of pride in his achievements, and rightly so! He is as keen a student as you could meet and is always looking to the next challenge. He has already started to contribute to our community in many positive ways and we look forward to watching him flour-ish during his time with us.

He claims that he has no favourite subject as all subjects are his favourite – given his enthusiasm during the four week RCN Summer Course and then the start of term, we at RCN can easily believe this!

After RCN, Omar would like to work as a programmer, preferably in the green sector, and if not then a programmer then he wants to be involved in working towards a more sustainable green future. With this opportunity he is sure to make the very best of it and is finally one step closer to achieving his goals.

Chat Vy, at 24, is one of the oldest from our Survivors of Conflict programme and is from Cambodia.

As someone who is confined to a wheelchair, Chat has had to overcome many physical barriers in his education up to this point. He has taken the opportunity to attend UWC Red Cross Nordic and is throwing himself into his lessons and into an entirely new social circle by embracing the UWC values.

When it comes to subject choice within the Foundation Year, Chat is really looking forward to his Mathematics as this is his favourite subject. He wants to get deeper into the subject and build his knowledge and challenge himself. Post RCN, Chat would like to be involved in social projects and wants to be in a managerial position so he can enact change in Cambodia. Chat is a charming young man with a steady approach to his studies who is sure to capitalise on this opportunity and is very happy that he has been given the chance to develop himself here at RCN.

Simon Ramsay (Foundation Year Programme Coordinator)

For profiles and news of other students, alumni and staff, click here.

Wille Valve (’97 – ’99)

2018-10-16T09:32:01+01:00August 14th, 2017|

This summer, the RCN delegation had the pleasure of visiting the Åland Islands as part of our Nordic Cooperation tour. Åland is geopolitically unique within the Nordic region: the islands are part of the Republic of Finland, but are the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in the country, have their own government, fly their own blue-gold-and-red flag, and are an entirely demilitarized zone. During our visit, we had the chance to reconnect with former RCN alumnus Wille Valve (’97 – ’99) in the capital of Mariehamn. Wille currently works within the Åland Government as Minister of Social Affairs and Health, and credits his RCN experience for having spurred some of his initial interest in politics.

“Looking back, I don’t know if I would have ever become a politician, had it not been for my days at RCN. Perhaps at times, it is only years later – in hindsight – that we can recognize and appreciate the transformative impact of this place.”

Wille takes a moment to reflect back on some memories and key lessons learned during his days at RCN: “Looking back, perhaps I can distill some top three key lessons that I took away from RCN. First, critical thinking, always assessing the credibility of sources. This is actually more important than ever in this era of fake news and semi-fake news. It’s a sad thing, for instance, that very few students realize how important TOK is, only years after graduation. Another reflection is that even cross-cultural understanding has its borders. You can’t explain the values of President Trump by saying that he’s from another culture. For many Americans, he is an oddity even in American culture. And finally, the realization that it is actually we who shape the world.”

Wille with his family

Wille with his family

Wille’s post-RCN academic and professional career has been varied and dynamic. During our talk, he recounts three of his most memorable work experiences which, alongside his studies in International Law at Åbo Akademi in Turku, Finland, culminated in his current political post. After graduating from RCN, Wille completed a six-month internship at the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg (thereafter labelled as a ‘foreign agent’ and thus closed). Wille describes the internship as an excellent place to get to know Russian culture, whilst still maintaining a foot in the Nordic zone. A couple of years later, he worked during six months as the Head of the Åland Mediation Office, reconciling crimes and helping people to find solutions for their various issues and conflicts. Lastly, Wille worked during two years as an assistant for a Member of European Parliament in Belgium. He explains, “Here, I got a sense of being proud of being a politician and a feeling that the job politicians do is really important. I think these three experiences – St. Petersburg, being head of the Mediation office and working at the European Parliament were important experiences. Without them (and RCN), I would probably be a different kind of person and politician.”

Today, Wille works as Minister of Health and Social Affairs as part of Åland’s highest political authority, Landskapsregeringen. During the last elections, Wille switched from being Minister for Administrative Affairs (n.b! The same title as in “Yes Mr. Minister”, he jokes) to his current post, receiving +25% more votes than in the previous elections. He notes that he feels humbled by the trust and confidence that the Ålanders have instilled in him.

“In this job, it’s really important to have one’s priorities 100% clear all the time (for oneself). For example, last year we passed a budget whereby we are shrinking the health sector with 2 million euros per year, which is possible but requires a lot of teamwork, will, patience and clear priorities.”

Alongside his political career, Wille’s hobbies are choir singing and running. He describes singing as something 100% disconnected from what he normally does, and running as a good way to clear his thoughts. Wille lives in the capital of Mariehamn with his wife, Linda, and their two young children, a six-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. The family has recently invested in a boat, in order to spend some time exploring some of the 6,500 islands around the archipelago.

As an alumnus, Wille expresses great enthusiasm for remaining connected to the RCN family and broader UWC values and movement. Wille has formerly served as an RCN board member and former head of the Åland delegation to the Nordic Council. He emphasizes the core importance of having a Nordic UWC, and aspires to seeing that all the Nordic governments and the self-governed territories feel a genuine ownership in the project. Wille remains actively engaged with the Åland UWC National Committee, and extends a warm welcome to any RCN-ers out there who might happen to come to Åland: “Do not hesitate to contact me! A vehement guided tour of both parliament and government building is guaranteed”, he smiles.

“The UWC mission is more important than ever. One of the strengths of the UWC movement is to, at times, challenge itself and its own values. May that spirit prevail.”

Written by Lisa Jokivirta.

For profiles and news of other students, alumni and staff, click here.

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