The Minister of Development, Dag Inge Ulstein paid us a virtual visit today. He took part in the Geography class and followed up with a conversation with our students
Abdullah Murad Farea – Yemen, Tum Toek – Cambodia, Mabel Vo – USA and Princess Ottoo – Ghana. Minister Ulstein informed about the challenging work for providing an equitable distribution of Covid vaccines across the world, and answered questions from the class. One of the questions was about what drives Norwegian policy in this field. Mr Ulstein emphasised how we are all interconnected. If some parts of the world are still affected by the spread of virus, it is a danger to us all. Sometimes there can be a tension between self interest and the motive of helping others, but in this case there is clear common interest in securing vaccination for all – rich and poor.
Abdullah told about all the hardship he had to go through in order to get here from his war torn country Yemen. He enjoys all aspects of his stay here in Flekke, but still it is not easy to hear about the situation at home. Mabel and Tum told about their unplanned stay in Norway during the holidays. Needless to say they miss their families, but also have appreciated the opportunities provided for them by families who have opened up their homes. Rektor Hege Myhre emphasised how valuable it is for the students to engage in society – their voices will be listened to. – You are not the leaders of tomorrow, Mr Ulstein said – you are already taking a lead. We need to listen to your perspectives and hear your stories, like you listen to each other. For the College the visit shows that the Norwegian government sees the value of educating young persons with a global perspective – shaping a better future, shaping a better now.
