|
|
|
| |
| |
Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 19, 2005
|
|
| site design imagesparkle.com |
| August 25, 2004 |
Norway's People Bridge - Trygve Bergland |
|
| |
 |
| Bergen, the second largest city in Norway |
Jutting into the Artic Circle and experiencing "white nights" in the summer, Norway is often
stereotyped as a remote country. Despite being far from many of the world's worst conflicts, Norwegians
have become known for their work in helping foreign countries move away from violence. The core reason
for this has been the healthy proliferation of people's movements within this northern nation. Their
country's remote location has only added to their reputation as mediators not motivated by their national
politics to push self-serving solutions. This fact has put Norwegian intervention in demand for war
torn nations unable to find their way out of conflict. |
|
|
 |
| Change Maker Trygve Bergland |
One of the largest Norwegian civil society organizations involved in this work, Church Aid, is instrumental
in setting in motion peace processes worldwide through churches and other non-profit solidarity organizations.
Trygve Bergland, an activist for a Church Aid group named Change Makers, spoke on Peace Boat about
his work. "Our motto is 'Of course we can change the world,'" said Bergland. Although this
is a simple statement, he argued it needs to be repeated as long as corporate media continues to focus
on the violence happening to people, rather than on the people making good things happen. |
| |
 |
| Norway's Viking heritage |
Change Makers, which has 2,500 members in Norway, exists around the world, with especially large groups
in Canada and South Africa. Besides a focus on peace processes, they also work to bring about shifts
in trade and the environment, putting pressure not only on foreign countries, but also on their own
government. "The goals of Change Makers are to let people know these things are going on and
to get them involved in actions, campaigns and peace deliberations." One of Church Aid's largest
drives is their fundraising campaign to develop clean water sources, fight against poverty and diseases
such as HIV around the world. Besides introducing this work, Bergland outlined for participants a
few of the major peace process in which Norway has been involved in recently. |
| |
 |
| Trygve Bergland speaking with Peace Boat participants |
The Oslo Agreement, headed by Norwegians, delivered the longest lasting cease fire in the drawn out
Palestine-Israel conflict. The peace processes initiated by the United States lacked legitimacy for
many Palestinians due to massive US aid to Israel, mostly in the form of weapons used against Palestinians.
With Norwegian leadership, a group of peace workers gathered members of the Palestinian Liberation
Organization, the Israeli government and many other governments in 1993. "The result was the
autonomy of Palestine in Gaza and pieces of the West Bank, a Palestinian government and leadership
by their own prime minister," said Bergland. PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister
Yitzak Rabin both received the Nobel Peace Price for their efforts in concluding the Oslo Agreement.
The agreement became a reality in 1994 and 1995, although it later dissolved and violence broke out
again. |
| |
 |
| A sporting event protesting the gap between rich and poor countries |
After being mired for several years in a bloody civil war that killed two million people, Sudan took
a step towards rejoining its divided people with the help of humanitarian aid from Norway. When Hilde
Frafjord Johnsen became the Norwegian development minister in 2001, she worked hard to build a dialogue
with each side and bring their leaders to the table. Supported by the neighboring countries of Eritrea,
Ethiopia and Uganda, this resulted in not only steps towards peace, but also democracy for this North
African nation. After Indian peacekeeping forces failed in Sri Lanka's civil war, Norwegians were
invited in and became a key catalyst for the successful cease fire that heralded a return to normal
life for Sri Lankans. |
| |
 |
| A volunteer raising awareness about Change Maker's work |
The Norwegian government's cooperation with the United States since September 11th, however, contrasts
sharply with Church Aid's peace work and has included the dispatch of bombers to Afghanistan. The
Norwegian government eventually became critical after the US declared war on Iraq without UN support,
and solidified its opposition a year later when 200,000 Norwegians protested the large numbers of
Iraqi civilian casualties and unfulfilled promises that war damage would be paid for. "The Norwegian
government came out and told the media that it would be more critical of the United States and earlier
on in the future," Bergland reported. Another example he pointed out of people powering politics
involved loans Norway gave foreign dictatorships more than a decade ago. "Some years ago it was
difficult for government to talk about these problems, but because the Change Makers put pressure
on them, the Norwegian government has started to bring these up at international gatherings." |
| |
Resources
Norwegian Church Aid – www.nca.no
Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – www.odin.dep.no/ud/engelsk
International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) – www.prio.no
|
| |
|
|
|
