Te child of my heart - for 25 years

THE CHILD OF MY HEART - FOR 25 YEARS

Who would not be at peace here? A quiet autumn morning 2013. Surrounded by splendid nature in Western Norway, UWC Red Cross Nordic is like an oasis of peace, international cooperation and youthful energy. Tis is what you should wish the rest of the world was like: Young persons come together from all parts of the world - with their openness to get to know and learn from each other, with an underlying wish to make the world a better place for all, and with a closeness to nature that inspires them all to take care of it. A magnificent environment that captures both the mind and the heart, which affects how you take part in the learning process and interaction with those who are around you. No wonder that UWC Red Cross Nordic has been a child of my heart for 25 years - and even longer.

I had the privilege to follow the work for the establishment of a United World College in Fjaler closely. This started during the period when I was the Deputy President of the Norwegian Red Cross. At that time there was competition between different parts of the Nordic Countries to become the host for a new UWC College. Fjaler had several clear advantages. One of these was the establishment of the Red Cross Rehabilitation Centre.

One of the most distinguishing features with the UWC, is that so much of the learning comes from interaction in the community and local surroundings

that goes beyond school time, beyond the curriculum. In this way one has created the basis for a holistic education in Fjaler. The Nordic Countries, with support from the government in each separate nation, together decided that a Nordic UWC should be established here. It should be based on Nordic values and heritage, with its humanism and model for organising society.

I have had the opportunity to see the College take shape - to follow it from being a distant dream to becoming a reality. Several good helpers have joined in, both practically and financially. Not the least Norwegian alumni from the first UWC, Atlantic College in Wales.

We have come to realise that we are part of a global family. A family with strong ties, committed to fundamental principles that we see as essential for creating a better world together. The opening periode for the College was undertaken with much enthusiasm . Suddenly the whole world had joined together in this small fjord in Western Norway.

As the patron of the college since the start in 1995, I have had ample opportunity for close follow up on how it operates. I have had the pleasure of visiting nearly every single generation of students. There has been one exception, in 2010, when the ash clouds from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyafalljökull prevented our plane from taking the journey to the west coast. This was somewhat ironic for a college that focuses on close contact and co-operation between the Nordic countries!

Since the start, several rektors have served for the college and made a mark in their own way. It has been exciting to follow the development, both with regard to the culture, the teaching and learning methods as well as the expansions that have taken place over several eras. But the most important thing for me has always been to meet the students

face to face. With its 200 students, the college is small enough to leave a personal impression. 2400 of them have by now graduated as ambassadors for the UWC, the Red Cross, for the Nordic region, Norway and Fjaler. Some of these I have followed on their journey ahead. It was a great pleasure for us, when Mak Wang, the only student I have been personally involved in selecting, received the King and me at his own UWC college in China, during the Norwegian state visit in 2018. The new college is twice the size of his alma mater and is set to be a force for change within Chinese education. This is a shining example of how this value based education works, with new buds that multiply its impact.

May the fresh spirit that has been the epitome of the college for these 25 year be passed on for the years to come, also after an anniversary year where isolation has been a necessity for so many. The situation created by Covid-19 reminds us of how the UWC and the Red Cross are more relevant than ever before in its pursuit to find international solutions for global challenges.

UWC educates the whole human being, built on respect for knowledge in all its form, with equal weight on the heart as on the mind. The world needs youth who can see the complexity in the challenges that we are facing, with an urge and knowledge to actively do something about it - and to seek solutions together. We need people with the ability to listen openly to what others have to say. Yes, a world like this is something we could wish for, a world where decisions are made based on a foundation of values, like we can see in Fjaler.

I congratulate the child of my heart, UWC Red Cross Nordic with its 25th anniversary - and send my best wishes for the important work ahead.