Creative Genius It’s a strikingly beautiful city, Stockholm. Built on islands in the Baltic Sea, it is arced by rainbows and crisscrossed by stone bridges. On these alternately ...
Peace Scholar Post: "Beginnings" by Esme MarieBeginnings After a long day of traveling, we’ve finally arrived in Lillehammer where we’re about to embark on our six week journey of peace and conflict studies that commenc...
2013 Forum Attendee Survey HighlightsGreetings! We’re still riding high on the turnout, energy, and buzz that Muhammad Yunus, Tawakkol Karman, and other tremendous presenters created at the 25th Nobel Peace Prize F...
Hip Hop and Peace Event with Brother Ali and Omar Offendum (3/9/13)Building on the success of last year's "Ethics and Hip Hop" event with rapper, singer, and writer Dessa, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum hosted a special event last night with Minnes...
Global Day Interfaith ServiceTo mark the start of Global Day (today) at the Forum, participants gathered in the Foss Chapel at Augsburg College for an Interfaith Call to Service. The focus being global peace, ...
Health & Science Day in Review: Livestream and FlickrScience & Health Day at the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Forum took place yesterday on the campus of Augsburg College. If you weren't among the more than 1,000 participants, we've ar...
Business Day in Review: Livestream and FlickrBusiness Day at the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Forum happened yesterday at the University of Minnesota. If you weren't among the more than 1,000 participants, we've archived all of the...
K-12 Festival Summary and PhotosThis year's K-12 Festival began with a warm welcome from Augsburg College President, Paul Pribbenow. This was followed by opening remarks from Congressman Keith Ellison and Andrew ...
Brother Ali's excited about it... Are you?If you were lucky enough to see Dessa’s Ethics and Hip Hop presentation last year, you know there's a powerful connection between hip hop and issues of peace and justice. This ...
"Phones in the Field- Bringing the Arab Spring to Minnesota" by Ibrahim Al-Hajiby, InternOne of my responsibilities as an intern with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum was to be a part of the planning committee for Global Day. I still remember five months ago when I proposed...
T-shirt Design Contest Winner!We received many superb design contest entries and now it’s time to announce this year’s winner! Drumroll, please… Congratulations to University of Minnesota design student ...
"The Woman Who Inspired the Peace Prize" by Elsa Gunnarsdottir, American College of NorwayThis year's Forum highlights the role of women in peacemaking. Elsa Gunnarsdottir's essay, which can be found below, draws our attention to the work of Bertha von Suttner, a remark...
Congratulations Kristianna Anderson, University of Washington Essay Contest Winner!Prof. Christine Ingebritsen, Director of the Center for West European Studies, just can’t rest when it comes to studying and teaching about the role of Scandinavian countries in ...
"Diễn Đàn Giải Thưởng Nobel Hòa Bình Năm 2013" by Derek Le, InternThe following post was written in Vietnamese by Derek Le, Nobel Peace Prize Forum intern. Please share it with the Vietnamese-speaking community and post a comment! Là một tron...
"A Great Opportunity for a Young Yemeni!" by Ibrahim Al-Hajiby, InternIt was my privilege to meet and have a discussion with Mrs. Marianne Aasen, a Member of the Norwegian Parliament and Chair of the Standing Committee on Education, Research, and Chu...
T-Shirt Design Contest!The 25th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum is happening March 8-10 on the campuses of Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota. We need a new design for the official event t-s...
Brother Ali and Omar Offendum to Speak and Perform at 2013 ForumOn Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 pm (Doors: 7:15), the Nobel Peace Prize Forum will hold a special evening of presentations and performances exploring the dynamics of peace and hip hop...
Burroughs Students Prepare for the FestivalJanet Johnson, Teacher from Burroughs Community School sent this report: "Our classroom is getting excited as we prepare for the K-12 Festival. We read a story today about Alfred N...
FORTUNE Magazine Columnist Nina Easton to speak at Business Day!Need another reason to attend Business Day at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum (March 8-10)? We're thrilled to announce that Nina Easton has accepted our invitation to speak on Friday, ...
Video Interview with Tawakkol Karman, Peace Prize winner and 2013 Forum SpeakerIn this inspiring interview produced by the Nobel Peace Center as part of their SHEROES exhibition, Tawakkol Karman (2011 Peace Prize Winner) responds to a number of compelling que...
Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Laureate and 2013 Forum Speaker: "A Lesson from the Arab Spring"In this essay forwarded to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, 2011 Peace Prize Winner Tawakkol Karman shares her insights regarding the Arab Spring. She will be speaking at the Forum o...
"A Student's Nobel Peace Prize Experience" by Elsa Lilja GunnarsdottirThe following post was written by Elsa Lilja Gunnarsdottir, a student at the American College of Norway in Moss, Norway and friend of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This is her acco...
"Aung San Suu Kyi: The Woman Who Changed My Life" by Derek Le, InternSince I was born, there are three women who have strongly influenced me. One is my mother, one is my sister, and the third person is Aung San Suu Kyi. While my mother taught me dis...
Eight Weeks, One Important Exhibit: The Nobel Peace Center“They told me we wouldn’t be able to do it, so I immediately decided that we could.” Right away I liked her. She was talking about 2005, the first year that the Nobel Peace C...
What do you know about Bertha von Suttner?How do you take a person long dead and make her relevant to today? “She had radical ideas, everybody loved being with her, and she believed in the power of change,” Anne Synn...
Maureen Reed and Eric Schwartz visit Parliament of NorwayIt’s all within walking distance today, once again showcasing walkability as one of Oslo’s best features. This morning’s meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway) w...
"The Nobel Peace Prize Forum Has Inspired Me!" by Derek Le, InternMy volunteering with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum last year is probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Before the event, my only intention of volunteering is to h...
2012 Nobel Ceremony Reflections from Maureen ReedMaybe your dad fought in World War II. Mine did. And uncles too. And even a feisty, ahead-of-her-time aunt. They would have loved yesterday’s ceremony in Oslo City Hall. It was ...
Maureen Reed Attending Nobel Ceremony in Oslo this Week[Nobel Peace Prize Forum Executive Director Maureen Reed is in Oslo this week for the official Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. We'll be posting updates from her over the next few days....
Hip Hop Research Inspired by 2012 Nobel Peace Prize ForumSamantha Cantrall ‘14, an Augsburg undergrad and volunteer with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, conducted a grant funded study this summer with URGO (The Office of Undergraduate Re...
“Come and be inspired!” by Katie Storlie, Intern“Come and be inspired!” What a simple, yet powerful tag line In the last few weeks the K-12 Festival of the Noble Peace Prize Forum has been extending invitations to local scho...
Dr. Paul Farmer to speak at Science & Health Day!As many of you know, the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Forum (March 8-10 in Minneapolis) will feature a brand new “Science and Health Day” on Saturday, March 9. We are very excited to...
"A Woman worth a Thousand Men," by Ibrahim Al-Hajiby, InternDays after Tawakkol Karman was announced a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; I talked with a female friend of mine in Yemen. One thing that she said that still resonates with me when I a...
Relationship Building: Katie Storlie, InternDuring my first month as a Nobel Peace Prize Forum Intern one of my main goals was to understand prior relationships to the K-12 Festival, and further which new relationships we wo...
The Controversy and the Consequence of the 2012 Nobel Peace PrizeI’ve already been asked several times today what I think of the European Union as the recipient of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. What came first to my Minnesota mind was that this ...
Registration for the 2013 Forum is NOW OPEN!More big news! Early registration is now open for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize forum (March 8-10 in Minneapolis, MN). Similar to last year, each day is ticketed separately, with a ...
European Union Wins 2012 Nobel Peace Prize!The Nobel Peace Prize Forum officially congratulates the entire European Union (EU) for winning the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. In it's official statement, the Norwegian Nobel Commit...
2013 Forum Theme - "The Power of Ideas: People and Peace"What makes an idea powerful? What makes an idea catch fire, permeate our consciousness, and change the way we live, think, and act? As Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Prize F...
Dr. Muhammad Yunus to speak at the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Forum“One day our grandchildren will go to museums to see what poverty was like.” -Dr. Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate On the heels of our announcement that Nobel P...
Ibrahim Al-Hajiby: A Remarkable Yemeni CoincidenceMy name is Ibrahim Al-Hajiby; I am an international student from Yemen currently attending Augsburg College. I am greatly honored to be serving as the Global Day Intern for the upc...
Brittany Kimball: How a biology student got involved in the Nobel Peace Prize ForumHow does a biology student end up working as an intern for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum? Well, here’s my story. I’ll start where it all began… Delightful smells, both salty a...
Erik Kuross: Norwegians, Science, and HealthHello all, my name is Erik Kuross and I am one of the Science and Health Day Interns for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This post will be a little background on myself, and how I was...
Laureate Lights: What do you know about Yemen?For the third and final post in our series about Nobel Peace Prize Winner (and 2013 Forum speaker!) Tawakkol Karman, we’ve collected some information about the country of Yemen a...
Laureate Lights: Women Journalists Without ChainsFor the next post in our “Laureate Lights” series, we’ve put together a brief over of the Women Journalists without Chains (WJWC) organization, which is a human rights group ...
Laureate Lights: Introduction to Tawakkol KarmanYou may recall that earlier this year we launched “Laureate Lights,” a new blog series, with some blog, Facebook, and Twitter posts about Aung San Suu Kyi (1991 Peace Prize win...
Peace Scholar Post: The July 22nd Memorial ConcertWhile in Oslo as Peace Scholars, we've been deeply immersed in peace and conflict studies and kept busy by meeting wonderful leaders in the field of peace research such as Henrik S...
Peace Scholar Post: Researching Norwegian NationalismThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Charlotte Rosen from St....
Peace Scholar Post: More thoughts on Norwegian DialogueThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Adam Mousel from Concord...
Peace Scholar Post: Visiting The Nansen Dialogue NetworkThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Peter Larsen from Augsbu...
Greetings from a Former Peace ScholarWe received this note from Lauren Griffin, a 2011 Peace Scholar from Luther College. What exciting news that Tawakkol Karman will be at the 2013 NPPF! That is absolutely incredi...
Peace Scholar Post: The July 22nd MemorialThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Maren Engel from Augusta...
Peace Scholar Post: Norwegian DemographicsThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Luke Hanson from Luther ...
Peace Scholar Post: Remembering July 22ndThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Ingrid Pond from Augsbur...
Peace Scholar Post: The Roma in OsloThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Molly Kokesh from August...
Peace Scholar Post: Jordan MontgomeryThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Jordan Montgomery from Sai...
Peace Scholars in Oslo: A New Blog Post SeriesThis is the first installment in a series of blog posts written by the 2012 Peace Scholars as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Clara B...
Tawakkol Karman to Speak at 2013 Forum!“Peace does not mean just to stop wars, but also to stop oppression and injustice.” - Tawakkol Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate We are honored and thrilled to announce ...
Meetings with American Students in NorwayPaul Pribbenow and Dr. Reed concluded their Oslo trip on Wednesday with a host of interesting meetings, including conversations with American students in Norway. President Paul Pr...
Perspectives on the 2012 Forum: UMN College of DesignA number of students and faculty from the Design School at the University of Minnesota published a nice piece about their experience at this year's Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Here's ...
Report from Oslo: Maureen Reed and Paul PribbenowAs many of you know, Maureen Reed and Paul Pribbenow traveled to Oslo last week for meetings with the Norwegian Nobel Institute and other important organizations. The timing of the...
Aung San Suu Kyi to deliver Nobel Address Tomorrow! Maureen travels to Oslo!Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Oslo today in preparation for her official Nobel Peace Prize address, which she will give more than 20 years after receiving the prize in 1991. Accordin...
Laureate Lights: Aung San Suu Kyi travels to OsloOver the course of the year we’re going to highlight the current work of Nobel Peace Prize winners through a series of posts we're calling "Laureate Lights." Given all of the new...
Laureate Lights: Aung San Suu KyiAung San Suu Kyi is a name that we have heard repeatedly in the news lately. We were honored to present a video address from Aung San Suu Kyi during the closing ceremony of this ye...
Aung San Suu Kyi video addressWe've rec'd a few inquiries about where people can view this video clip. Our Vimeo channel has a complete archive of 2012 keynote speakers. The Aung San Suu Kyi address is embedded...
Day Three Report from Dick BernardHere's the recap of day three (March 3) from Dick Bernard, who blogs at “Thoughts Towards a Better World.” Links to days one and two can be found here. DAY THREE – GLOBAL...
Forum Reports from Blogger Dick BernardOur good friend Dick Bernard, who blogs at "Thoughts Towards a Better World," has been writing detailed reports (including photos) of each day of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Check...
Report: Live Interactive Session with Nagasaki University of Foreign StudiesThank you everybody for attending the session this evening. I feel people found so much fun and inspiration in our peaceful discussion. I myself was enjoyed the discussion much m...
Dessa's "Ethics and Hip Hop" session will be livestreamed!If you aren't able to attend Dessa's program tonight at Augsburg, you can watch the whole thing on our livestream channel. Also, we will be fielding questions via Twitter (use ...
Tickets are still available!Did you watch our livestream channel today and think to yourself "dude, I really should have been there." Fear not. A very limited number of tickets are still available for the fo...
NOW LIVESTREAMING: WATCH THE FORUM ONLINEThe 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum begins today with an opening ceremony for Business Day. Each keynote session will be streamed in realtime at our official Livestream.com channel....
The Visible Price for PeaceBy Molly Kalina (USA) and Shazreh Ahmed (Bangladesh) - Students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and study abroad students from the College of St. Benedict, MN Archb...
Seeking and Giving Forgiveness NeededBy Mary Baumgard (USA), Nonhlanhla “Nono” Nyathi (Zimbabwe), and Britt Ortmann (USA) - Students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Ms. Ortmann and Baumgard are st...
Proudly Attending the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversitySubmitted by Joseph Mork (St. John’s University, USA), Bekezela Mephulangogaja (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), and Margaret Free (College of St. Benedict, USA). In a m...
See Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi at the 2012 ForumAung San Suu Kyi, 1991 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, will deliver a special video message to attendees of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum during the closing ceremonies on March 3 at...
Naomi Tutu and Jonathan Mann to speak on Global Studies Day!If you need two more reasons to attend the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum (March 1-3), look no further. We're very excited to announce the addition of two international peacemakers...
Ethics and Hip Hop: A Discussion with Dessa - Tickets on sale NOW!The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is Proud to Present Ethics and Hip Hop: A Discussion with Dessa Note: this event will take place at Augsburg College in the Kennedy Center We’re t...
Carlson School of Management Students in Cape Town, South AfricaIn January a group of students from the Carlson School of Management were in Cape Town studying the medical device industry and business climate. These marvelous statues of So...
Norway, the Balkans, and a Luther College StudentLauren Griffin, a Peace Scholar from Luther College, wrote this post. I was so pleased to learn that Steinar Bryn and the Nansen Dialogue Network have been nominated for the Nob...
2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum T-Shirt DesignA few people have inquired about the design of the 2012 t-shirt - see below. We decided on a classic white American Apparel shirt, which fit really well and last a long time, so or...
Register for the Nobel Peace Prize ForumRegister now to save your spot at this year's event, which consists of three days of amazing programming: Business, Arts and Music, Education, and Global Studies. ...
Malaria, Politics and Nobel PrizesDr. Peter Agre is absolutely no stranger to major international issues dealing with health, science and politics. The Forum is honored to have this 2003 Nobel Chemistry Prize winne...
Why I'm attending the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum - by Nathaniel CookNathaniel Cook, a Peace Scholar from Concordia College, wrote this post about the importance of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Wow! I can't believe it's almost time for my fourth...
Attend Business Day at the Nobel Peace Prize ForumA few months ago we announced the addition of "Business Day" (March 1) to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. If you haven't done so already, we encourage students, professionals, and oth...
PhD Student Aces the EssayProf. Christine Ingebritsen, Director of the Center for West European Studies, just can't rest when it comes to studying and teaching about the role of Scandinavian countries in in...
Need student volunteers to promote Dessa at NPPF!We are looking for college student volunteers in the Twin Cities to promote MN hip hop artist Dessa's session, "Ethics & Hip Hop" (a presentation + songs!), at the Nobel Peace...
A Nobel CauseWe hope you saw the great story in the recent Star Tribune, A Nobel Cause: Photographing the Winners, about Doug Knutson, the official photographer of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum...
Register for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize ForumRegistration for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum is now open (click here)! Join professionals, students, activists, world leaders, scholars, performing artists, and others at this...
A Yemeni inspirationTo Western eyes, Tawakkol Karman is completely inspiring. Vibrant. Smiling. Intelligent. Forceful. Thirty-two years old and about to set the world on fire. Or maybe she a...
A glimpse of Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkul KarmanI had just stepped off the hotel elevator to enter the lobby. Seated on an easy chair twenty feet in front of me, Nobel Laureate Tawakkul Karman engaged in conversation with 6-8 ...
Youthful excitement at Nobel Ceremony in OsloStudents in their late teens and twenties hover in the hotel lobby, electronic devices ready. Most are speaking Norwegian; a few are speaking unknown languages. Their excitemen...
Video Interview with Andrew Slack, Founder of the Harry Potter AllianceAndrew Slack, Founder of the Harry Potter Alliance, is one of our featured speakers for Education Day at the 2012 Forum. We spoke with him for a few minutes earlier this week about...
Hello from the Nobel Ceremonies in OsloAugsburg College President Paul Pribbenow and I arrived in Oslo this morning, in advance of the Nobel prize ceremonies and some Forum-related meetings. Even before we reached th...
The Forum Archive: What's your favorite Nobel Peace Prize Forum memory?We're very excited to show off our new Forum Archive page! In it you'll find a complete listing of event themes and featured speakers, as well as .PDF versions of many speeches and...
Thato Masire: Reflections on the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize WinnersThato Masire, a Peace Scholar from Luther College, wrote the following reflection on the three dynamic women who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was ...
Speaker announcement: Andrew Slack and Dr. Alf BjørsethGreetings all! We are happy to announce the addition of two more world-class speakers to the 2012 Forum program (March 1-3 in Minneapolis): Andrew Slack, founder of the Harry Potte...
Speaker announcement: Sakumzi ("Saki") MacozomaYou may recall that earlier this summer we announced that Nobel Laureate F.W. de Klerk has accepted our invitation to be our 2012 keynote speaker. Well, we’re thrilled to report ...
Laureate Leymah Gbowee featured in new PBS Series "Women War and Peace"Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist and 2011 Nobel Laureate, appears in "Women War and Peace," a new five part miniseries on PBS (in the US) that started on Tuesday, October 11...
Congratulations to the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize LaureatesThe official Nobel Peace Prize website has the full story, but we'd like to extend our congratulations to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman for their bril...
Student Reflection: Michael Seeley on violence in NorwayI recently came across this post while reading "Friends Among the Fjords," a personal blog kept by Peace Scholar Michael Seeley from Augustana College. It's a thoughtful reflection...
Oslo Memorials: A Photo SetGreetings all. Our good friend Frankie Shackleford, professor of Norwegian at Augsburg College, has been traveling with the Peace Scholars. She recently sent me the images below, w...
When Great Minds ConveneThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2011 Peace Scholars, as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Thad Titze, a Peace Scho...
The World Needs More de KlerksThis is part of a series of blog posts written by the 2011 Peace Scholars, as they complete their summer program in Oslo, Norway. This post was written by Thato Masire, a Peace Sch...
Interview with Nathaniel Cook about events in OsloNathaniel Cook, a Peace Scholar from Concordia College, was recently interviewed about his experience during the recent violence in Oslo, Norway. Where were you/what were you d...
Report from Oslo: Nathaniel Cook shares his experienceThe following post was written by Nathaniel Cook, a Peace Scholar from Concordia College. He wrote it soon after the terrible violence in Oslo last week. I just wanted to write...
Report from Oslo: Lauren Griffin shares her experienceThe following post was written by Lauren Griffin, a Peace Scholar from Luther College. She wrote it immediately following the bombing in Oslo on Friday as an update to her personal...
Report from Oslo: Student Reflections on Recent ViolenceAs we follow the news unfolding in Norway, we'd like to share an excerpt from a blog post written by Thad Titze, a Peace Scholar from Augustana College who is in Oslo at the moment...
Oslo ExplosionsWe sit at the other side of the world and listen with confusion and fear about the early reports of the Oslo blast. We have more questions than answers. At first, the personal qu...
Follow Thad in NorgeThad Titze, a senior from Augustana College, is posting to a personal blog during his time in Europe this summer, which includes participation in the Peace Scholars program in Oslo...
A Fitting and Terrible IronyWe have only recently returned from Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities. The center, a highly moving and powerful museum of commemoration, displays pictures, diaries, clothing, propaganda posters, and movies from the Holocaust and the Norwegian sufferers of this catastrophe. It is located in the massive home and estate of Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian Nazi-collaborator and head of the Norwegian Nazi party. Once used for evil, the home has, in a fitting twist of irony, now been changed for good.
2012 Keynote Speaker Announced: South African President F.W. de Klerk!!!You deserve some very big, very good news. It’s an honor to announce that former President of South Africa F. W. de Klerk has accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker a...
Inside the Committee RoomWe have finished our second week of classes in Oslo; I can tell these next 3 weeks will pass by far too quickly. The Peace Seminar was a great introduction to the different theories of conflict and issues surrounding conflict, conflict resolution, and peacekeeping. Last week we visited the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
The Nansen Approach to DialogueLast week I had the amazing opportunity to visit Nansen Academy in Lillehammer before heading back to Oslo for the next six weeks. The city is truly beautiful, and over the course of the week we were introduced to the philosophy and work of the Nansen Academy, and to young people our age from the Western Balkans and Caucasus regions that will also be attending the International Summer School in (ISS) Oslo.
The Light in LillehammerThe weather last week was gorgeous and very sunny, but usually not too hot. The other day we went up to the huge ski jump (because Lillehammer hosted the '94 winter olympics) and walked all the way down. It was kind of scary because the stairs were so steep! It was an amazing view from the top, seeing the lake, the entire town, and the mountains on the other side of the lake. It was fun.
Rainy Pre-Departure QuestioningAs I sit, pondering the quiet, tranquil, luscious rain amid a Wednesday morning, the thought that my surroundings will soon change keeps distracting me. What a wonderful blessing and undeserved opportunity this summer will be! While being gone from family and friends for two months will be challenging, I fully anticipate my experience in Norway to shape my philosophy and alter my life.
Peace Scholar PreparationsSeveral weeks ago, we were sent a book titled A Billion Lives written by Norwegian born Jan Egeland, the former United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to help us gain a broader understanding of Norway’s commitment to international affairs.
Trip report #5: Oslo University College, Research Council, American Chamber of CommerceWow, what a fast week. Our umbrellas worked overtime during our last few days in Oslo, and I arrived back in Minnesota on Sunday. This trip was productive far beyond expectation and hope. There is tremendous enthusiasm for the NPPF from Norwegian businesses, governmental agencies, and colleges and universities.
Trip update #4: Meeting with the Norwegian Nobel Institute's Geir LundestadOn Friday we met with Geir Lundestad, a longtime supporter of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum (the photo below was taken during his address at the 2011 forum at Luther College in Decorah, IA). Geir is currently Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo and has served as Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1990. See his full bio on the leadership page.
Trip update #3: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Oslo, Diakonhjemmet HospitalYesterday was yet another amazing day of meetings in Oslo. We met with a number of influential people at some of Norway's foremost institutions, including the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Oslo, and Diakonhjemmet Hospital.
Trip report #2: Ministry of Education, Parliament, Innovation NorwayGood afternoon. We had another very full day of meetings yesterday. Highlights from each conversation are listed below, along with some links to each organization.
Trip report #1: Meeting with Barry White, US Ambassador to NorwayTrip update: We had a very dynamic meeting with the Hon. Barry White yesterday. As you all know, there is a lot of enthusiasm (inside and outside the US) about the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, so there was no shortage of interesting ideas that came out of our discussion with the ambassador. Highlights included:
Greetings from Oslo!Hello peacemakers. This morning Paul Pribbenow and I arrived in Oslo for a week of meetings. The purpose of the trip is to discuss ideas and plans for the 2012 Forum, as well as the event's great potential for enhancing US-Norwegian relations. Our itinerary includes meetings with a variety of interesting people and organizations (and hopefully lots of coffee and gravlaks):
Welcome to the new website!This is a very exciting time for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. In just two short months we have settled into our new home on the Augsburg College campus and have already created some great momentum for 2012, including a survey, Facebook discussion, and the launch of this website. This site will continue to expand over the course of the year, so be sure to come back for the latest news.
