Lakselaget offers scholarships to Minnesota women desiring to study in Norway and to Norwegian women wishing to study in Minnesota or at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. The organization also provides grants to Minnesota professional women who have an opportunity to work in Norway and to Norwegian women who have an opportunity to work in Minnesota. The grants are meant to supplement wages lost for experience gained. Applicants should have an interest in contemporary Norway and in the sciences, technology, business, politics, language and culture, or in the cooperation between the countries.

The Lakselag Scholarship Fund was established to celebrate, encourage and advance the organization’s motto: women who swim against the current. Its goal is to promote international connections between Minnesota and Norway and allows recipients to obtain, teach and share knowledge that will benefit women in their complex roles in today’s society.

Lakselaget is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for professional women and college and university students who are Norwegian, of Norwegian descent, or are interested in contemporary Norwegian issues and all things Norwegian. The organization meets the first Saturday of each month from October through May to network, mentor, eat salmon, and receive information from a variety of noteworthy speakers. Topics range from the arts to health, history, sports, heritage and beyond.

For more details, visit lakselaget.org

The Nordic Lights Film Festival attracts film goers of all ages captivated by the longstanding film making traditions of the North. It also provides an opportunity to share the richness and diversity of the Nordic cultures through the lens of film. Hosted at Screen 3 in Minneapolis Feb. 3 – 9, 2012 the festival will include a variety of feature-length and short films. The festival will also provide opportunities to mingle and interact, helping to connect our local Nordic community with fellow film enthusiasts.

Sponsored by Jon Pederson, in honor of Norway House

For more details and specific showtimes:
http://www.nordiclightsfilmfestival.org/

Contact info@norwayhouse.net or 1-877-247-7439 for more details or sponsorship information for the 2012 Midtsommer Celebration.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012
7pm

Mindekirken – The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
924 E. 21st St.
Minneapolis, MN  55404

Click here for more details about Tine

Tickets – $20  | For reservations, call (612) 874-0716.

Moderator
Dean Meredith McQuaid – Global Programs and GPS Alliance, University of Minnesota

Panelists
Khadra Abdi – Master of Public Policy, M.P.P., Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Chingwell Mutombu – Founder, First Step Initiative
Kathleen Graham – International Human Rights & Development Consultant / Volunteer Field Operative, CTI
Susan Cornell Wilkes – Founder/President, Adventures in Giving, LLC

2011 Dialogue for Peace – Empowering Women for the Future

TPT 2009 – Dialogue for Peace

In just its seventh year, Norway House expanded its programming while reaching a rapidly growing audience of people engaged in exploring a bridge to contemporary Norway. Collaboration and convening continued to be the cornerstone of our efforts in 2011.

• We developed and delivered two highly successful Peace Initiative events focused on empowering women. It was a great honor to host former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, who served as keynote at the spring panel event at the Walker Art Center. In fall, we hosted a forum and peace expo of  28 regional and global organizations at the University of Minnesota campus.
• Our Midtsommer Celebration continues to draw both larger and younger audiences each year and is now a staple of annual programming, serving as our key fundraising event. The esteemed list of“Going Viking” honorees in 2011 included Eric Utne, Libby Larson  and  Representative Jim Ramstad.
• The Edvard Grieg Society provided world-class entertainment and helped play host to Cantus and a variety of other musicians this year.  Thanks to successful programming and a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, this program continues to gain momentum.
• This year, Norway House supported and created opportunities for individuals to come together to participate in unique conversations and one-in-a-lifetime experiences. Many friends of Norway House had the chance to participate in the visit of the King and Queen of Norway in October.  We also hosted a number of in-home events such as a summer wine-tasting and fall gathering at which Federal Judge Jack Tunheim shared his work in declassifying thousands of documents relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
• Collaborations with many partners enabled us to grow our network and community involvement.  We joined forces with other Norwegian groups around both Syttende Mai and Leiv Eriksson events, and worked closely with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minnesota International Center, Minnesota International NGO Network and the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights – U.S Foundation to produce our Peace Initiative events
• Through enhanced communication initiatives, Norway House continues to expand our reach to diverse audiences. The newly-launched website and addition of social media efforts is proving to be an effective and ‘green’ way of sharing our message, increasing visibility in the global community.

The dream of one day having our own physical structure – a true Norway House – is still very much alive. Our facilities team explored a variety of sites in Minneapolis, including several elegant mansions and a beautiful site overlooking the Mississippi River near downtown. Currently, we have identified an attractive opportunity in South Minneapolis and are researching feasibility.

All of these efforts take money. We raised a record amount during 2011 and finished the year in the black. Literally everything we do depends upon your generosity. At this time of giving, we strongly urge you to show your support for Norway House by donating online to contribute as much as you can.

Tusen tak.

Linda Mona
President/CEO – Norway House

Saturday, October 1, 2011
7pm

Mindekirken – The Lutheran Norwegian Memorial Church
924 E. 21st St.
Minneapolis, MN  55404

Matti Hirvonen
Born in Lappland in northern Sweden, Matti Hirvonen studied piano at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He also studied in London. Hirvonen is a professor of accompaniment and chamber music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and a professor of vocal repertoire at the Royal College of Music in London. He regularly gives master classes in the art of Lieder for both singers and pianists. Since 2006, Hirvonen has been the artistic director of the song recital series “SOPRANOS” in the Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. He performs classical, contemporary and Scandinavian music at many music centers and festivals throughout the world.

Anna Hersey
Soprano Anna Hersey, a Minnesota native, has performed with the Palm Beach Opera, Florida Chamber Orchestra, Hispanic-American Lyric Theater, The Minnesota Opera, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, and Berkeley Reper- tory Theater and has received numerous awards. Hersey has performed in master classes with Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Håkan Hagegård, and Marianne Hirsti, among others. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and master’s degrees in vocal performance and musicology/ethnomusicology from the University of Minnesota. She pursued advanced performance studies at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy with Raina Kabaivanska. As a 2010-2011 Fulbright Scholar, Hersey studied with pianist Matti Hirvonen at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Royal College of Music) in Stockholm.

For complete details about the Leiv Eriksson Festival:
Leiv Eriksson International Festival Complete Program

Tickets – $20  | For reservations, call (612) 874-0716.

Co-sponsors:

Keynote Speaker, Panelists and Moderator

Keynote Speaker:
Kjell Magne Bondevik

Panelist:
Ingjerd Schou

Panelist:
Nyonga Rugumayo
Amundsen

Moderator:
Carol Engebretson
Byrne

Co-sponsored by: