Norway House Peace InitiativeInspired by Janet Dolan's keynote remarks at the 2006 Norway House Midsummer celebration, Norway House added the topic of peace making to its programmatic agenda. In that address, she shared her dream about establishing a Peace Initiative that could serve as a global facilitator for dialog and development of a road map for peace in the 21st century. With the Norwegian role in promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts well established, the additional bridge to Norway is a natural extension of the Norway House programmatic mission.
Norway House Peace Initiative works with the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights and its affiliate in the United States, the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, U.S. Foundation. Funded by a gift from Ms. Dolan and her husband William Moore, we supported peace events featuring former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, President of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, in 2007 and 2008.
Norway House Peace Initiative is an ongoing program which
- features prominent speakers to share their insights on the many facets of peacemaking
- seeks to create an open community audience for the dialog about peacemaking
- enhances the atmosphere for peacemaking through education and information exchanges
The goal of Norway House Peace Initiative is to help develop the roadmap to effectively deal with the global challenges of the 21st century.
Norwegians have a long tradition of serving as peacemakers and as facilitators of the peace process. Please help share this dream with others by joining us to work toward world peace, not just for ourselves, but for our nation and the world.
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NORWAY HOUSE REPRESENTED AT PEACE PRIZE FORUMThe 21st Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum,
"Striving for Peace: A Climate for Change," March 6-7 was held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. This year the
NPPF honored the work of people committed to counteracting global
climate change. In 2007, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
and former Vice President Al Gore for their role in spreading awareness
of human contributions to the current environmental crisis, and their
continuing efforts to urge countries, corporations, organizations and
individuals to take steps toward counteracting climate change.
Representatives
of Norway House Peace Initiative participated in
the Peace Fair on Friday, March 6 as an exhibitor.
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| May 19, 2009 Event: Dialogue for Peace Forum Panel Members wereH.E. Ambassador Rolf Willy Hansen was posted in Damascus, Syria, on October 5th, 2008.
Prior to his posting as Norway's Ambassador to Syria, Ambassador Hansen was Norway's Consul General in Minneapolis. Ambassador Hansen is a career diplomat and has been posted to Tanzania, Namibia, France and Hong Kong. He has previously held the position as head of the Middle East Section in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
Imam Senaid Kobilica, head of the Islamic Council of Norway, and the Imam responsible for Bosnians in Norway
Senaid Kobilica has been President of the Islamic Council since February, 2007. Mr. Senaid Kobilica has served as Head Imam for the Islamic community of Bosnia Herzegovina in Norway since 1999, when he was also elected President of the Islamic Council of Norway. In the last six years, Imam Kobilica has twice served as vice president of the Islamic Council of Norway. Imam Kobilica is actively engaged in inter-religious activities by being part of the European Council of Religious Leaders and Religions for Peace as assistant to the Grand Mufti of Bosnia Herzegovina, Dr. Mustafa Ceric. Imam Kobilica is a member of General Assembly of Islamic community of Bosnia in Sarajevo; a member of the Executive Committee of Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief; and a Member of the Contact group of Inter-church Council and Islamic Council in Norway. He has participated in several inter-religious missions, including in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Ms. Ingrid Vik is responsible for the 'Dialog for Peace' programme at the Oslo Center. She also has regional responsibility for Africa and the Middle East. Ms. Vik is a historian of religion and was previously engaged as the Director of Nansen Dialog. She has also worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Vik has been a researcher at the University of Oslo, in the field of religion and conflicts.
Professor Abdi Samatar is Professor of Geography and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on political economy, social change, and globalization in the developing world with a particular focus on Ethiopia and Somalia. Born in Somalia, Professor Samatar received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and is the author of several books including An African Miracle: State and Class Leadership and Colonial Legacy in Botswana Development, which was a finalist for the Herskovits Award, an annual prize given to the most important book of African history. Samatar has been a Fulbright Scholar in Ethiopia and spent two years in South Africa in the aftermath of apartheid. He is convinced that universities are pivotal in making a difference to Third-World countries. Professor Samatar is the recipient of the University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award and is a regular commentator on PBS's "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer".
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