Six colleges founded by Norwegian-American immigrants in the 19th century came together to sponsor an annual summer Peace Scholars program in Norway, designed to deepen students’ understanding of dialogue and conflict by learning about Norway’s approach to these topics both domestically and abroad.

Students are currently elected through an application and interview process as Peace Scholars—from Augsburg University, Concordia College (Moorhead), Luther College, Pacific Lutheran University, and St. Olaf  College—to be awarded a seven-week academic experience including a dialogue-focused pre-week. The Peace Scholars program is an outgrowth of the Noble Peace Prize Forum. The forum was founded in 1988 by the five-college consortium of Augsburg, Augustana (Sioux Falls), Concordia (Moorhead), Luther, and St. Olaf.

The 2024 Peace Scholars conference will include presentations from the 2023 Peace Scholars and a keynote speech: The Rule of Law—The Path to Peace by the Honorable John R. Tunheim, U.S. District Judge for the District of Minnesota. The conference is free and largely open to the public—with a few private engagements—and we welcome you to join us, learn with us, and meet others with a passion and dedication for peace!

Join our dear friends at Mindekirken for their weekly lunch and lecture program, featuring Ellen Hofsø—author of nine popular fiction books providing glimpses into the lived experiences of the Sami in Scandinavia.

Her most recent book—Messe for de navnløse (A Mass for the Nameless)—was inspired by a mass held by Pastor Gunnar Kristiansen in 2004. Having taken place on a cemetery in Gildeskål, Norway, the mass was for all of the Sami who were buried in an unmarked mass grave. The presentation will be held in a style that is called bokbad (book bath) in Norway, where Ellen Hofsø and Pastor Gunnar will engage in a dialogue about her book.

Our panel discussion will explore the work of Jon Fosse, with opportunity for audience participation. Panelists include performers Kristin Franklin and Dolph Paulsen, and Dr. Kyle Korynta of the University of Minnesota. This event will be free and open to the public, no registration necessary.

Following intermission, registered visitors are invited to return for a staged reading of Jon Fosse’s Winter, followed by a Q&A with the translator and performers.

Sarah A. Tobin, Research Director and Research Professor at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway, will share her findings on a recent study on entrepreneurship among Muslim immigrants in Norway.

This four-year Norwegian Research Council-funded project explores the dynamics that keep Muslim immigrant entrepreneurs in Norway from establishing and growing their enterprises and becoming sources for socio-economic equality and integration. A significant portion of Muslim immigrants become entrepreneurs, and most of them struggle to become established and grow their businesses due to a lack of Islamic-compliant finance in Norway.

Exhibit: “Genocide and Justice: From Nuremberg to the International Criminal Court”

Reception: Cash bar and lefse hotdogs for sale.

Talk: “Genocide, War Crimes, and Supporting Ukraine’s Democracy” by Dr. Ellen J. Kennedy, Executive Director, World Without Genocide.

This is a hybrid event, available as a webinar on Zoom or as an in-person event at Norway House.