Well, since it is the 14th, lets start with Happy Valentine’s Day! But really this blog is about the EVS seminar which happened last week. All the EVS volunteers in Norway got together for 4 days to share what they have been up to with their projects, to evaluate how its going, and to plan what they want to achieve in the Spring/Summer. We also had some time to reflect upon our experience, although that can be a little hard when freezing out in the snow.

The seminar was held in Oslo, so we did a little sight seeing, as many of the volunteers hadnt left their tiny little town since August. We visited the town hall where we learnt that the old king of Norway was actually a zombie:

We had a guided tour of the parliament and watched an interesting debate about Norwegian Arms Exports:

And we visited the folk museum, with cool old style Norwegian houses:

Last weekend was the first seminar of the Tomorrow’s Take film project. Youth from Tromsø, Østfold, Vestfold, Oslo and Bergen all came together to be trained on how to use professional video equipment, how to direct shots and conduct interviews. We were trained by film producer Kristian Sinkerud and documentary film maker Liv Mari Mortensen. We also thought a lot about the term “sustainable development”, and started to plan local projects to educate and inspire action on the subtheme we chose; how much do we value our resources? Lots of fun was had by all, especially playing the (now) classic game “Diva or Beaver?”. You can find the powerpoint with the game on here, so you can play yourself!

Its that time of year again when all the committees must come together for a working weekend. Although we still managed to have lots of fun, especially with the new bingo roller. It also gave us the chance to give away random things we found in the office when moving to the Peace House… sorry, I mean it was a chance to reward the committees with some fantastic prizes, like the key to the city of Drammen!

And of course, like the adults we are, we played with play doh. Here is the winning model in the competition “make a famous film scene”. Can you guess the film?

To welcome in the new year I would like to share a video by Johan Rockstrom who talks about how human growth is draining the planet. However on a less apocalyptic note he provides guidance for protecting the worlds ecosystems.

Last night in Oslo City we puzzled stressing Christmas shoppers by quietly reading a book about Dugnad – collective volunteer action. You can find out more about the book here.
Here are some of the photos from yesterday, you can click on the images to see them full size.

You can find the whole collection of pictures here.

I was asked to answer a few questions for the CISV Norway membership magazine that has just been released, so I thought I would share them here for people outside of Norway.

You are the EVS volunteer for CISV Norway, what does that mean?
EVS is the European Voluntary Service, part of the European Union’s Youth in Action initiative. EVS gives young people both inside and outside the EU the opportunity to volunteer for a charity in a foreign country. So far while volunteering for CISV Norway I have helped run national weekends, local seminars on conflict and given training on the Mosaic program. In the future I will be touring around some of the CISV Norway chapters and giving practical training on conflict resolution techniques which people should be able to use in everyday life.

How do you like it so far?
I love it! Working in Norway has given me a great experience in working in a foreign culture with a lifestyle different to what I am used to and has let me encounter new and diverse perspectives on the topics which I work with.

What’s your best CISV memory?
My best CISV memory has to be from when I was a participant at an International People’s Project in Almeria, Spain in 2010. We worked with immigrants who had traveled by sea from Northern Africa in search of a better life, however they were stuck with working in greenhouses in the so-called “sea of plastic” which covers much of southern Andalucía. We worked alongside the Red Cross, giving out food parcels in the immigrant settlements, running activities for children with an emphasis on helping them speak Spanish, and giving basic medical care to those who had just taken the perilous daylong journey on tiny boats across the strait of Gibraltar. The whole community came out to take part, to play, dance, sing and eat together. The desperate conditions which the people live in there are abated by food parcels and medical care, but that night made us all realise that people need more, we need to remember what it is to be human.

What would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learnt by being active in CISV?
My work with CISV has taught me the power of people who make the effort to take action and work towards a more just and peaceful world. CISV is volunteer based organization with only a handful of employees across the world, yet we still manage to create hundreds of projects each year. The passion of CISV’s members impresses me, as people work tirelessly all year, not for money, but to give people an unforgettable experience and educate them about peace.

What would you say to someone who is considering joining a CISV activity?
Many people think that CISV is not for them, but I would tell them to not be skeptical but to throw themselves into it. It is true in CISV as in life; that the more you put in, the more you will get out.

Last night I ran the penultimate Weapons of War seminar, with the theme of Nuclear Weapons. We started with a brief bit of history and some facts about the current state of nuclear weapons; who has them, how many there are, and how they are distributed. Do you know which countries have nuclear weapons, and how many. If not, I highly recommend that you check out the website of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The first file of this page has some fantastic and shocking information.

We watched this video too, showing all the nuclear bombs detonated since 1945. Rather disconcerting when you think about the environmental impact.

We looked at the case of Mordechai Vanunu, who blew the whistle on Israeli nuclear weapons in 1986. Find out more about him in “Activity D” on this page.

We ended the session with a relay race to get as many arguments for and against nuclear weapons.



The “against” team one by 10 to 8, even with the “for” team coming up with a few unlikely (but creative) arguments, for example that nuclear weapons could be used as a mass suicide tactic if aliens were ever to invade. So, with all the “against” arguments, why do we still have so many nuclear weapons ready to be fired in a second?

If you are lucky enough to live close enough to Oslo you are invited to attend a free course of 3 interactive seminars, open to all 18+, held at the CISV office. These seminars will critically analyse the tools of conflict and challenge your preconceptions. Just click the picture to register.

CISV Norway is looking for 2 EVS volunteers to start in the Summer of 2012. Find out more about EVS here. Watch the video to find out why you should apply.

If you are interested you can find the application form at cisv.no/evs or if you have any questions please contact norway (at) cisv.org. The application deadline is December 15th 2011.