Dignity Day – Elvebakken, Norway
Friday, October 23rd, 2009Global Dignity Day on Tuesday was a great success. Thank you to everyone who participated. After having conducted in Global Dignity day with co-founders Pekka and John in Oxford on Tuesday I went to see the students at Elvebakken high school on Thursday. Volunteers from MOT (a Norwegian NGO that works to empower youth) joined me so that we could conduct a Dignity Day in nine classes. Also joining us was Oslo Chief Commissioner Stian Berger Røsland and Oslo’s director of education Astrid Søgnen. A big thank you also to the students and headmaster Per Solli for taking time of your busy schedule to conduct a Dignity Day at your school.
The students were fantastic. More than twenty students shared their stories at the end of the session. One of them was about a beggar that came over to give 20 kroner ($3) for their fundraising campaign for charity saying that the work they were doing was really important. Another student told us about how he had been accustomed to using foul language including slurs towards homosexuals. A friend of his had come out as openly gay and his perspective on the words he used had changed. Even if it was just amongst friends and not really targeted towards gay people words are important. He said he was sorry and that he would shape up his language.
I was very impressed by the students; bright, resourceful and supportive of each other. As you now go on to asserting your life for what you find is important I just want to wish you good luck.
All the best,
Haakon
