This is a diving course and training in the pool using mask, snorkel and fins (without air tanks). Participants will learn various diving techniques, and will soon feel more comfortable under water, and extend their diving time. Some basic theory of diving physiology and safety will be taught and there will be some rescuing practice. Towards the end of the course there will be an optional (and somewhat challenging) test of acquired skills. The very last session of the course will happen in Førde swimming pool (4m deep), where participants will learn how to compensate for pressure in their ears and play underwater rugby (RCN version). The course will start on the 23rd of November and finish on the 1st of February. Being able to stay on the surface of water without aid (no matter style) is the only requirement. But if a non-swimmer is really keen to learn skin diving – it is possible, please talk to Jele.
Preparation for the team representing RCNUWC at the Beograd City First Aid Championships in June 2008. Not for signing up – ONLY TEAM MEMBERS MAY SELECT THIS EAC!
Preparation for a conference on Youth and Leadership to be held at the site of one of the oldest representative assemblies in Scandinavia. This conference is to be held at the end of April.
Creative Craft uses basic materials and revitalises them. Old T-Shirts end up brightly tie-dyed, old essays can be remade into paper and attractive cards, raw local sheep’s wool can be felted, sometimes jewelry can be formed. In addition there can be a Nordic Yule Workshop.
On October 21st a group of students together with Angie offered a listening workshop. The aim was to learn how to be a good listener and also to get to know each other. We did activities in pairs and groups throughout the workshop and were given listening exercises which enabled participants to get to know not only each other, but themselves as well! There was an atmosphere of trust in the workshop, even though many of the participants hadn’t talked to each other before. We all felt comfortable sharing our thoughts and feelings on the variety of topics introduced; the 5-hour workshop was a great ice-breaker, especially for students who felt lost at the beginning of the year. It was really interesting to hear stories about our different lives from all over the world. One of the things we realised was that you gain more from talking and listening deeply for half an hour than you do from talking about the weather for half the year! Sometimes it’s hard to know how to approach people you haven’t talked to before, and having the structure of the workshop made it easier. It’s amazing how much you can get out of a conversation when you listen carefully!
For the second year the surfing PBL took place at Ervik on the Stadt peninsula. This is a place well known for its strong winds and big waves, and this week it lived up to its reputation! We – Chris, Adrian, Alex, and Kristjan – arrived on Sunday but the sea was too rough and the wind too strong to enter the water, so we had to wait until Monday morning to get wet. Monday smaller waves but still a bit rough for beginners so we spent the day getting bashed about in the white water. Tuesday and Wednesday were more manageable and everyone had a good time. The Karl Oskar award for persistence goes this year to Alex Willen, congratulations!
About her experience Adriana says “This PBL was great! It allowed me to try something which I had always wanted to do. It was a very challenging experience and although I did not excel I received plenty of support from the rest of the group.”
Alex also seemed to be very thrilled about his surfing PBL week. He says: ”the project was very successful, and enabled one to grasp the basic concepts behind surfing. The success of the project was reinforced by the wonderful atmosphere created by the people participating in the project.”
On October 25th, in a program jointly organized with the Norwegian Fredskorpset, all of Fjaler highschools, of which RCN is one, came together at Dale Videregående Skole to take part in an educational experienced centered around the eight UN Millennium Development Goals. The day’s activities, intended as a celebration of Fjaler Kommune, focused on the idea that we all, even at the individual level and in a small place such as Fjaler, can do something to change the world.
The experience was led by Pål Tanggaard and Eivind Nilsen from Lent (Læringsentreprenørene) who based it on their “Pedagogy for the Rich” ideas.
The day started at 9:00 am in Fjalerhallen, where after a few icebreaker games we watched an inspirational movie that framed the life routine of people in western cities against the background of world issues. Afterwards we discussed what things we do or fail to do that have an impact in the world, which led to the presentation and analysis of the UNMDGs. The UN proposes that, by the year 2015, we on Earth should
- eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- achieve universal primary education
- promote gender equality and empowered women
- reduce child mortality
- improve maternal health
- combat more efficiently HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- ensure environmental susteinability
- develop a global partnership for development
After a leisurely, healthy and fruit-filled lunch break we went back to work, this time split up into groups, with the mission of designing an action that could be performed locally and contribute to the achievement of these goals. We then prepared posters and had an opportunity to present our ideas to the larger group. Some of these were really good, and hopefully they will go from the planning board to reality in the not too distant future.
Throughout the day, students from the different schools in the area worked and played together, in mixed groups, and got to know each other a little bit better, which was another goal of the event. All in all, it was a wonderful day, by general agreement the best of its kind yet, and we look forward to the one next year!
If you’re interested in knowing more about the UN Millennium Development Goals, you can just click here. Likewise, you can visit the Norwegian Fredskorps site (sorry, Norwegian only) or the Læringsentreprenørene webpage (again, only Norwegian).
During PBL week we enjoyed a visit from 6 young adults living at Bergum Mottak, a centre for asylum seekers in Forde. UWC students planned and carried out a busy programme of activities designed to help us get to know each other and to give our guests a holiday from the camp where they live. The activities included plenty of games which placed everyone in the group on the same level and ensured that initial reserve quickly dissolved. Everyone participated enthusiastically in a wide variety of ice-breakers, trust games, theatre games, and more; these games took place daily and formed the core of our experience. Anyone looking on would have found it impossible to distinguish between the students and the visitors, so complete was the involvement of everyone!
When not engaged in group games, the guests were kept busy with English language sessions in the mornings and various options in the afternoon such as archery, drumming, crafts, volleyball, and cooking. The week culminated in a totally-unrehearsed cultural show during which both students and visitors shared their talents, singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Throughout the week students who were not officially in our project joined us and enhanced our sessions, and the event on the last night benefited from the participation of the Cultural PBL group as well as others who contributed warmly to the evening. Enormous thanks to all for their generous offerings throughout the week! The unanimous agreement at the end of the project was that we should do it again!
The European Day took place on October 20th. It was a celebration of the art, culture, food, characters and traditions of Europe. It began in the early afternoon with an exhibition of costumes, poetry, cooking and dances from different European countries and culminated in the evening with an amazing show in which all took part: students and staff, as spectators, organizers, sound & light people and performers. At this show we were also happy to have as guests our neighbors, the clients of Haugland Senteret, as well as host fa milies and other members of the local community.
The performances at the show were very varied and ranged from funny skits to Abba song s, stand-up experimental comedy to regional dances from Portugal and Italy, modern da nces to band playing to solo songs…
All in all, it was an amazing day in which we learned a little more about each other. One of those events that make this place special… Thanks to all who made it possible!
The GuluWalk PBL was geared at organizing the October 20th, 2007 international GuluWalk. It was organized by members of the GuluProject group, an on-campus group whose aim is to raise both funds and awareness about the situation in Northern Uganda. The GuluWalk in Norway was held in Førde and was the first one to be held in this country since GuluWalk began as an international organization.
What IS the situation in Northern Uganda?
Since 1986, the north of Uganda, particularly Gulu, has been enduring a civil war. This war is known to be the longest ongoing war in history, but only recently has the world been introduced to the disaster. A rebel group called the LRA abducts children to be part of their army, raids villages, killing and raping mercilessly. Because of this, most children walk away from their homes during the night to avoid abduction and 80% of the Acholi people have been forced into displacement camps in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader.
Planning the walk
Planning the GuluWalk was an interesting, challenging but rewarding experience! The planning of the event began later than it should have and this, on top of many other obstacles made the goal seem a bit unlikely. However, with much persistence, the group was able to round up a group of about 30 students to take part in the walk. We maintained close contact with the founders of the event, in Canada, and through them we received a banner, t-shirts, hats and wrist bands. This merchandise helped propel not only the amount of money raised but also the spirit of the event. Apart from the banner received, students headed to the art room and made a large banner and several smaller banners and flags. Flyers and Posters were also made and put up everywhere on campus and in Førde.
Pre-walk Activities
Before the day of the walk there were two activities which were meant to inform both the participants and the college in general. The first activity was a presentation in the Auditorium about the 21-year old war and the second was a movie/documentary entitled “Invisible Children”. Both events were very meaningful to both the presenters and the audience and helped add a sense of meaning to the event. The walk now seemed to have more of a purpose now that the community was more aware of the situation.
The Big Day
On the day of the walk, there was a sense of excitement, but also a very apparent sense of “We don’t know what we are doing, we have never done this before but we hope we do it right”. We did! All dressed in orange, with a megaphone and banners to accentuate our presence, we marched around Førde, talking to the citizens as we went, handing out flyers and collecting donations. It was definitely a lot of fun but apart from that, we were able to be heard and not only did more Norwegians know about the problem, but for the first time, they were able to contribute to the cause. We were able to raise almost 5000kr from both donations and t-shirt sales. This money will go to an organization called Athletes for Africa.
What now?
Now that the walk is over, GuluProject has some other plans. The most sustainable would be the continuation of GuluWalk, in hopes that each year it would be better organized and attended. The aim is that more ears hear about the crisis and larger figures are reached in terms of fundraising. GuluProject made no financial profits by having the GuluWalk. This initiative was strictly about doing something that would make the situation known and benefit some youth now (even if it meant wearing orange to do it.) For the future however, GuluProject will be doing many more fundraising events, ones which will hopefully be sustainable, all in hopes of building schools for the children of Gulu.
To learn more about the GuluWalk visit www.guluwalk.com
To learn more about the Invisible Children (highly recommended) visit www.invisiblechildren.com