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Norwegian European Resource Centre ready to open

Ararat News –Publishing (ANP) – Roni ALASOR - 4 / 4 / 2008 / Brussels – Together with the Council of Europe, Norway has established an institution which will be a European resource, The European Wergeland Centre (EWC), a centre on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship. The centre is a Norwegian initiative but it will work in cooperation with the Council of Europe which has 47 member states. The agreement between Norway and Council of Europe was signed formally in Strasbourg on the 16th of September 2008, and 10 days later it was formally approved by the Norwegian Government. The centre will open its doors officially on 28-29 of May.

Last Tuesday, Ana Perona-Fjeldstad, the Executive Director of the European Wergeland Centre, held a press briefing for foreign reporters in Brussels. Together with Ambassador Torbjørn Frøysnes, the Council of Europe Special Representative to the EU and Mr Gabriele Mazza, the Director of Education and Languages of the Council of Europe, Mrs. Perona-Fjelstad underlined the importance of such a centre not only for the whole European continent but also for neighbouring regions, the Middle East and North Africa.

During the press briefing, while Ambassador Torbjørn Frøysnes and Mr Gabriele MAZZA stressed their full support for a such resource centre, Mrs. Ana Perona-Fjeldstad told to the reporters that the mission of European Wergeland Centre will be as a resource centre on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship for the member states of the Council of Europe.

- We will provide in-service training and support for the professional development of teachers and teacher training professionals on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship in member countries of Council of Europe. Our aim is to become a leading professional body, said Mrs. Perona-Fjeldstad. Two central figures from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, Mrs. Kari Brustad and Mr. Gunnar Mandt completed the Norwegian Government’s support.

Norway has already paid nearly 1 million Euro to the European Wergeland Centre. But its doors are also open to the Council of Europe, to the member states, to the European Parliament and other EU institutions who may wish to support it.

The European Wergeland Centre is located in Oslo. The centre will open its doors officially on 28-29 of May and the working language of the Centre will be English.

The role of Norway on peace and dialogue

Norway has played a role of promoting peace and dialogue in many conflicts all over the world since in the end of 1980`s, but now the Norwegians would like to also play a role in mediation and dialogue on the European continent where intolerance, ultra-national extremism and anti-Semitism are growing together with politically motivated fanatical Islam among young Muslims in Europe

The European Wergeland Centre will collaborate with many other international organisations such as: The European Commission, UNESCO, The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Alliance of Civilizations, the Anna-Lindh Foundation.

Who was Henrik Wergeland ?

(From web site of the European Wergeland Centre / www.theewc.org) :

Henrik Arnold Wergeland (1808 – 1845) was a romantic poet and an important historian. He worked for the independence of all nations, was an advocate for democracy, and an eager defender of freedom of faith and freedom of expression.

Wergeland realized that the young Norwegian nation was in need of active citizens in order for development to take place, and that true power was to be found in knowledge. He thus made his home library available to everyone, working to make people proud of their own language and culture. Wergeland also wrote several speeches, poems and songs in connection with the Norwegian Constitution Day (the national day). Among other things he wrote the first national anthem for children.

Few other Norwegians have contributed so much to the amendment of the Norwegian constitution with respect to opening the country’s borders to Jews, and throughout his whole life he held an uncompromising focus on compassion and tolerance.