For the second year in a row the consortium of Norwegian colleges in the mid-west have welcomed a University of Washington student to join a weekend of engagement, speeches, discussions around the ideas, norms and principles of the Nobel Peace Prize. When Norway awards the prize each year all eyes are on Oslo, and many world leaders and global organizations are carefully considered in a highly competitive process coordinated by a team of Norwegians. For students in Norwegian studies, this event provides a rare opportunity to interact with previous winners of the prize and consider which themes are gaining greater emphasis (sustainability, poverty, human rights) in recent years. We are honored to be sending Maren Anderson Johnson to Augsburg College, sponsored by a gift to the Department of Scandinavian Studies administered by Chair, Jan Sjavik. Maren specializes in Norwegian national identity formation, she speaks and educates students in Norwegian, and is seeking a career in the field of Scandinavian Studies. A special thanks to Maureen Reed and Frankie Schackelford who were instrumental in including the University of Washington among a distinguished group of Norwegian colleges and allowing us to participate in this event, March 1-3, 2012 in Minneapolis.
Maren’s essay can be downloaded below.