(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
We are doing well in Norway, we live in deep peace, and there is something each of us should enjoy with a clear conscience. In addition, we have many benefits. We have a generous welfare state, freedom of speech and human rights that people in many other countries in the world unfortunately can see long ago. So what is the point of using resources on peace education, or engaging in peace policy issues?
The answer is so trivial that you may have already guessed it: The status quo is not good enough! It is not good enough for the world as a whole, nor does it hold true here at home. Peace is like marriage, it requires hard work, and if it is to be maintained, it must be dedicated, love and time.
The Peace Team is Norway's oldest peace organization. We were founded in 1855 by the MP Wollert Konow, and some of our first members were Bjørnstärn Bjørnson, Arne Garborg and Halvdan Koht. The organization has thus passed through both war and peace. We have been out one winter night before, at a time when our greatest martial issues such as disarmament, anti-militarism, international law, countermeasures through non-violence, peace education and the culture of peace were not as self-evident as today.
Peace is like marriage, it requires hard work, and if it is to be maintained, one must devote commitment, love and time.
But does that mean we have less to fight for today than we had yesterday? Does this mean that we should stop putting pressure on those in power that they must safeguard human rights or promote the importance of investing in information education for peace? On such questions you will always hear a resounding "no!" From the Norwegian Peace Team. We will always be there, in good times and in bad times. Peace policy issues are by no means outdated. Just look at the exponential technological developments. It is no longer about the ability to develop killer robots; that technology is definitely coming, it is about staying ahead of development and ensuring that humanitarian law is always, always, always safeguarded.
Norway needs a strong peace movement, which chooses to ask questions even in good times, who sometimes sacrifices a little too much for the cause, and who refuses to accept the status quo.
Today's government has given us a clear message: It no longer supports enlightenment work for peace. That means we have to work harder than ever and demand more from our volunteers than before. So then the big question becomes: Can we count on you?
