Category Archives: Travel

Day 5: Nobel Peace Award

We were unable to get tickets to the Nobel ceremony. At first, this was disappointing and we held out hope that something would change. We then learned from the Anne, head librarian of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, that the reason that we were unable to get tickets was because Liu Xiaobo’s wife had sent out all call to their friends from around the world, asking them to gather as a force in Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. So many responded that they were unable to give them all tickets. Many of his friends would have to watch the ceremony from monitors.

And so, we watched the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony from the Nobel Peace Center, just across the street from where the ceremony was happening. We watched it on a giant screen in the gallery where the special exhibit on Liu Xiaobo was opening the next day. It was very inspiring to read his writings, to listen to past interviews of he and his wife, and to be in a room filled with Chinese people who were there to celebrate their countryman winning this prestigious award, in spite of their government’s anger.

Our seats were in the very first row. We watched the power of the empty chair, and listened to the speeches. As we sat in the warmth of the Peace Center, Niko, Sam and I tried to take it all in. However, the comfort and warmth of the building combined with our jet lag overtook us and each of us at different times, nodded off. I couldn’t believe it. Here we are at the climax of our trip, unable to stay awake! Isn’t that just like life? All I could think was, Thank God we did not get tickets. How embarrassing it would have been to fall asleep at such an important event!

Day 5: Nobel Peace Children’s Concert

First thing we did today was head into town to the outdoor Nobel Peace Prize Concert for Children, put on by Save the Children. This concert is put on the docks just outside the Nobel Institute. The weather continues to be very cold, so we along with hundreds of Norwegian school children were bundled up in layers of clothing, long underwear, boots, hats, scarves, mittens. It is so cold.

Children were the MC’s and there were a number of speeches, by children and adults. We could not understand any of the speeches as they were all in Norwegian. We could however, understand the music. A number of very popular teen idols were in attendance performing for these young people. What were these performers thinking? As we stood jumping and clapping on demand to the music. (a great way to keep warm) I was astonished by the repeated theme of the music, on the perils of falling in love. One song repeated the line, “I’m in love and I hate it, hate it, hate it. I’m in love and I hate it, hate it,” over and over again. Everytime they said the word love, they said the word hate 3 times…at a peace concert?

I was incredibly frustrated by the inconsistancy of messaging and the lost opportuntity to build on the theme of peace. Here these pop icons were with hndreds of school children on Nobel Peace Day. What an opportunity for them to inspire these young children, to build on their hopes for peace. Instead they were singing one song after another about sex and confusion and pain in relationships. UGH! Our young people desearve so much more. They deserve to be encouraged to believe in themselves, to be challenged to see beyond their small world, and to be inspired to move forward in their deepest dream for themselves, there communities and their world. These young pop artists missed an opporotunity to encourage peace in the hearts of these young people and to inspire peace in the world.

Day 4: Steinar Bryn, The Ski Jump

After picking us up at the train station, Steinar took us to the area where the 2004 Olympic ski jump competition took place. There is a building right next to the competition area that was built for the Olympics and it is now a high school. Students spend part of their day doing classwork and the rest of their day working on their ski jump skills. As we stood at the bottom of the hill, we watched these students fly through the air on their skis, perfecting their jumps and landings.

We got back in the car and Stienar took us up the mountain so that we were looking down at the ski jumps and out over the city of Lillehammer. As we stood looking out over the vast expanse, Steinar asked us if we were hikers. He then looked at our boots with excitement and told us, I will meet you at the bottom of the mountain. Take those steps and keep to the right. This is an exercise I do with my groups. I bring the 2 groups up here and then I have them walk down these steps together. See if you can feel the power of this experience as you, too, walk these steps!”

And so we began our descent. Amidst, snow and ice we gingerly walked down the very steep, steep metal steps. At times, all I could do was stare at my feet and the steps, being oh so careful not to slip. Then I would take a deep breath and look up and out at the beauty around me, then back to what was right in front of me, then out to what was all around me, then back to the narrow focus of my feet, then out taking in the wonder and beauty of it all. At times, fear would overtake me and my steps would become very small and my breath would quicken and nausea would flow through me. Then I would remind myself to breath, and I would look out over the beauty all around me and I would feel a great peace and the fear and nausea would dissipate. I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to take this trip with people I considered my enemies and to feel their fear and their awe right along side mine. My narrow focus on my feet and the steps, quickly became a metaphor for my own narrow focus during times of conflict. My focus can become so small and then fear and anger overtake me. When I take a breath and move my focus from my narrow perspective to take in the greater picture, only then can I find peace and clarity of mind.

Day 4: Stienar Bryn Part 1

Our Polar Express took us to the winter wonderland of Lillehammer. There we were greeted by a big bear of a man, named Steinar Bryn. When Niko asked Steinar how old he was, he replied that he was as old as Santa Claus. In fact, he looked like he could be Santa’s son…similar shape, same twinkling eyes and gentle spirit but with a jet black mane and beard. Steinar is the senior advisor of the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue. He has brought together hundreds of groups in conflict, mostly from the Baltic countries. He invites them to the retreat like setting of Lillehammer and then over a 3 week period creates a safe space for them to begin to dialogue with one another. Steinar is quick to distinguish between debate and dialogue.

Most often, the first few days are spent in anger, each side trying to convince the other that they are wrong. They are not looking for a win-win outcome to their discussions, but a win-lose.If they cannot win and have their enemy lose, then they would rather have an outcome that is lose-lose than allow their enemy to win in any way. They are looking for someone to tell them that what they did was right and what the other did was wrong. When challenged by his participants as to whether he would have done the same thing, Steinar compassionately responds, “If I were you, I would have done the same thing…if I were you.” This allows the other to relax, to feel heard, to be validated in their experience. The first days of the sessions are very heated, yet it is important that each person is able to get out their anguish, and anger and pain.

With little direction, they soon discover for themselves that debate will not change anything. Only then, does Steinar present options for true dialogue. Once they begin to listen, then they begin to discover that the other is not so different from themselves and they begin to own and change their misconceptions. Steinar related the story of 2 groups gathered. One group asked the other, “Why did you not help us last winter when they turned off our electricity and we had no heat and it was below 0 outside? Why didn’t you do something? How could you let us suffer like that? They were convinced that the electricity had been turned off to force them to relocate and to push their people out of the area. The other group looked at them in confusion and replied, “Didn’t you know that we did not have electricity either?” From their dialogue and with the help of the Nansen Center, they were able to discover that the reason the electricity was turned off was because an Irish company had purchased the utilities and had turned off the electricity of anyone who was not up to date on their bill. As it often happens, in the midst of war, there was a breakdown of the utility systems. During the system of restructuring, there was no process for paying their bill and therefor, everyone was behind on their bill when the new company took over. It was not an ethnic issue or an attempt to drive them out of the area. Suddenly their enemy was not to blame, but was a victim with them in the injustice and difficulty of the situation.

Day 4: Train to Lillehammer





Today we left Oslo and haded north for 2 hours on a train to Lillehammer. The ride was so beautiful: White for as far as the eye could see, trees flocked with snow, little villages dotting the landscape. It was breathtaking. At one point, we were looking out the window, taking it all in, when the train rounded a turn. Niko and Sam both exclaimed, “It’s just like the Polar Express!” Niko jumped up and ran to the next car. After a few minutes the door to our car opened and in danced NIko with steaming hot chocolate reinacting the hot chocolate dance from the Polar Express. I love that guy!

Day 2: A Gift For Sam


Sam has done an amazing job these last 2 days. Although I know this is an amazing opportunity for him, I am also aware ofhow much energy it tkes for an active 12 year old boy to hold it together while taking in all this information and spending the day with adults. So tonight, while he begged to go back to our room at the B & B and just sleep, we convinced him to make just one more stop with us. Please, Mom, can’t we just stop tomorrow?” “We are almost there, Sam. It won’t take long. We can leave soon after we get there if you’d like.” Reluctantly, he carried on. And then we came to a door marked the Oslo Reptile Park. Suddenly, all his exhaustion vanished and energy filled his being as he ran from exhibit to exhibit. Within 20 minutes they started their weekly feeding of the reptiles. OK so when they brought out the plastic container of dead mice, that is when I wanted to beg to go home. Instead, I found a cozy place in the corner to sit down and rest my eyes and be fed by the sound of Sam’s enthusiasm.

Day 3: The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights

When I was fresh out of college, I found myself in the position of Director of Marketing and Advertising for a small locally owned bank in MN. Each Monday evening, I met with the president of the bank, a very generous and kind man named Jack. One Monday evening, Jack informed me that he wanted me to go to a Chamber of Commerce Meeting the next day. In my mind I wondered, What is a Chamber of Commerce? I did not dare ask such a question and show my ignorance to basic business, so instead I said, “OK, what time should I be there?” The next day, I arrived at the Chamber of Commerce meeting expecting to find a large gathering of people. Instead I found a group of  7 established business people and politicians: a state senator, 2 mayors, a couple of bank presidents, owners of area companies, and me, Kim Ebert, 22 year old Liberal Studies Major, whose only previous business experience was an Intro. to Economics course in college. As I was wishing I had researched the role of a Chamber of Commerce, the meeting was called to order. The first agenda item? Welcome new direcor, Kim Ebert. I was on the on the Board of Directors for the area Chamber of Commerce still not knowing what exactly a Chamber of Commerce was.

The same feelings of tickled confusion and amazement, and the question, “How did I get here?!!” that I experienced at my first Chamber of Commerce meeting, visited me today at the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights. We arrived at the Olso Center expecting a one hour tour and history of the organization. Instead, we found ourselves in the beautiful executive office of Kjell Magne Bondevik, the founder and leader of the Oslo Center in a meeting with 3 high powered Norwegian politicians and diplomats.

As we sat together drinking tea and hot cocoa, Mr. Bondevik inquired about my award of the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize. Actually, he first assumed that it was Niko who had won the award, and Niko graciously corrected him. He turned his attention to me and I enthusiastically told him about my work creating a peace program at Bryant and Sam’s work with the Disco Party for Peace. Mr. Bondevik went on to share that the Oslo Center is an independent foundation that was established to combine their political alliances and expertise to create opportunities to affect human rights issues around the world, to protect sacred sites, which are most often one of the first targets of war and to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Mr Bondevik explained that he was the past Prime Minister of Norway, in fact, I later discovered that he served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway`s longest serving non-Socialist Prime Minister since World War II. He explained that Einar Steensnaes has a long career in Norwegian politics, he was the church and education minister from 1989-90 and the oil and energy minister from 2001-2004. And Since 2005 he has been a member of UNESCO, Paris and that John Bjørnebye is a well respected Norwegian Diplomat who served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was the Norwegian ambassador to Belgium from 2001 to 2005.

After an hour, our meeting concluded and John Bjørnebye generously escorted us to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. We walked through the snow filled park with John enjoying his wise and gentle spirit and the tickled voice inside kept echoing, how did I get here?

Day 2: Holocaust Museum

OK., so Niko is still chuckling. We need to be at the Norse Federation at 10am tomorrow morning to be escorted by Tynlee to the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights. I just woke up and looked at the clock. It said it was 10:58. I totally freaked out thinking that we were very late for our appointment. It took Niko a few minutes but he finally looked at me confused and said, “It’s 10:58pm We have 12 hours to get there.” That darn jet Lag!

Now that I am awake, questions swirl around in my head from today’s experience at the Holocaust Museum. How did I get to be 50 years old, have visited Dachau in my 20’s, have a grandfather who was 100% Slavic and have no idea, until today, that the Slavic people were a targeted group by the Nazi’s? I had no idea that they were sent to the camps.


We had an incredible tour of the museum and lunch with the Georg Brocht, the director of the Holocaust Museum. As we lingered over lunch, Sam exclaimed, “Mom, I know you don’t like me to use this word, but Hitler was evil.” Where does a mother who believes in the sanctity of life, who believes that no person is purely good or purely bad go with that statement? Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Hitler’s actions were heinous. But doesn’t saying he was evil just perpetuate an “us and them” mentality that he promoted? How do we stand against the works of another and not perpetuate an attitude of superiority of person hood. How do I explain any of that without sounding like a pollyanna? What is most important to me is not whether he was purely evil, but where in me does such evil lie? What part of me feels superior or seeks power over, or separates myself as other than… It is in these actions and attitudes that such evil can take root. I do not believe that Hitler came into the world evil. I DO believe that it grew in him as he gained power and that eventually the darkness was all he could see, and it became a driving force. AND I believe that within him, as I believe there is within every human being, a spark of the divine. “The Light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.” Somewhere within Hitler and within all those who do heinous acts is the light of the divine waiting. Somewhere within all of us who choose to walk in the light there are pockets of darkness. Within all of us, the light still shines.

Day 1: Norse Federation




The Norse Federation are our hosts here in Oslo and they have been amazing. This afternoon we went to their office for lunch and a visit. They made sure that we had maps, books, information, everything we might need to navigate ourselves around the city. Over a lunch of fabulous open faced sandwiches, Lasse Espelig, the Secretary General of the Norse Federation and the Executive Director of the Norway America Association, our guide, Turid, and Anne Wangberg, the Editor of the Norseman shared with us the history of th organization. The Norse Federation was started in 1907 after ONE THIRD of Norway’s citizenry had migrated, largely because of poverty, to the United States.

The view from the Federation Office