A Young Leader’s Thoughts on Oslo

One of the young leaders chosen for Renaissance Foundation’s 2024 Youth Exchange Trip to Oslo reflects on their experience and having the opportunity to travel to Norway to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

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Sunday 8th December 2024 saw seven of us bright-faced youth take to the skies for Norway. With countless exciting events on the agenda, it was hard to decide what would be the highlight. 

I love travelling. It’s the second time I’ve been given the opportunity to travel to Norway with Renaissance Foundation. So, come the 8th of December, I’m trotting giddy with excitement to Gatwick with my two younger siblings and friends from RF. 

Travelling is the greatest form of education. It broadens the mind and makes people aware of other cultures in a way different to any other form of learning. Travelling as a young person also makes me feel more independent.  

The passport must always be on you, and with my two siblings, this meant two more passports under my supervision. There’s a lot to think about when travelling, but the elephant in my mind was GCSE mocks.  

I tried not to allow it to hinder this once-in-a-lifetime experience, but one sentence in my English Language revision guide pestered my mind: ‘There is no point in travelling when you can see everything and learn about places on television and the internet.’ 

I beg your pardon. 

Every time I recalled revision, this was the inescapable sentence in my head. Learning through a screen cannot compare to the tactile experience you get as you step onto the festive Norwegian streets or when you can walk right up to the Norwegian royal palace, without being restricted to looking through metal bars.

‘Virtual travel’ could be the first step to reducing your carbon footprint and getting instant access because it’s cheap and in most cases, costs no money at all. Still, the lack of personal experience and ability to make your own judgements means the learning isn’t sufficient for travellers like me. 

Travelling to Norway for the second time helped me realise how Norwegian culture and society embrace their artists and, most importantly, systematically works on trust. Norway is recognised by the ITA (International Trade Association) for ‘having accepted, matched, or exceeded international commitments to reduce emissions.’ This makes them one of the most, if not the most, sustainable countries in the world. 

Last but not least, the gold in Norwegian education means that as a foreigner, my friends, siblings and I could communicate with every native Norwegian we met and have conversations on literally anything.  This resulted in our experience being more than adequate: we had dinner with international students studying in Norway, were hosted at the British Embassy, and learnt about different careers during our visit to Coca Cola. 

I thank Renaissance Foundation for putting up with us kids for five days, and for their amazing work and support in giving those who went the opportunity to grow and be inspired. 

This year [2024], the Nobel Peace Prize – the prestigious award ceremony held on the 10th of December in Norway every year – commemorated a Japanese organisation, Nihon Hidakyo, for its activism against nuclear disarmament. 

The testimonies from the Hibakusha (surviving victims of the atomic bombs which fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki); the emotional stories, motto held on Utøya and the fervent voices of ten activists ‘helped us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp and tackle the incomprehensible pain and suffering looming over humanity.’ 

The Hibakusha hold onto the sense of hope they see in everyone. ‘How to counter the threat’ must stand firmly at the forefront of our minds because time is undoubtedly of the essence. With war raging between Russia and Ukraine and trouble in the Middle East, there is no reason why we shouldn’t begin to fight for our world’s future. No nuclear weapon has been used in war in nearly 80 years.

But, as pointed out by the Norwegian Nobel Committee when announcing the Nobel Peace Prize 2024 to the Japanese Hibakusha organisation: “The nuclear powers are modernising and upgrading their arsenals; new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, threats are being made to use nuclear weapons in ongoing warfare. At this moment in human history, it is worth reminding ourselves that nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen.” 

The efforts of activists will not go in vain, and a better world can be shaped by our dreams. It’s not impossible; we’ve seen treaties in history making nuclear disarmament possible, so once more let’s get this right for good, like we have in the past. 

What the Hibakusha have experienced will never be forgotten nor will it ever be experienced again. 

The wake-up call from Utøya echoes in our day-to-day lives: “Hey, hey, it’s time to get up and change the world.”

A peaceful future is tangible, but we must search within ourselves for hope. “We can learn. We can choose another path. We can raise our children to believe in a shared human destiny.” 

Personally, this year’s visit to Norway has given me the opportunity to win back aspects of my education that have been glazed over. Some of my friends, when returning to school in January, may look at my early leave as a lucky holiday in Norway which a young Londoner stumbled across. However, what they see on the surface doesn’t tell the full story.  

This trip has deeply influenced me and my friends, so with what we’ve learnt, my ambition is to spread awareness and continue learning to fuel my passion for a peaceful future.  

To believe that I could change minds with my language was my childhood dream.  

A dream that has been developed by the inspirational visits I have been a part of with Renaissance Foundation.  

A dream that I will not give up on. 

-K, aged 16