NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mary of Denmark put vaccination at the heart of her agenda as she spoke at the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Europe’s 69th session on its opening day Monday.
“I am honoured to once again have the opportunity to speak to you,” Mary started.
“Time goes by quickly and while preparing for this meeting I realized just how quickly it does go, as this is now my fifteenth year as Patron of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and for ten of those years I have had the distinct pleasure of working together with the Regional Director, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab.”
Dr. Jakab will step down during the session and her successor will be chosen. Mary continued, talking about the progresses made in health care and research in her time as patron.
“Health 2020 has proven to be a powerful tool to build political consensus and drive intersectoral action for health. Indeed, Health 2020 has placed the Region in an advantageous position to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and leave no one behind in health, or in life.”
Health 2020 is an initiative launched by the WHO Europe Region that “aims to support action across government and society to ‘significantly improve the health and well-being of populations, reduce health inequalities, strengthen public health and ensure people-centred health systems that are universal, equitable, sustainable and of high quality.’”
It was adopted at the WHO Regional Committee for Europe session in 2012. At the time, Mary said that she would focus on three specific areas outlined in the Health 2020 documents: immunization, antimicrobial resistance, and maternal and child health.
Speaking on Monday, Mary added: “Throughout my years as Patron, advocating for immunization has been a priority, and a personal conviction. Every child born deserves an equal opportunity to lead a healthy life, and this includes receiving all recommended vaccines.
“We have safe and effective means to eliminate many diseases, including measles and cervical cancer, thereby preventing suffering from diseases that can permanently alter or take lives.”
Immunization factors into 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations for its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking about sexual and reproductive health services, Mary said that they have the ability to “dramatically improve lives” but are included unevenly and fragmented across the European Region.
“In too many instances, there is a failure to deliver quality and comprehensive access to information and services. Countries and health systems that do not prioritize sexual and reproductive health and rights, that do not empower girls or address gender equality, will struggle and likely fail to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
“I urge you to intensify efforts to smooth the path towards expanding coverage and providing universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, so girls and women can contribute fully and equally to sustainable development and achieve their own full potential.”
Speaking about the goals for the session, Mary said, “Through implementing Health 2020; improving health equity and the wider conditions that influence health; and building effective, integrated primary health care covering immunization and sexual and reproductive services, I am certain that you will extend universal health coverage, deliver GPW 13, and speed progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, this means you will improve lives, hand-in-hand with the child, young person, woman or man who risks falling behind. You will enable people in the European Region to prosper and thrive.”
Other speakers on the first day of the session included Dr. Jakab and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus, the WHO Director-General.
NordenBladet – 13-year-old Estonian Jewish School girl, having learned the violin for six years in Saku Music School, now begins to see the fruit of the work done so far. Being nominated the best violinist in her age group in Northwest Estonia, Estella Elisheva performed as a singer in Israel in June, and in August was holding a brand new artist visa with the purpose of giving violin concerts in Japan. Earlier having only performed in Estonia and Scandinavia, the young musician is taking a big step on her career path that motivates her even more to practice and to think of a career in music.
“Every achievement encourages to practice more and give more effort. The performances are a great emotional boost and fill you with energy, they bring you to new contacts and give ideas for planning the future. The more one practices the more one likes music, and skills enable one to play music also after just listening to it, and it becomes more and more easy to play from scores. Not extensively, but step by step I am already writing some of the music myself,” says Estella Elisheva to NordenBladet.ee.
“It has been relatively easy – in the music school there are 3-4 days weekly the best teachers sharing their experience, I have been very fortunate with my violin supervisor Kaari Klesment and solfeggio instructor Urmi Sinisaar, my mom arranges-manages and supports on the media side. Mom is my greatest fan – every day she encourages, acknowledges and inspires me in what I do. My responsibility is to play the instrument and practice. Currently I perform as a solo artist and with an orchestra. But specially for Japan, we summoned a temporary band the violin + Estonian zither (Kannel), to introduce Estonian music abroad. At the moment there is in the repertoire quite a lot of ethnic tradition music and folk music. With the zither-player Sandra Serena we will be performing together in a few concerts also when we return from Japan – these will be relatively minor concerts for selected audience but the program is already scheduled and why not perform together still more. One of the concerts is also taking place in the frame of an event of the Estonian president.”
In Japan you gave several concerts and performed on Estonian Music Day. How would you evaluate the success of the concerts and are you planning to perform in Japan also in the future?
“The concerts went very well. It was rather fascinating for a change to perform in the violin + Estonian zither format, since usually I play solo, with piano accompaniment or with synth. The Estonian zither adds a Nordic mystical touch, the two instruments sound really beautiful together. Japan with its 127 million people is the tenth biggest country populationwise, this is a huge market and the audience is well aware of quality in music. The Northern countries and our culture is thoughtful, exciting and mystical – it is great to perform as well as to listen to our music. It calms, gives strenght. I definitely think of performing in Japan in the future. I hope so.”
You are announcing that so confidently like something has already been agreed on. How does it even happen when you are 13-year-old, performing on the other side of the planet Earth? “Nothing is yet agreed on, but the concerts take place when there is planning and arrangements. My mom who is my manager, deals with the organisational side. I have been notarially permitted to travel alone, I speak four languages (Estella Elisheva speaks fluently besides Estonian also English and Russian language and has been learning the Hebrew language for seven years – ed.), mother concludes agreements with agents who on their turn deal with the events and the advertisements and local arrangements. In Japan the local organiser met us in the airport – hotels, daily schedules, workshops and the performings were planned in detail. This time I was in Japan as an artist of the Harmony Fields, and in the frame of the Japanese Saku town and the Estonian Saku town common project.”
What are the plans as an artist in the future? “As of today, I do not make extensive plans regarding my career. I practice as much as possible, since regarding professional players I am still very green, and now I need to begin with composing, too. I wish to improve myself also as a composer and do my bit in contributing to Estonian music.”
More info on the young violinist Estella Elisheva and her doings can be found on her website: estellaelisheva.com and pictures from the Japan journey can be browsed on her Instagram account @estella.elisheva
Photo: From the left Shigekazu Yamada, Laura Linnaks, Sandra Sulin, Estella Elisheva, Aivar Surva and Mari Jürjens. (Harmony Fields/ Kazuhiro Kamio)
From Estonian musicians, besides Estella Elisheva and Sandra Serena Sulin on the Japan tour and Estonian Music Day there was also the actress and singer Mari Jürjens (earlier Pokinen), and composer and musician Aivar Surva. Previously, via Harmony Fields there have been many other Estonian artists performing in Japan – for example the folk musician and singer Mari Kalkun and the folkband Trad.Attack!
NordenBladet – Their performance is a bit weaker than that of other children in elementary school, and somewhat fewer students complete upper secondary school. Compared to their parents, the difference is considerable. Many Norwegian-born persons with immigrant backgrounds are also doing far better financially than their parents. Some earn more than other Norwegians.
Children born in Norway to two immigrant parents constitute 3.4 per cent of the Norwegian population today. In 1970, that figure was only 0.06 per cent.
Statistics Norway has released an updated report for which they gathered figures, facts and research on this new population group.
Have the children of immigrants integrated into Norwegian society? Or do they remain outsiders?
Almost 180 000 immigrant children In 2019, almost 180 000 people in Norway are the children of two immigrant parents.
Most of them are still children and adolescents. Only 14 per cent are older than 25, but this group has now become so large that statistics and research can tell us a great deal about how the integration of immigrants into Norwegian society is going.
Children of two immigrants in Norway who are 25 or older often have parents with backgrounds from Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey, India, Morocco or Chile.
The children of other large immigrant groups in Norway – Poles, Somalis, Lithuanians, Iraqis and Afghans – are still mostly younger.
School results Children of immigrants do somewhat worse than children of Norwegian-born parents in primary school. Slightly fewer complete upper secondary education, according to education statistics.
However, the leap in education is still huge for many immigrant children, when compared with their parents’ education. Children with parents from Sri Lanka and Vietnam achieve the top school results, despite the fact that many of these parents have had very little education themselves.
Many choose college prep Fully 76 per cent of children with two immigrant parents who start upper secondary school choose college preparatory programmes. Among other teens, 64 per cent select that route.
Almost half of the immigrant children in the 25 to 40 year age group now have attained higher education, which is roughly equivalent to the rest of the population.
Among immigrant parents who only have a primary school education, 35 per cent of their children continue their education to university or college level. For the rest of the Norwegian population, the corresponding proportion is only 19 per cent.
Norwegian social scientists who have studied this topic refer to these immigrants and their children as having educational drive.
Children of immigrants from China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India are especially likely to pursue university or other higher education. Many immigrant children choose majors in economics and administration. Social sciences, law, trades and technical subjects are also common. Teaching careers are about as common for this group as for the rest of the population.
Vietnamese earn well
Statistics Norway’s figures show notable differences in how many children of immigrants from different countries are found in the Norwegian labour market. Statistics Norway considers a person part of the labour force if her or his annual income approaches NOK 200 000 or more.
More Norwegian-born men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 with immigrant parents from Vietnam and India are employed than their Norwegian age peers without an immigrant background.
Today, 25 to 40 year old ethnic Vietnamese individuals born in Norway have a higher income on average than their age peers in the rest of the Norwegian population.
Many children of two immigrant parents have experience what social scientists call a class shift, or social mobility.
Chilean men earn the least Adults in the same age group with parents from Turkey, Pakistan, Chile and Morocco have fewer people in the work force than their age peers in the non-immigrant population.
Women with Turkish backgrounds are the least linked to Norwegian working life.
In terms of income, Norwegian-born men with backgrounds from Vietnam, India and Pakistan often earn well, and many run their own businesses.
Norwegian-born men with Turkish or Moroccan backgrounds earn significantly less. The lowest wage earners are men with Chilean backgrounds.
Among Norwegian-born women, those with immigrant backgrounds from India and Vietnam earn the most, while women with backgrounds from Turkey and Chile earn the least.
Do both men and women work? The available data is yielding steadily more information about marriage and cohabitation among the children of immigrants.
The rule among couples with Norwegian-born parents is that both partners tend to be employed. By contrast, Statistics Norway data shows considerable differences among adult children of immigrants in regards to whether both or just one partner works outside the home.
The lowest percentage of 25 to 40 year old couples with two working partners is found among Norwegian-born individuals with backgrounds from Turkey (53 per cent) and Pakistan (59 per cent). The highest percentage is among couples with backgrounds from India (86 per cent) and Vietnam (83 per cent).
NordenBladet – “People have felt on solid ground, and now they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” says researcher Jan-Paul Brekke. The threat of losing their residence permit can be perceived as such a great burden that it affects immigrants’ health and participation in Norwegian society, according to a new report. Most people still end up being allowed to stay in Norway.
Even after many years in Norway, an immigrant with legal residence status may receive notification that she could lose her right to stay.
This was the situation for Amina from Afghanistan, who suddenly received a letter stating that the authorities were considering revoking her residence permit. She was interviewed for the recently published Norwegian research project.
“I thought – are they just going to take my permit away without even asking me? Can they just do that? It was very scary and gave me a sickening feeling,” Amina said.
Tough experience The letter from the authorities affects two groups. One group includes those who have a residence permit or citizenship that the authorities suspect was granted on a faulty basis – due to fraudulent or inadequate information.
The second group consists of refugees whose country of origin has sufficiently improved conditions, so that authorities consider it safe for the refugees to return.
Jan-Paul Brekke of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research led a project commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to study how the intensified review of residence permits and citizenship is affecting immigrant communities. The report was presented in June.
“It’s a tough experience. These are people who have a residence permit and then lose it. They feel like they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” Brekke says.
Uncertainty may create health problems The researchers interviewed 27 immigrants from Afghanistan and Somalia who have been affected in one way or another by the revocation of their right to live in Norway.
Individuals who received the letter don’t know whether they’ll be able to stay in the country or even when they will receive an answer. All they know is that the authorities are reviewing their case, and it’s taking a long time.
Some people find that the uncertainty and waiting time have caused them serious health problems.
One man says that the content of the letter was so stressful for one relative that the relative was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The researchers have not verified this information.
“Some people receiving this notification are in a fragile situation from before. The uncertainty is undoubtedly contributing to their stress,” says Brekke.
Losing motivation Immigrants also shared with the researchers that they are losing their motivation to build a future in Norway.
They ask themselves why they should bother to learn the language, work, or send their children to kindergarten if they could be sent home at any time.
Ayaan, a woman in her 30s from Somalia, has had a residence permit for seven years.
“I had the aim of completing primary school … and this has affected my capacity to concentrate … so that’s a pity. I had a dream to get a permanent job, but now I am less motivated to apply for a job … it’s hard. And I had ambitions about getting a driver’s license, but that’s difficult without a residence permit,” she says.
Now she is afraid of losing her permit, even though she hadn’t received a letter from the authorities as of her interview with the researchers.
Norwegian-Somalis with Norwegian citizenship had been citizens for an average of five to ten years when their cases were opened, according to statistics from the UDI from March 2017 to December 2018. Some have been citizens for over 20 years.
Cases involving revocation of citizenship were put on hold pending a political decision as to whether or not these cases should be dealt with by the courts in future.
During this period, about 2,500 Somali cases and 500 Afghan cases of all types were handled. Approximately every fourth case was finalized.
Of these, three out of four cases were dismissed.
The researchers estimate that for half of the Somalis, the processing time is at least 15 months. Most of them are eventually allowed to stay, sometimes even if the authorities conclude that their country of origin has become safe to return to.
“This may be because children have been in Norway for a long time or because we think that girls should not be sent back to Somalia because there is a risk of female genital mutilation,” says Hanne Jendal, director of UDI’s Asylum Department.
Risk of poorer integration In the meantime, immigrants have lost valuable years as part of Norwegian society, the researchers believe.
“Integration is on hold. The cost for Norway is that we risk poorer integration for those who are affected,” says Brekke.
He believes the authorities must consider these costs against the current practices in regulating immigration.
The UDI has renewed temporary residence permits for people waiting to hear whether they need to leave because their country of origin has become safe, “so they can continue their life here even if they have the threat of cessation hanging over their heads – and I realize that’s a huge burden,” says Jendal.
She points out that reviewing cases for cessation when the situation in the home country has changed is a task the Asylum Department has been given.
Consequences of a strict policy The process of revoking a residence permit is a result of tightening the asylum policy in the wake of 2015, the year when many refugees came to Norway.
“Now we’re seeing the consequences of a strict policy for those who are affected,” says Brekke.
The immigrants who were interviewed deal with the uncertainty in different ways. Some are trying to continue their everyday lives as normally as possible and just deal with the fear of being deported.
Others give up their long-term dreams for the future and focus on short-term planning.
Some prepare for everything while others are paralyzed and unable to prepare for anything.
Life put on hold The researchers believe the long processing time is unfortunate.
Waiting for a response from the immigration authorities not only affects the person whose case is up for review. The UDI does not process applications from others in the family while one family member’s case is being considered. Many individuals’ lives are thus put on hold.
“The whole process grinds to a halt for both the individual and the other family members,” Brekke says.
Norwegian-Somalis are the group most affected by the revocation process.
“It’s easy to imagine the anxiety spreading among Somalis in Norway that any one of them could lose their residence permit,” he adds.
Improve communication Since most immigrants end up being allowed to remain in Norway, Brekke wonders whether the authorities have set an unwieldy process in motion with little output at the other end.
“For a lot of people, the long wait is filled with uncertainty – and then nothing changes,” he says.
Brekke acknowledges that the authorities need to have a system to ensure that application information is correct. But, he says, they have to improve the system, make it faster and communicate better so people understand what they’re facing.
“We recognize that there are clearly areas where we need to improve,” says Jendal from UDI.
She says that the UDI takes the report recommendations seriously and is already working on improving the available information. Currently, the Directorate has had three informational meetings for individuals who have been notified that they may have to leave Norway.
She can’t promise that the case processing time will get shorter right away.
“Ideally, we’d like to be able to process these cases faster. But the caseload is enormous, and we have limited resources, which is regrettable,” says Jendal.
She won’t comment on whether she thinks politicians should increase resources to the Directorate in order to do the job faster. The report encourages such an increase.
The researchers also recommend that the authorities commit to deadlines so that immigrants at least know what they can expect during the review of their case and when they will be informed of the outcome.
“We are working hard to be clear with the users about how long they’ll have to wait to get an answer,” Jendal says.
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Reference: Jan-Paul Brekke, Simon Roland Birkvad and Marta Bivand Erdal: Losing the Right to Stay. Revocation of immigrant residence permits and citizenship in Norway – Experiences and effects. Department of Social Research, report 2019: 9.
Featured image is illustrative. (Pexels)
Source: forskning.no
NordenBladet – The GDP of Norway ranks as the second largest in the world. Back in 2017, Norway’s GDP registered as 74,571 USD and 2018 by Worls Bank report Norway was the richest.
By looking at the GDP per capita, or gross domestic product per capita, of each country around the globe, it is possible to rank countries based on wealth and then compare them to each other. From there, you can determine which countries are wealthiest and then list the countries in descending order, from richest to poorest. Here is the conclusive list of the top fifty richest countries in the world, starting with the wealthiest country… (The Nordic countries are highlighted in blod letters)
TOP50
1. Luxembourg (GDP per capita: $119,719) 2. Norway (GDP per capita: $86,362)
3. Switzerland (GDP per capita: $83,832)
4. Ireland (GDP per capita: $81,477) 5. Iceland (GDP per capita: $78,181)
6. Qatar (GDP per capita: $65,062)
7. The United States of America (GDP per capita: $64,906) 8. Denmark (GDP per capita: $63,434)
9. Singapore (GDP per capita: $62,690)
10. Australia (GDP per capita: $58,824) 11. Sweden (GDP per capita: $57,945)
12. The Netherlands (GDP per capita: $56,415)
13. Austria (GDP per capita: $54,606) 14. Finland (GDP per capita: $52,320)
15. Germany (GDP per capita: $51,642)
16. Hong Kong (GDP per capita: $50,216)
17. Belgium (GDP per capita: $49,095)
18. Canada (GDP per capita: $48,604)
19. France (GDP per capita: $45,586)
20. The United Kingdom (GDP per capita: $45,491)
21. Japan (GDP per capita: $41,834)
22. The United Arab Emirates (GDP per capita: $38,961)
23. Italy (GDP per capita: $36,061)
24. Korea (GDP per capita: $33,495)
25. Spain (GDP per capita: $33,151)
26. Puerto Rico (GDP per capita: $32,705)
27. Malta (GDP per capita: $32,130)
28. Brunei (GDP per capita: $30,297)
29. Cyprus (GDP per capita: $29,224)
30. Kuwait (GDP per capita: $28,394)
31. Slovenia (GDP per capita: $28,247)
32. Taiwan (GDP per capita: $26,309)
33. Bahrain (GDP per capita: $26,083)
34. The Czech Republic (GDP per capita: $25,468)
35. Portugal (GDP per capita: $24,312) 36. Estonia (GDP per capita: $24,043)
37. Saudi Arabia (GDP per capita: $22,368)
38. Slovakia (GDP per capita: $21,278)
39. Greece (GDP per capita: $21,274) 40. Lithuania (GDP per capita: $20,644) 41. Latvia (GDP per capita: $18,861)
42. Trinidad and Tobago (GDP per capita: $18,018)
43. Uruguay (GDP per capita: $17,772)
44. Oman (GDP per capita: $17,668)
45. Chile (GDP per capita: $16,914)
46. Hungary (GDP per capita: $16,852)
47. Poland (GDP per capita: $16,782)
48. Panama (GDP per capita: $16,576)
49. Croatia (GDP per capita: $15,878)
50. Romania (GDP per capita: $13,229)
Location is a major main player in the overall wealth of a country. Third-world countries in Asia, for example, do not rank very well when GDP is the variable in consideration. If access to certain items and necessities is restricted, then people are already working with a strong disadvantage. Places that are not war-stricken or already burdened with a less-than-ideal economy are not set up to do well in the competition of gross domestic products between countries.
This is why, when looking at the list of the wealthiest countries in the world, you’ll find that places where trade or massive production is a main source of income rank higher on the list. The poorer countries are less involved in global trading, and they are more independent in the sense that their direct involvement in international affairs is lesser than the wealthier countries. This is because money and power are so naturally interwoven, which contributes to the overall wealth and GDP of a country.
Featured image: Vågan, Norway (Pexels/Tobias Bjørkli)
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has made promoting literature one of her main causes and now she’s publishing a book to help raise the profile of Norwegian arts. The Crown Princess is behind a collection of writing that will hit the shelves in September.
Mette-Marit will co-edit a selection of twelve stories and essays which will be published just ahead of the famous Frankfurt Book Fair. This year, Norway is the main contributing country at the event which is billed as the ‘most important marketplace’ in the world for print and digital publishing.
The book, which has the working title of ‘The Home Country and Other Narratives’ will feature work by authors selected by Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her co-editor, Geir Gulliksen. Among those chosen by the pair are Vigdis Hjorth and Dag Solstad. The company publishing the book, Aschenoug, says that the editors have picked writers whose work they value highly and all the pieces in the tome will be new and previously unseen.
It’s understood that any money earned by Crown Princess Mette-Marit by the book will be donated to charity although which organisations will benefit hasn’t yet been confirmed.
The Crown Princess has long shown her support for literature and promoting reading. She has hosted a ‘literature train’ event through Norway for several years, travelling by rail to different destinations for a week to encourage others to pick up books and to discuss Norwegian writing. This year, she hosted her first ‘literature metro’ where she used the underground system in Oslo to promote reading across Norway’s capital.
Mette-Marit once said she couldn’t imagine life without books, adding ‘ever since I was a child, I have been read to and given the opportunity to enter a world of fantasy’ and she says that reading has made her ‘a better, wiser and more thoughtful person’.
It’s a message she wants to share on an international stage as she prepares to head to Frankfurt for the book fair. The Crown Princess has played a high profile part in the build up to Norway’s big moment at the event and she is expected to travel to Germany in October for the fair itself. In the meantime, her debut as a literary editor will make its way to the shops as another part of her ongoing campaign to boost reading and a love of books.
NordenBladet – The Danish Royal Court announced on 1 July that Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will lead a Danish business delegation during an official business visit to Paris, France on 7 and 8 October 2019. The theme of the visit is “Denmark and France – together for a better life and a sustainable future”.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen relations between Denmark and France and support Danish companies’ growth and position in the French market. This is a continuation of the work that took place during the French State Visit to Denmark in August 2018. France is an important trading partner for Denmark, and in 2018 the country was the eighth largest export market for Danish goods and services.
According to the Danish Royal Court: “The aim of the business promotion is to create a platform for concrete future collaborations that will develop and adapt sustainable and innovative solutions to common challenges. The program includes, among other things, the holding of seminars on wind energy investments, urban development, the achievement of the World Goals (SDG), health and company visits to some of France’s largest companies, and to hospitals and infrastructure projects that match Danish competencies.”
The program of the visit has not been announced yet but it will focus on three sectors: healthcare with a focus on elder care, smart hospitals, and life science; Energy and Sustainable Cities with a focus on wind energy, district heating, and cooling and intelligent and sustainable Cities as well as sustainable lifestyles with a focus on fashion, design, and furniture.
The Court also announced that Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will take part in the opening of a business conference, attend seminars and visit major French companies and hospitals. They will also host a reception for Danish and French companies and organizations among other guests. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie might take part in the reception as they will be living in Paris by then but this will not be confirmed by the Court until closer to the visit.
Featured image: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary (Instagram/@detdanskekongehus)
NordenBladet – Crown Prince Haakon was present at the opening of the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union in Norway on Thursday. This year, the Norwegian state owned TV-channel NRK is host to the meeting in Oslo.
The Crown Prince was the one to welcome the European Broadcasting to Norway. The Crown Prince also shared some of his TV-memories from when he was a child. Crown Prince Haakon said: “When I was a kid, we had only one Norwegian TV channel: the NRK. I must admit that some Saturday evenings with my family, gathered in front of the TV, could be a small challenge. My interests and wishes and what was that evening’s entertainment was not always in sync. We watched the weirdest of shows. Still, all of us did it – and we did it together. And the day after, when we went to school or work, everyone else had seen the same.”
The Crown Prince also addressed the changes that have taken place in recent years and the commercialization of the TV industry. Crown Prince Haakon said: “Many things have changed since those days. Technology is transformed. The media landscape is obviously very different. Today in Norway we have TV2, handheld devices and, of course, the internet.”
To many people’s surprise, the Crown Prince also commented on the new existence of fake news, saying: “The truth, the reality, can be uncomfortable. Public service media is in many ways the antidote to fake news. As you all know, today, trust is a scarce resource, a most valuable means. And when we doubt, relevance diminishes, and we turn to something else. Perhaps to fake news, not the real news. Which is why we need the independent public service media even more – committed to the truth and to high journalistic standards.”
Following the speech, EBU’s President and BBC Director General Tony Hall invited Netflix Chief Reed Hastings to an open discussion. They talked about the future of TV. The European Broadcasting Union is the world’s leading organization for public broadcasters with 117 members from 56 countries.
The organization also has 34 associated members from Asia, Australia, Africa and America. The event in Oslo has a lot of support with more registered broadcasters than ever.
Featured image: Crown Prince Haakon (Instagram/@crownprincessmm)
NordenBladet – King Harald of Norway has confirmed to Norwegian media that the Royal Court is in dialogue about the commercial use of Princess Märtha Louise’s title. Confirming the dialogue is underway to NRK, His Majesty said, “At the present time, we cannot say how far we have come in the dialogue. But we are trying to get an arrangement.”
The King was questioned on if the commercial use of the title has burdened the Royal Family to which he replied, “No, not really.”
Princess Märtha Louise has come under fire in Norway since she used her title in the marketing of the tour she undertook in Norway and Denmark with her boyfriend, Shaman Durek Verrett, 44, which was called “The Princess and the Shaman”. Mr Verrett is half Norwegian and half African-American and describes himself as a “spiritual guide and gifted healer.”
The Princess, 47, was asked in May if she had plans to give up her title by Norway’s TV2. “That’s not something I am considering,” she responded.
Norwegian editorial newspaper Dagsavisen wrote earlier that month that Princess Märtha Louise was causing “a catastrophe” for the Norwegian Royal Family as well as credibility problems due to her new relationship and her supposed ability to heal and communicate with angels.
Märtha Louise held the style of ‘Royal Highness’ until 2002 when it was removed by her father, after discussions with her, to allow her work with more freedom while owning her own business without the constraints of the ‘HRH’.
Märtha Louise was born on 22 September 1971 as the only daughter and elder child of then-Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja (current King Harald and Queen Sonja). She has a younger brother, Crown Prince Haakon.
In 1990, the Norwegian Constitution was altered to allow for female ascension to the throne beginning for those born after 1990. This means that Märtha Louise did not jump over her brother in the line of succession, but her niece, Princess Ingrid Alexandra was guaranteed a right to ascend the throne ahead of her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus.
NordenBladet – Last time the small town of Askøy was visited by royals was in 1611. On Thursday, King Harald and Queen Sonja visited the people at Askøy for a very special reason. To conclude the county tour of Hordaland the royals visited Askøy and the people here who have faced serious problems over the past month.
Two weeks ago, Askøy municipality was hit by water pollution that has affected more than 2,000 people. In total, 16 children and 60 adults from Askøy have been hospitalized. So far, two people are believed to have died as a result of the pollution, a one-year-old child and a 72 year old woman.
“The Queen and I visit you under very special circumstances. Not having clean drinking water is one of the most serious issues we as individuals and as a community can experience. The crisis you have been through and experiencing now puts a whole society to the test”, King Harald told the people of Askøy.
The King and Queen wanted to know more about the water scandal, and had a 20-minute long and closed meeting with a person who was infected, as well as key people who have worked on the case for the past two weeks. Several local residents had come up to welcome the royal couple.
King Harald addressed the situation in his speech, saying: “We have followed what has happened on Askøy, and we feel with you. We can only imagine your insecurity and frustration. We understand your concerns and pain. We realize you hardly have time for our visit. We know how much work and worries lie behind. And that you have other very important things to do. Therefore, we thank you for being her at Askøy, together with you.”
Following the speech by the King, he and the queen travel on to more cheerful events. They went on to visit Herdla museum and Herdla fortress. Herdla is an island north of the municipality, known for its rich birdlife and a nature reserve that includes Herdlevalen and long pebble beaches. This was also something the royals had the opportunity to learn more about. The royal couple saw several exciting cultural features by local children and to conclude the visit the royals took time to become better acquainted with people and organizations on Askøy.
Featured image: The King and Queen speak to the local inhabitants of Askøy. (Sven Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court)
