Category Archives: Norway

Nordic-Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce Established in Stockholm

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 24(Greenpost) — Upon the forthcoming 70th anniversary of Chinese National Day, Nordic-Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce was established in Stockholm on Tuesday and a grand ceremony has been held in the Chinese Cultural Center in Stockholm.

Chinese Ambassador Gui Congyou and Fan Kun Vice President of Shenzhen Overseas Communication Association granted the plaque of the Chamber of Commerce to Zhang Qiaozhen, President of the Nordic-Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce.

Ambassador Gui expressed his sincere congratulations to the establishment of the General Chamber of Commerce and hopes that it will make further contributions to cooperation between China’s Shenzhen and Nordic countries.

Fan Kun, Vice President of Shenzhen Overseas Communication Association, made a speech about Shenzhen.

“Shenzhen’s Per capita GDP is very high in China and science and innovation level is also very high while the average age in Shenzhen is very low or the lowest in China with an average of 30 years old and the PM 2.5 is the lowest in China,” said Fan.

“That means Shenzhen is a city that is very good for young talented people to realize their dreams.” said Fan.

Han Xiaodong, Counsular of Commerce at the Chinese Embassy talked about bilateral trade and investment.

“In fact, in recent two years, Sweden enjoys surplus in export to China and China’s investment to Sweden increased substantially. This is a good trend because it indicates that the consumption level in China is increasing and investment level also increased.” said Han.

He congratulated the establishment of the General Chamber of Commerce and hopes that it will contribute more to bilateral exchange in trade and investment as well as other areas.

President Zhang Qiaozhen has said that she will do her best to promote bilateral trade and investment as well as science and technology exchange and innovation. She has helped Nordic companies to go to Shenzhen and Guangzhou and other places to participate in trade fair or exhibitions. They also received delegations from those areas to nordic countries.

Zhang said that they also announced the branches in Danmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway and issued plates to them.

Meanwhile, two strategic agreements have been signed between Zhang Qiaozhen and Tian Yubiao and another Swedish company for future cooperation.

出席庆典仪式的还有瑞典老一代华侨侨领,中国饭店创始人朱佩媛女士,瑞典最早的华人学校杨校长,以及在瑞典的北欧华人商会会长周画女士,瑞中友好协会执行会长夏雨女士,北欧中医药中心董事长田雨飙先生,碧云学院创始人范秀兰女士,畅通国际有限责任公司王凯虹女士,瑞典卡罗琳斯卡医学院曹义海教授以及高校专家学者,留学生等各界华人华侨100多人。来自海内外各界商会、各行各业机构发来贺信、贺电上百封。为成立庆典增加了喜庆气氛。

Zhu Peiyuan, senior founder of Chinese restaurant in Sweden, Yang Liran, Founder of Ruijing Chinese School, Zhou Hua, President of Nordic Chinese Association, Xia Yu, Executive President of Swedish Chinese Friendship Association, Tian yubiao, President of Nordic Chinese Medicine Center, Fan Xiulan, Founder of Biyun Academy and Professor Cao Yihai from Karolinska Institutet were among the over 100 guests at the ceremony.

Zhang Qiaozhen said Nordic Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce is another important platform for Shenzhen to go abroad. They focus a lot on high tech, high tech industries, IT, Internet and R &D and help introduce enterprises with high potential and innovative enterprises. They will provide good services and commercial model design, legal matters consultation and one to one or P to P service. They also established an incubator to realise the scientific achievements and provide a bridge between nordic innovative enterprises with Chinese market.

We shall become an effective bridge between China’s Shenzhen and nordic countries and help Shenzhen enterprises to go abroad and Swedish or Nordic enterprises to Shenzhen, said Zhang.

Right after the ceremony, a meeting on promoting Shenzhen was also held with participation of Chinese students from different universities in Stockholm.

Photo and Text by Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Video2: The Second Belt and Road Forum in Stockholm Attracts more People

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, May 28(Greenpost International) — The Second Belt and Road Forum in Stockholm was held in Stockholm Chinese Cultural Center on May 22.

Nearly 100 participants including 32 diplomats from various embassies and international organisations attended the forum organized by BRIX.

Lars Aspling says China plays an important role in African development

Lars Aspling, member of BRIX said China has experienced the largest migration in the world. China’s high speed trains connect more than 80 percent of the population.

Hussein Askary Board member of BRIX speaks about China and Africa

Lars Aspling talks about European countries and BRI.

Norwegian Former Parliament Member Thore Vestby talks about his view on China and BRI.

Big Turnout For Belt & Road Forum In Stockholm

By Hussein Askary

STOCKHOLM,May24(Greenpost)–The 2nd Belt and Road Forum in Stockholm, held on Wednesday, May 22, in the China Cultural Center, was an exceptional event and powerful demonstration of the great interest in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and cooperation with China in Sweden, a country whose political elites and mainstream media are still skeptical and oblivious to the BRI .

The international nature of this full-day event was almost unprecedented in terms of the discussion of the BRI in this country. A sizeable portion of the foreign diplomatic corps in Stockholm turned out to discuss the outcome of the Second Belt and Road Forum for Economic Cooperation (BRF2) which took place in late April in Beijing. 33 diplomats including 13 ambassadors from four continents joined business representatives, academicians as well as one Swedish parliamentarian, a city councilman, and 4 journalists, forming an audience of over 100 persons.

The event was organized by the Belt and Road Executive Group for Sweden (BRIX), in collaboration with the China-Sweden Business Council. Ulf Sandmark, the Chairman of the BRIX, gave the opening speech of the morning session, pointing out that the BRI is not just railways or trade routes but ‘development corridors’. The BRI is definitely not any sinister military logistics system either, he said.  Sandmark emphasized that “the BRI represented an opportunity for Sweden to get back to such fundamentals as respect for sovereignty, science and development of the productive powers of labor”. Joining the BRI could bring the nation of Sweden together again, Sandmark said, stressing that “it is Sweden’s greatest chance to avoid a rapid economic and social collapse”. Sweden can also make great contribution to eliminating poverty and underdevelopment if it brings its excellent industrial and technological capacity to the BRI nations.

The keynote speaker was the Chinese Ambassador to Sweden Mr Gui Congyou who reported about the massive turnout and success of the BRF2 in Beijing and the rapid growth of trade between China, the BRI countries and also Sweden. “The BRI is not a ‘debt trap’”, Ambassador Gui said. “On the contrary, many countries are stepping out of the ‘underdevelopment trap’ by participating in the BRI. Mr. Gui gave a thorough report on the progress of the BRI globally since its announcement by President Xi Jinping in 2013. Concerning Sweden, he stressed that Sweden actually has a surplus in trade against China unlike most other nations, and that this country is leading in many innovative fields of technology and industry that can benefit China and other BRI countries. At the conclusion of his speech, he again invited Sweden to join the BRI: “Building a ‘One Belt, One Road’ will definitely provide Sweden with a bigger stage to play its own advantages and open up more development space.”

Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Hussain Dayo was next speaker, giving an enthusiastic report of the transformation Pakistan is undergoing thanks to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which is in the forefront of the BRI corridors. He then showed a short film on the CPEC showing its progress and impact. A highway is linking China with the Indian Ocean harbor Gwadar, which is expanded from a fishing village to a modern deep seaport. It provides an important backdoor into China and also into the landlocked Central Asia. The roads and railways being built accelerates growth and stability in many regions in Pakistan, especially in the Western parts (Baluchistan Province) close to Afghanistan. The opening of the first coal mines and the construction of first-class coal power plants, have provided much needed power for the export-oriented textile industry.

Ambassador of Portugal, Mr. Henrique Silveira Borges thanked China for standing by his nation in the severe financial crisis 2008. “This we will never forget”, he said and reported about the MOU signed last December when Portugal joined the BRI in the presence of the President of China, Xi Jinping. Portugal has signed agreements to expand its important harbor Sines which will connect the Maritime Silk Road with the Belt of the Euro-Asian rail corridor linking Portugal to China.

A perspective of the attitude in Nordic countries towards the BRI and how it is shaped on the governmental and media level was provided by Thore Vestby, former member of the Norwegian parliament and Co-founder of Ichi Fund. He debunked many of the myths spread in the media in Norway and Sweden. He provided a description of where these come from, not from facts and research, but from a geopolitical mindset in the dominant forces in the West. He explained the great advantages Norway gained from agreeing with China on non-interference in internal affairs, ending the 7-year diplomatic and trade “freeze” China imposed on Norway after the latter awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident in 2010.

Hussein Askary, board member of the BRIX, together with Lars Aspling, a member of BRIX and Swedish entrepreneur, took turns to provide the main overview of BRI to the Forum. Aspling started with outlining the historically unprecedented industrialization process that has taken place in China in the past 30 years, without which it is very difficult to understand the BRI and China’s goals behind it. Askary presented the impact of the BRI in Africa´s transformation and joint Chinese – European cooperation projects. “There is a new Africa emerging now, and in the future will be the greatest workshop and market in the world with a 3-billion population in 2050”, Askary emphasized. Europe and Sweden are invited to participated in that great process of the industrialization of Africa, he concluded.

Aspling, concluded the session by reviewing the BRI´s connections to Europe and Sweden, urging the Swedish government to embrace the BRI.

In the intensive but very constructive discussion period, Architect Greger Ahlberg brought the question of beauty as a basis for building a new world in the context of the BRI. Ambassador Gui explained that, while China’s primary goal was to fight poverty, it is keen on preserving the beautiful culture and philosophy it has inherited through the centuries.

Many of the questions were focused on why the Swedish and many European governments are skeptical to the BRI, and how these issues can be resolved by presenting factual information and increased dialog. The last question was posed by moderator Hussein Askary to the Malaysian Ambassador, who was in the audience, to hype in the Western media about the “backlash against the BRI” using Malaysia’s recent renegotiation of some of the infrastructure projects with China as the proof.

The Ambassador, Mrs. Nur Ashikin Mohd Taib, explained in very clear terms that Malaysia maintains very strong economic ties with China and is keen on strengthening them. She informed the audience that many of the key China-Malaysia projects, like the East Coast Railway project, are going ahead. She noted that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir ben Mohammed was one of the key guests of the BRF2 in Beijing in April.

Opening the afternoon session, Stephen Brawer, Vice-Chairman of the BRIX, brought into the discussion the importance of culture in a historical sense as a learning method, highlighting the case of Shakespear’s tragedies like Hamlet. He contrasted the recent statements of President Xi in the Conference on Asian Culture’s Dialog of Civilizations to the geopolitical mindset of the British Empire and current American neo-conservative forces. British Geopolitics sabotaged earlier visions of transcontinental land-bridges, leading to WWI. In his presentation “A Community of Shared Future for Mankind – Towards a Dialog of Cultures rather than a Clash of Civilizations”, Brawer pointed to the visions of both G.W. Leibniz and the later representatives of the American Revolution, who were intent on building cultural and physical bridges with China and Asia. He referenced the case of Governor William Gilpin, who envisioned the global transcontinental railway network in the 1880s. This policy in the end of the 19th Century was blocked by WWI orchestrated by the British geopoliticians. The current BRI might follow the same fate unless the current dangerous geopolitical games are stopped and replaced by a true dialog of civilizations.

The last speakers were led by professor Mike Danilovic, from the University of Halmstad and Shanghai Dianji University, speaking about the BRI as a business opportunity for Swedish SMEs, explaining the differences in the mentality and business models between Chinese and Swedish/European companies. He gave the audience an enlightening and entertaining reading derived from his 7 years of work between China and Sweden.

He was followed by researcher Jasmine Lihua Liu, from the same university, speaking about “Exploring Chinese Business Culture” and the kinds of pitfalls that can emerge from lack of understanding of the difference in culture, social customs and national character.

An MBA student from Halmstad University, Suci Ariyanti, gave her perspective, as an Indonesian youth, on the differences she found between Chinese/Asian culture and that of Sweden. She emphasized that we are all one humanity, with clear differences, but universal goals and aspirations.

Another intensive discussion period followed, where the perspective for future actions was laid out. For sure this Forum will raise the question of a Swedish BRI-membership to the boiling point Swedish institutions and media. The BRIX association and partners organized this seminar under the title “The Second Belt & Road Forum in Stockholm”, following up on the May 28th, 2018, Belt & Road seminar organized by the Schiller Institute with other associations.

The BRIX was formed by individuals among the speakers and guests of that 2018 seminar, who all want to promote Sweden’s participation in the Bet and Road Initiative.

Photo Xuefei Chen Axelsson, Text Hussein Askary. Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson.

特写:习近平主席和挪威民众友好交往的佳话

北欧绿色邮报网转发新华网报道:金秋十月,收获季节。16日,国家主席习近平在人民大会堂举行仪式,欢迎挪威国王哈拉尔五世对中国进行国事访问。叙友谊、谈合作、话未来,两国元首举行会谈时达成一系列重要共识,并见证签署了创新、体育、经贸等领域合作文件。

在同哈拉尔五世国王会谈中,习近平主席提及的一段往事,把人们的思绪带回到39年前——

“1979年,我陪同耿飚副总理访问北欧四国,在挪威期间到访奥斯陆和斯塔万格,并走访了当地普通民众家庭,对挪威发达的福利社会留下了深刻印象。”

这是中挪关系史上具有历史意义的一次外交活动。1979年5月21日至28日,时任国务院副总理耿飚对挪威进行正式访问,也是中国政府领导人首次访问挪威,受到挪方高规格接待。当时26岁的习近平作为中国代表团成员一同出访。代表团日程安排密集,广泛接触挪威各界人士,访问取得圆满成功。

习近平主席这段清晰回忆,让哈拉尔五世国王和挪方嘉宾体会到两国关系的深厚渊源。

会谈结束后,习近平主席和夫人彭丽媛在人民大会堂金色大厅为哈拉尔五世国王夫妇举行欢迎宴会。两国领导人在轻松愉悦的气氛中进一步深入沟通交流。

宴会上,哈拉尔五世国王公布了刚刚从代表团获取到的一个重要信息:习近平主席当年走访的挪威家庭的女儿,这次也恰巧随团访华。她的名字叫英格薇·斯密内斯·提布林-耶德,现在就任挪威石油与能源部国务秘书。

“我想见一下这位女士,真是奇遇啊!”听到这个消息,习近平主席高兴地说。

全场也被这个“突发事件”所吸引,静静期待见证重要的历史时刻。

据了解,提布林-耶德出生于一个普通工人家庭,习近平主席1979年走访时,她只有14岁,由其父母出面热情接待中国贵宾。如今,提布林-耶德的父亲已经去世,母亲也搬出了当年的那所公寓。

提布林-耶德来到习近平主席面前,难掩激动地说:“刚才在会谈时听到您说到那次访问,我才突然回想起来这件事。”

习近平主席亲切地对她说,记得那次出访期间,我们每到一个地方都要去民众家里看一下,希望了解当地普通民众的生活。

“我清楚地记得,您到之前,妈妈让我和哥哥俩人打扫了五、六遍卫生,简直有点歇斯底里了。”提布林-耶德的有趣的话语引起大家的笑声。

习近平主席感慨地说,时光流逝,一晃快40年了。

“我很荣幸和您有这样一种联系和缘分。”提布林-耶德回应道。她欢迎习近平主席再次到访挪威,有机会再去她家里做客。

习近平主席说:“这是中挪人民之间的友好情谊,我们可以继续延续两国之间的友好合作。”

习近平主席也请提布林-耶德向她的母亲和家人转达自己的问候。

简短的交流,绵长的情谊。

此刻的金色大厅内,充满了重逢的惊喜和温情。

“这真是一次意想不到的奇妙经历。”提布林-耶德事后仍心怀感动。她说,时隔近40年,习近平主席对走访挪威一个普通家庭还记忆犹新,体现出中国领导人对挪威国家和人民的深刻印象和深厚感情。“我本人感到非常自豪。”

这次出乎预料的会面,也生动诠释了中挪友好交往的根基所在,反映了两国人民的普遍愿望。

正如习近平主席所说,挪威是最早承认中华人民共和国和中国市场经济地位的欧洲国家之一。明年中挪将迎来建交65周年,中方愿同挪方以此为契机,共同开辟中挪关系更加美好的未来。

哈拉尔五世国王33年内4次访华,“见证了中国翻天覆地的变化”。他相信挪中关系“显示出强劲的生命力。”

“经过近40年发展,中国和挪威都发生了很大变化,两国有无限合作机遇。”提布林-耶德说,自己从普通家庭的女儿成长为现在的挪威石油与能源部国务秘书,希望能在所负责领域推动两国更紧密的合作。

以心相交,成其久远。

这次跨越39年的“奇遇”,相信将为人们所铭记并广为传颂,成为中挪乃至中外关系史上的一段佳话。(完)

Dr. Mukwege and sexual crime victim Murad win 2018 Nobel Prize in Peace

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 5(Greenpost)– Berit Reiss Andersen, Chair of The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced that the Norwergian Nobel Committee has  decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018 to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict, according to a live broadcast of Nobel Prize.

“Both laureates have made a crucial contribution to focusing attention on, and combating, such war crimes. Denis Mukwege is the helper who has devoted his life to defending these victims.” she said. 

Nadia Murad is the witness who tells of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. Each of them in their own way has helped to give greater visibility to war-time sexual violence, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions.

The physician Denis Mukwege has spent large parts of his adult life helping the victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the Panzi Hospital was established in Bukavu in 2008, Dr. Mukwege and his staff have treated thousands of patients who have fallen victim to such assaults. Most of the abuses have been committed in the context of a long-lasting civil war that has cost the lives of more than six million Congolese.

Denis Mukwege is the foremost, most unifying symbol, both nationally and internationally, of the struggle to end sexual violence in war and armed conflicts. His basic principle is that “justice is everyone’s business”. Men and women, officers and soldiers, and local, national and international authorities alike all have a shared responsibility for reporting, and combating, this type of war crime.

The importance of Dr. Mukwege’s enduring, dedicated and selfless efforts in this field cannot be overstated. He has repeatedly condemned impunity for mass rape and criticised the Congolese government and other countries for not doing enough to stop the use of sexual violence against women as a strategy and weapon of war.

Nadia Murad is herself a victim of war crimes. She refused to accept the social codes that require women to remain silent and ashamed of the abuses to which they have been subjected. She has shown uncommon courage in recounting her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of other victims.

Andersen said that Nadia Murad is a member of the Yazidi minority in northern Iraq, where she lived with her family in the remote village of Kocho. In August 2014 the Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal, systematic attack on the villages of the Sinjar district, aimed at exterminating the Yazidi population. In Nadia Murad’s village, several hundred people were massacred. The younger women, including underage children, were abducted and held as sex slaves. While a captive of the IS, Nadia Murad was repeatedly subjected to rape and other abuses. Her assaulters threatened to execute her if she did not convert to their hateful, inhuman version of Islam.

She described Nadia Murad as just one of an estimated 3 000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses by the IS army. The abuses were systematic, and part of a military strategy. Thus they served as a weapon in the fight against Yazidis and other religious minorities.

After a three-month nightmare Nadia Murad managed to flee. Following her escape, she chose to speak openly about what she had suffered. In 2016, at the age of just 23, she was named the UN’s first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.

“This year marks a decade since the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1820 (2008), which determined that the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict constitutes both a war crime and a threat to international peace and security. This is also set out in the Rome Statute of 1998, which governs the work of the International Criminal Court. The Statute establishes that sexual violence in war and armed conflict is a grave violation of international law.  A more peaceful world can only be achieved if women and their fundamental rights and security are recognised and protected in war.” said Andersen. 

She said this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is firmly embedded in the criteria spelled out in Alfred Nobel’s will. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad have both put their personal security at risk by courageously combating war crimes and seeking justice for the victims. They have thereby promoted the fraternity of nations through the application of principles of international law.

Dr. Denis Mukwege actually won the Rightlivlihood Prize, dubbed as the Alternative Nobel Prize in Stockholm five years ago.  So it is recognized that his winning is well justified.

This year’s Nobel Peace prize is considered to be fair and all the winners deserve such prize for their contribution to mankind.

 

挪威卑尔根高中教会学校曹一叶同学的优秀毕业生演讲

北欧绿色邮报网北欧中华网联合报道(记者陈雪霏)– 许多华人华侨都关心自己的下一代的成长。挪威北欧集团董事长曹侃和郑凤笙夫妇也不例外。不过,他们对儿子的成长还是非常满意的。他们今年也打算把儿子送到国内学习一段时间。他们的儿子曹一叶(Max Yiye Cao, Bergen Katedralskole)于 2018 年 05 月 22 日在挪威卑尔根高中教会学校作为学生代表发表了毕业演讲。本网记者是6月2日到奥斯陆参加北欧集团支持的一次讲座活动获得此信息的。看看他是怎样评价自己的学校,学习和同学的,他的心态是怎样的呢?下面是演讲全文和中文译文。

陈凌骅 甘霈原 / 译

Valedictorian Speech

Dear graduates, parents, teachers, and members of the administration:

Thank you for the opportunity to speak at this highly anticipated event. After two years of studying, tests, reflective statements, critical thinking, and most recently exams, we have completed the IB Diploma Programme.
Throughout these two years, we have made many decisions affecting the outcome of our exams, wellbeing and future. Some decisions have been good, some great, and some terrible. Overall however, I think we should be proud of our achievements, and I do believe the school is proud as well.

优秀毕业生致辞

亲爱的毕业生、家长、老师,以及学校的工作人员:

非常荣幸能够有机会在这个备受瞩目的毕业典礼上发言。经过两年的学习、测验、总结、反思, 还有近期的考试,我们已经完成了 IB 学制的大学预科课程。

在这两年的时间里,我们做出了很多的决定,它们影响着我们的成绩,我们的生活,还有我们 的未来。有些决定做得非常好,有些特别成功,而也有些决定却很糟糕。但总体而言,我认为 我们应该为我们所取得的成绩感到自豪;同时,我确信我们的学校也同样以我们为荣。

When students are asked, what is special or great about our school, two things are always mentioned. Firstly, the 800-year long and prosperous legacy of our school, a legacy teachers, staff and students alike all take great pride in being a part of. I think this class has contributed positively to this legacy, with good academic results, engagement in student-led activities, and good results in the science competitions. This year, our school will have four competitors representing Norway in the various international science Olympiads, including Victoria and myself, this is the most of any school in Norway.

每当被问到这个学校有什么亮点或特别之处时,我们总会提及以下两方面。首先,这是一所拥 有八百年悠久历史和光荣传统的学校,全体师生都以能成为其中一份子而感到骄傲。我们这一 届毕业生以优异的学习成果,丰富的课外活动以及突出的竞赛成绩,进一步为母校的历史传承 添砖加瓦。今年,我校将有四名同学代表挪威参加各类国际奥林匹克竞赛,其中也包括 IB 学 制的 Victoria 和我。我们学校是挪威所有学校中参赛选手最多的。

Secondly, we are proud of the diversity of students, accepting social environment and personal engagement in issues outside of the academic. The IB fits these descriptors exactly. Our class is made up of multiple nationalities from many continents, has a wide range of personalities and interests, and is omnipresent in the various extracurricular activities of our school. In every committee, club or other activity, such as the school paper and Hugin, IB students can always be found. This may of course, to some extent be due to our CAS requirement, but I do believe similar levels of engagement would be present regardless.

其次,多样的学生背景,包容的人文环境,以及学生们对课余活动的积极参与同样令我们自豪。 IB 项目的课程恰好与我前面所说的这些相吻合。我所在班级的同学们来自各个大洲多个国家; 他们风格各异,兴趣广泛,积极参与学校的各种课外活动。IB 的学生们活跃在学校的各个学生 组织中,各个兴趣社团里,例如校刊和 Hugin 学生会。当然,这在一定程度上也是由于我们的 课程中 CAS 部分的要求,但我确信, 即非如此,我们也同样会积极地参与这些活动。

It is also important to mention the academics. Though the Extended Essays and Individual Investigations was a headache for many and often resulted in some trivial, uninteresting investigations, it taught us important skills that other school systems do not provide. I therefore think it is important that we personally thank those who have guided us throughout these two years.

For me personally, I would like to thank all my teachers, including Per Kristian, Tor Edvard, and Åshild.

• I would especially like to thank Jens-Petter and Øystein for giving me the freedom to learn and develop independently, whilst also providing guidance when needed.

• I would also like to thank Christa, the platonic ideal of teachers, who corrected every past paper we wrote leading up to the exams, provided us with a wide range of resources to improve our writing, and gave exceptional guidance with outstanding personal engagement during our two years in English class.

• Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank Erik Holst, who provided me with inspiration, challenges, support and guidance in maths for three years, making maths my favourite subject.

课业学习当然也同样重要。虽然长篇论文和案例调研对许多人来说都是一件头痛的事情,其中不乏琐碎而枯燥的调查,但它教会了我们很多其它学制中没有涉及的重要技能。因此,我们应当衷心地感谢在这两年中引领我们走过这一切的指导教师。
  • 对我个人而言,我要感谢所有教导过我的老师,这其中包括 Per Kristian,Tor Edvard, 以及 Åshild。
  • 我特别感谢 Jens-Petter 和 Øystein 给予我的独立发展和学习的自由,并在有需要时提 供的悉心指导。
  • 我还要感谢 Christa,一位柏拉图式的教师典范。她总在考试之前尽心帮助我们修改论 文,努力为我们提供了丰富的学习资源,在这两年的英语课程中,竭尽全力给予我们最高水平的指导。
  • 最后,我要感谢对我而言最重要的一位老师,Erik Holst。三年以来,他给予了我无限 的启发、挑战、支持和教导,并让数学成为了我最喜爱的学科。As we got closer to the end of our years at IB, I, along with all my classmates expected a profound sense of relief and happiness to strike the moment our last exams were finished. For me, this was supposed to be on the morning of the 17th of May, an additional cause of celebration. And though we all undoubtedly celebrated, I was never struck by the sudden sense of liberty, freedom and joy. I consulted with my friends on this matter, and they all had the same experience, or rather the lack of any experience. We all still felt that there was another exam tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on. After traumatic experiences, for example war, many are diagnosed with something called post-traumatic stress disorder. I think we all have post-exam stress disorder.随着我们的 IB 课程临近结束,我和同学们都热切期待着最后一场考试收卷的那一刻,以及它将带给我们的由衷的欣慰与幸福。对我而言,那应该是万众狂欢的挪威国庆节五月十七日的上 午——一个额外的庆祝理由。尽管我们也都庆祝了,但我从未被那突然到来的自由、自主和喜悦的瞬间所打动。也许是因为我们阅历尚浅,没有足够的承受能力,当我和朋友们讨论这时, 他们也都表示有同样的感受。我们甚至仍然觉得明天还会有一场考试等着我们,然后还有后天, 无穷无尽。在遭受心理创伤时,比如说战争过后,许多人会患上创伤后应激障碍。我想,我们这也可以叫作“考试后应激障碍”。The cause may be a subconscious anticipation, or rather anxiety for the exam results on the 6th of July. The judgment of whether or not university conditions will be met, on whether or not applications for retakes will be submitted, and on whether or not dreams will be crushed. For consolation, I would like to quote the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. This is also the time to thank parents and family, for providing us with comfort and encouragement when we need it the most.究其缘由,可能是我们潜意识中对于七月六日考试结果的期待,或者说是焦虑,因为这个结果将决定我们能否满足大学的入学条件,是否需要补考,又是否会梦想破灭。为了能够得到一丝慰藉,我愿引用英国前首相 Winston Churchill 的一句话,“成功并不是终点,失败也不是尽 头:唯勇气长存”。现在也是感谢我们的父母和家人的时刻,因为他们总会在我们最需要的时候带来安慰和鼓励。Another cause of post-exam stress may be anticipation and fear of the future. The realisation that our years at Katten are finished, and that we will soon embark on a journey to the unknown and unfamiliar. Though the IB Programme at times was filled with torment and anguish, it has nevertheless been a safe and consistent experience. Now, there is less certainty of what our futures hold. For encouragement, I would like to quote the American author John Shedd. “A ship in harbor is safe – but this is not what ships are built for”.

考试结束后压力无法消散,这更是源于对未来的期待和不安。我们意识到,高中生涯已经结束, 大家都即将踏上通往未知和陌生的旅途。虽然 IB 学制偶尔也令人倍感煎熬,但它仍不失为一 个安全平稳,始终如一的避风港。而现在,我们尚不确定未来将会把每个人引向何方。我想用 美国作家 John Shedd 的一句话来鼓励我们,“船舶停在港湾固然安全,但那并不是造船的意 义”。

After two years in each other’s company, it is now time for each one to embark on a journey, all to different locations, and though our dreams and ambitions span a wide range, I believe that our paths will cross again, sometime in the future, when we are all a bit older, and a bit wiser. Sometimes I like to think back to myself two or three years ago, and am amused by how little I knew, bathing in the bliss of ignorance, thinking I knew so much. Now I stand here today, having attained a broad and balanced body of knowledge, but instead of feeling enlightened, I am more curious than ever for what more there is to learn. For inspiration, I would like to quote the Italian painter Michelangelo. “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

Stay hungry. Thank you!

两年以来,风雨相伴。而今天,我们即将为了各自的目标开始新的征程。虽然每个人怀着不同 的梦想与雄心,但我相信,我们还会在未来重逢。那时的我们,应是成长了很多,也睿智了很多。有时,我会回想起两三年前的自己,感觉甚是好笑。那时的我无忧无虑,所知甚少而又踌躇满志。此时此刻,我站在这里,固然有了更广阔更全面的知识体系,但却并未自满,反而对未知的一切充满好奇并迫切地想要去探索。在此,意大利画家米开朗基罗可以给我们以启发, “对于大多数人而言,最大的危险不是目标太高而难以企及,而是目标太低以至垂手可得”。

(让我们继续保持)求知若渴。 谢谢大家!

下面的链接是曹一叶18岁成人礼时父母对他的评价。

file:///Users/xuefei/Downloads/Max18%20-%20Tekst.pdf

本文之所以被登出来,是想让读者了解一个挪威华人二代在挪威学习生活的感受和心态。 取长补短,相互交流。

Top news: Chinese Dongfeng Race Team win the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, June 25(Greenpost, Chineseonline)– Chinese Dongfeng Race Team won the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 in the closest pass in race history.

Skipper Charles Caudrelier led his team to victory on the final leg of the race, a 970-mile sprint from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague.

Incredibly, it marked the first leg win for the team — it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Three teams started Leg 11 of the race on Thursday in a dead heat on the overall leaderboard. The finishing order between MAPFRE, Team Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team at The Hague would determine their place on the overall race podium.

Each of those three teams led at various points on the leg and had their opportunities to grab the prize.

But it was Caudrelier and his crew who made a bold call on Saturday evening to take a coastal route to the finish, which squeezed them tight against the shoreline and separated from the other leaders by a series of Exclusion Zones.

“We were not in such a good position, but we trusted our choice and we pushed,” Caudrelier said. “The others didn’t follow us, but we believed and we won…”

The decision hurt the team in the short term as they tumbled down the leaderboard. But by Sunday morning, with less than 100 miles left to race, weather routing projections had the top boats finishing within minutes of each other. None had been able to break away overnight, despite the significant splits on the race course.

“We knew that we would fall behind initially and that if it came good it would only be at the end. The last position report (1300 UTC on Sunday) we were 27-miles from the finish and they were 20-miles and we thought it was over. But then I did a small weather routing and it showed we could end up one-mile ahead so I woke everyone up and said, ‘let’s push!’”

As the teams finally converged again on Sunday afternoon, just a few miles from the finish, it was Dongfeng Race Team, flying down the coast from the north sliding in front of the offshore group, to earn their first leg win, propelling Caudrelier’s team to overall victory.

“We always trusted each other. Nobody thought we were going to win this last leg, but I had a good feeling,” an emotional Caudrelier said, after thanking his supporters and team. “I said ‘we can’t lose, we can’t lose, we can’t lose’… and we won!”

© Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

The overall results make this the closest finish in the 45-year history of the race and marks the first win for a Chinese-flagged team. It also means Carolijn Brouwer and Marie Riou were on board as the first women sailors to win the Volvo Ocean Race.

Xabi Fernández’s MAPFRE was third on the leg, which put the team into second overall.

© Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

“It has been tough,” Fernández admitted. “We sailed very well the whole way around the world and on this leg as well, so naturally we’re a bit disappointed. We were very, very close this time, but it was not quite enough. So we have to say congratulations to Dongfeng who sailed a little bit better than us.”

Team Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking would have liked nothing more than to win the race for the first time in eight tries with a home finish in The Netherlands. But it wasn’t to be. His fourth place leg finish left the team in third place overall.

© Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

“Third place, still on the podium, I think we can be pretty proud of that as a team,” he said. “We thought we had made the right choice (to go further offshore) and we expected a windshift. It came 90-minutes too late and that was the race. But that’s yacht racing. And of course we have to congratulate Dongfeng and MAPFRE for their results.”

Second place on the final leg into The Hague was Dutch skipper Simeon Tienpont and his team AkzoNobel, who had previously secured fourth place on the overall leaderboard.

“It’s incredible to finish on the podium in our hometown,” Tienpont said. “We would have loved to have been fighting into The Hague for the final podium but to have set the 24-hour speed record and to get six podium finishes in the race is a testament to the job everyone on our team – on the boat and on shore – have done.”

Vestas 11th Hour Racing had already been locked into fifth place on the scoreboard and after a promising start to Leg 11, had a disappointing seventh place finish on the leg.

“We have a great group of folks on this team,” skipper Charlie Enright said. “We’ve been through a lot and I’m not sure any other group could have dealt with the challenges we have faced the way we did. It’s something special and we’re going to continue to work together moving forward. This was a tough way to go out certainly, but we have one more opportunity with the In-Port Race this weekend.”

That In-Port Race, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, will determine the sixth and seventh place positions in this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Both SHK/Scallywag and Turn the Tide on Plastic finished the Volvo Ocean Race on equal points.

The tie-break mechanism is the In-Port Race Series, where David Witt’s Scallywag team currently holds the lead. But Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic is just three points behind and a strong finish on Saturday could lift them off the bottom of the leaderboard.

© Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

“We can’t help but smile today. We’ve done it,” said Caffari. “This leg was like the longest In-Port Race ever. A lot of corners to go around, and we gave it 100 per cent and left nothing in the tank.”

For David Witt, the finish was bittersweet the loss of John Fisher overboard in the Southern Ocean top of mind.

“I have very mixed emotions right now,” Witt said dockside immediately after finishing. “I’m incredibly proud of our team both on and off the water. We’re very tight and we have gone through a lot… But I’m also sad of course. I didn’t finish it with my best mate (John Fisher) who we started with. So very mixed emotions, but I’m glad we finished it.”

The teams will celebrate their accomplishments and take well-earned rest on Monday. The rest of the week will see activities in The Hague building towards the final In-Port Race and Awards Night on June 30.

Volvo Ocean Race Leg 11 Final Leaderboard — Saturday 23 June
1. Dongfeng Race Team – 3 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes, 32 seconds
2. team AkzoNobel – 3 days, 3 hours, 38 minutes, 31 seconds
3. MAPFRE – 3 days, 3 hours, 39 minutes, 25 seconds
4. Team Brunel – 3 days, 3 hours, 45 minutes, 52 seconds
5. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 3 days, 3 hours, 56 minutes, 56 seconds
6. SHK / Scallywag – 3 days, 4 hours, 01 minutes, 32 seconds
7. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 3 days, 4 hours, 05 minutes, 36 seconds

Volvo Ocean Race Overall Points Leaderboard after Leg 11
1. Dongfeng Race Team – 73 points
2. MAPFRE – 70 points
3. Team Brunel – 69 points
4. team AkzoNobel – 59 points
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 39 points
6. SHK / Scallywag – 32 points *
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 32 points *

* Should there be a tie on the overall race leaderboard at the end of the offshore legs, the In-Port Race Series standings will be used to break the tie.

Source: www.volvooceanrace.com

Sweden holds presidency of Nordic Council of Ministers this year

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will attend the Nordic foreign ministers’ meeting in Stockholm from 17 to 18 April 2018, according to a statement from Finland’s government. 

The Nordic foreign ministers will discuss, among other things, topical UN affairs and international questions, such as North Korea and Syria, the development of transatlantic relations and Russia, Ukraine, and security in the North Atlantic. Topical EU issues will also be on the meeting agenda, including Brexit and the Western Balkans.

The Nordic foreign ministers meet approximately three times a year on the invitation of the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. This year, the Nordic Presidency is held by Sweden.

图片新闻:挪威维格兰德博物馆和雕塑公园

北欧绿色邮报网图片报道(记者陈雪霏)– 至今难忘挪威首都奥斯陆的雕塑公园。

维格兰雕塑公园,又名弗罗格纳公园,是一座以雕像为主题的公园,园内展出了挪威雕像家古斯塔夫·维格兰的212座雕像作品。公园内的雕像集中突出人类“生与死”的主题,从婴儿出世开始,经过童年、少年、青年、壮年、老年,直到死亡,反映人生的全过程,发人深思。在众多雕塑中最著名的当属“愤怒的男孩”(Sinnataggen)和大石柱(The Monolith)。巨型石柱十分显眼,足有14米高,石上共雕刻了121个人物。至于“愤怒的男孩”,位于前往巨型石柱的小桥上的左侧,不留意很容易错过。

我想这可能表达了挪威人的心声。这是一个生命之源。生命之园。这里有无数的小孩儿,有很多有力的男人。在这个地球最北的地带,人必须有强大的生命力才能抗击自然的不利条件。

生命的全过程。

人们的团结和相互依赖。

或许这个园子就是伊甸园。到了这里,关于人的一切你就都明白了。它激发人很多思考。

他彷佛穷尽了艺术的极致。不给其他人留下任何可以超越他的空间。佩服佩服!

 

 

 

图文/陈雪霏

2018诺贝尔和平奖候选人是329/2018 Nobel Peace Prize has 329 candidates

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)– 据挪威诺贝尔和平奖委员会网站,2018年诺贝尔和平奖提名活动已经于2月1日凌晨截止。据统计,2018年诺贝尔和平奖提名数量是329,其中个人是216人,组织是113个组织。

这个数量比数量最多的年份2016年的376名候选人减少了47个。不只是否这是因为2016年诺贝尔和平委员会对提名人或单位的资格规定进行了修改。

  • 国家大会(议会,人大)成员,有主权的国家政府领导人,内阁成员,部长,目前的国家元首,
  • 海牙国际正义法庭的成员和海牙永久仲裁庭的成员底特律国际研究所成员
  • 大学历史,社会学,法律,哲学,神学和宗教系教授,荣誉教授,副教授,大学校长和相当于大学校长的大学主任和平研究所和外交政策研究所的主任。
  • 曾经获得过诺贝尔和平奖的组织的主要理事会主席或者是相关的职位负责人。
  • 目前和前任挪威诺贝尔委员会成员(该提名只要在2,3月份委员会首次开会前提名就行。)
  • 自己为自己提名是不可以的。

2,3月份挪威诺贝尔委员会将开会汇总提名名单,该名单是不会发表的。根据诺贝尔遗嘱,该名单可以在50年之后发表揭秘,届时人们会知道是谁提名了谁。汇总的同时就是大大缩短名单。

3月到8月顾问委员或委员会将提供提名信息。到9月,最后,准备接受提名名单。10月份的第一个或第二个星期五宣布诺奖获得者到底是谁。

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, April 2(Greenpost)–

 There are 329 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018 out of which 216 are individuals and 113 are organizations, according to the information from Nobel Peace Prize website.

329 is the second highest number of candidates ever. The record of 376 candidates was set in 2016.

The deadline for 2018 nomination was January 31st.

Who is qualified for nominations?

From the statutes of the Nobel Foundation:
Proposals received for the award of a prize, and investigations and opinions concerning the award of a prize, may not be divulged. A prize-awarding body may, however, after due consideration in each individual case, permit access to material which formed the basis for the evaluation and decision concerning a prize, for purposes of research in intellectual history. Such permission may not, however, be granted until at least 50 years have elapsed after the date on which the decision in question was made.

Process of Nomination and Selection

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. A nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize may be submitted by any persons who are qualified to nominate.

Qualified Nominators

Revised September 2016

According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, a nomination is considered valid if it is submitted by a person who falls within one of the following categories:

Members of national assemblies and national governments (cabinet members/ministers) of sovereign states as well as current heads of states
Members of The International Court of Justice in The Hague and The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague
Members of Institut de Droit International
University professors, professors emeriti and associate professors of history, social sciences, law, philosophy, theology, and religion; university rectors and university directors (or their equivalents); directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes
Persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Members of the main board of directors or its equivalent for organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee (proposals by current members of the Committee to be submitted no later than at the first meeting of the Committee after 1 February)
Former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Committee

国家大会(议会,人大)成员,有主权的国家政府领导人,内阁成员,部长,目前的国家元首,

海牙国际正义法庭的成员和海牙永久仲裁庭的成员

底特律国际研究所成员

大学历史,社会学,法律,哲学,神学和宗教系教授,荣誉教授,副教授,大学校长和相当于大学校长的大学主任和平研究所和外交政策研究所的主任。

曾经获得过诺贝尔和平奖的组织的主要理事会主席或者是相关的职位负责人。

目前和前任挪威诺贝尔委员会成员(该提名只要在2,3月份委员会首次开会前提名就行。)

Unless otherwise stated the term members shall be understood as current (sitting) members.

Candidacy Criteria

The candidates eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize are those persons or organizations nominated by qualified individuals, see above. A nomination for yourself will not be taken into consideration.

Selection of Nobel Laureates

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for the selection of eligible candidates and the choice of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. The Committee is composed of five members appointed by the Storting (Norwegian parliament). The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, not in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and the Economics Prize are awarded.

How Are the Nobel Laureates Selected?

Nomination process.
Below is a brief description of the process involved in selecting the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

September – The Norwegian Nobel Committee prepares to receive nominations. These nominations will be submitted by members of national assemblies, governments, and international courts of law; university chancellors, professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology; leaders of peace research institutes and institutes of foreign affairs; previous Nobel Peace Prize Laureates; board members of organizations that have received the Nobel Peace Prize; present and past members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; and former advisers of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

February – Deadline for submission. In order to be considered for the award of the year, nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize shall be sent in to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo before the 1st day of February the same year. Nominations postmarked and received after this date are included in the following year’s discussions. In recent years, the Committee has received close to 200 different nominations for different nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The number of nominating letters is much higher, as many are for the same candidates.

February-March – Short list. The Committee assesses the candidates’ work and prepares a short list.

March-August – Adviser review.

October – Nobel Laureates are chosen. At the beginning of October, the Nobel Committee chooses the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates through a majority vote. The decision is final and without appeal. The names of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates are then announced.

December – Nobel Laureates receive their prize. The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony takes place on 10 December in Oslo, Norway, where the Nobel Laureates receive their Nobel Prize, which consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and a document confirming the prize amount.

The nominations are kept secret for 50 years

The statutes of the Nobel Foundation restrict disclosure of information about the nominations, whether publicly or privately, for 50 years. The restriction concerns the nominees and nominators, as well as investigations and opinions related to the award of a prize.

Submission

Submission of Nominations

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has launched an on-line nomination form. Please read more here: https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/Nomination

Deadline for Nominations

Nomination deadline is 31 January at 12 midnight CET. Nominations which do not meet the deadline are normally included in the following year’s assessment. Members of the Nobel Committee are entitled to submit their own nominations as late as at the first meeting of the Committee after the expiry of the deadline.

Submission Confirmation

A letter or e-mail confirming the receipt and validity of the submitted nomination is normally sent out within a couple of months of the submission deadline.

Selection Process

At the first meeting of the Nobel Committee after the February 1 deadline for nominations, the Committee’s Permanent Secretary presents the list of the year’s candidates. The Committee may on that occasion add further names to the list, after which the nomination process is closed, and discussion of the particular candidates begins. In the light of this first review, the Committee draws up the so-called short list – i.e. the list of candidates selected for more thorough consideration. The short list typically contains from twenty to thirty candidates.

The candidates on the short list are then considered by the Nobel Institute’s permanent advisers. In addition to the Institute’s Director and Research Director, the body of advisers generally consists of a small group of Norwegian university professors with broad expertise in subject areas with a bearing on the Peace Prize. The advisers usually have a couple of months in which to draw up their reports. Reports are also occasionally requested from other Norwegian and foreign experts.

When the advisers’ reports have been presented, the Nobel Committee embarks on a thorough-going discussion of the most likely candidates. In the process, the need often arises to obtain additional information and updates about candidates from additional experts, often foreign. As a rule, the Committee reaches a decision only at its very last meeting before the announcement of the Prize at the beginning of October.

The Committee seeks to achieve unanimity in its selection of the Peace Prize Laureate. On the rare occasions when this proves impossible, the selection is decided by a simple majority vote.

50 Year Secrecy Rule

The Committee does not itself announce the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. In so far as certain names crop up in the advance speculations as to who will be awarded any given year’s Prize, this is either sheer guesswork or information put out by the person or persons behind the nomination. Information in the Nobel Committee’s nomination database is not made public until after fifty years.