THE PLACE OF
HUMANKIND 2050:
HARDANGER ACADEMY
JOHANNE MARGRETHE HARTWIG
The WFSF`s conference 2017 took place
in Jondal, Norway, a small village, situated
at the Hardangerfjord at the west coast of
Norway, under the Folgefonna glacier.
Johan Galtung`s ancestors and his name came from this area. One
of the last years of the previous century he returned to this hearth,
together with his wife Fumi, to make their summer home of a little hut
by a lake at the mountainside. Every year since, they have spent some
days, even weeks here in the summertime. And every last weekend
in July people come to take part in a peace symposium arranged in
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Jondal where Johan Galtung helds his “State of the world”- lecture
out of his great wisdom and deep knowlege. Guesting researchers
are also taking part this weekend, which is a great event every year.
But how could the WFSF 50 years anniversary find a
place in this little village with a significant number of
researchers coming from all over the world?
It happened that the little group of people arranging the summer
symposia was asked to organize this conference and we guess that
the idea must have come from Johan Galtung! The little group of
people has grown the last years by the name Hardangerakademiet
for Peace, Development and Environment and has enlarged their
field to be a whole year academy. Seminars and meetings are
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arranged, guests come, not once a year, but all year around.
It was possible for us to offer a heartily welcome to the WFSF
because the Hardanger academy in 2014 by Jondal municipality
was handed over a property with houses built as a tuberculosis
sanatorium in 1934. The big main building is situated in a beautiful
garden/park with all the air, light and space that the patients
needed. The houses were not in use anymore and as an NGO,
the Hardanger academy was given the confidence and task to
take it over for new use. (A little more about this underneath).
We were very honored to be asked by WFSF to host the conference last
summer and very grateful to be able to say welcome because of the
house with its room for dining, meeting and sleeping for 60-80 people.
HUMAN FUTURES
The subject at the conference was PEACE, DEVELOPMENT
AND ENVIRONMENT - so much to hear and later read about
the different issues. We felt gifted by the visit of all the interesting
and friendly researchers and guests and by their subject
which in a way is also ours. We thank WFSF for coming this
long way and being willing to celebrate in simplicity.
From our side, Anne Helgedagsrud was the leader of the work pre,
under and post the conference. She organized very thoughtfully,
calmly and beautifully in all phases and our big voluntary staff
will use this opportunity to thank her heartily as well!
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