Author Archives: sierraha

Migration pressures in Scandinavia have been at “historically high levels,” with many new arrivals coming as refugees or asylum seekers. According to the data from Nordregio Magazine, spanning 26 years from 1990 to 2016, the population of the Nordic countries has experienced a remarkable 15 percent growth from a combination of both natural increase and positive net migration. This demographic shift shows the significant impact of migration on the region’s social, economic, and cultural landscape. 

In 2022, the largest group of migrants are coming from Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February. Finally, immigrants from Poland made up the third largest group. The influx of Ukrainian migrants following the Russian invasion underscores the profound impact of geopolitical events on migration patterns. At the same time, the significant presence of Polish immigrants highlights the enduring ties between Poland and Scandinavia. 

In order to reside in Norway, you need a visa and a residence permit. In fact, from reading some articles, it is easy to move to Norway if you have a valid reason for settling in the country, such as a job or school to attend. Norway is known as a safe country with very low crime rates and a high quality of living. They have impeccable healthcare, education, and safety all begin at a very high standard. 

“In 2015 and 2016, nearly 2.7 million asylum seekers arrived in the European Union, comprising the largest mass of movement in Europe since World War II,” the Migration Policy Institute states. Although nearly ten years have passed since this statistic, we can assume trends. Migration pressures have always been a debate in countries around the world. In 2021, Norway received 39,00 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis, most benefiting from free mobility or labor. 

Norway’s economy will benefit from the influx of migrants, particularly those with skills and education. Migrants fill gaps in the labor market, bring new ideas, and contribute to economic growth overall. New people and ideas bring progress and growth; both are needed for success, especially in today’s society.  

One challenge that may come with migration is integration into Norwegian society, a common struggle with countries that take in refugees. There also can be positives when I think of negative possibilities, like assimilation and loss of religious practice. With the progress of positive public opinion on migration issues and the role of political word choice when shaping attitudes toward migrants, their introduction can be safe and effective. 

Norway’s role in humane assistance is crucial to upholding international obligations to protect the rights of migrants and refugees. “Norway is a generous and reliable donor to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and has provided key support in protecting and providing an education to refugee youth children,” which is an easy way to tie in my group’s overall discussion and project on civic education in Scandinavia. Since Norway continues to protect vulnerable refugees after their journey from their countries and provides education, there must be a sense of admiration for their country. 

https://nordregio.org/nordregio-magazine/issues/migration-and-integration/the-cool-embrace-recent-migration-trends-into-the-nordic-region/#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%2C%20migration%20flows,the%20countries%20have%20in%20place.

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/newcomers-north-labor-market-integration-refugees-northern-europe

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/7879415d-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/7879415d-en

My experience with food consumption and insecurity in the United States is limited to my hometown of Bellingham, Washington, and the 28 states I have traveled to. While living in a town with a range of economic security in my schooling, I have seen many locations on the spectrum. 

The Food and Nutrition Service and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) have established a federally recognized rule that allows students who meet eligibility criteria to receive free and reduced-price meals or free milk. These guidelines are used by “schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and USDA Foods in Schools), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. In FY 2019, schools served over 4.8 billion lunches to children worldwide. The annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the National School Lunch Act”, a program that has changed many peers’ lives. 

Some children’s well-rounded meals and food come from their breakfast and lunch during the school year. This was an everyday stress for most of my community during the global pandemic. They did not have access to meals or produce. Luckily, a food drive was established, and meals were provided at select locations across the district. I hope that this continues, despite Covid-19 levels subsiding. 

On a different note, food overconsumption in the United States is reaching new heights. While reading an analysis of the work of Feeding America, I learned that people waste 80 million tons of food every year, which equals 149 billion meals. We throw away over $444 billion worth of food annually. Feeding America, an organization that partners with food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers, rescues food and delivers it to food banks. They rescued 4 billion pounds of groceries in 2023! 

On a similar note, food waste also drives climate change. Rotting food contributes to extreme methane levels, a potent greenhouse gas and one of the driving forces behind global warming.

This topic has been a popular one since I was very young. When I was 12 years old, we were learning about food waste. In a class called Future Problem Solvers, we tried to come up with solutions to solve our world’s problems, yet food waste has been met with the most minor success. 

Norwegians eat three or four regular meals daily, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold lunch at work, and a hot dinner at home. Then, they may have a cold meal in the late evening. Their meals include bread, milk, cheese, and carbohydrate-rich foods like meat or fish. Norway experiences a high level of food security! 

Norway continues to have minimal food waste and succeeds with its nutrition levels throughout the country. 

In conclusion, addressing food insecurity and overconsumption requires multifaceted solutions that encompass policy reforms, community engagement, and individual action. By drawing lessons from both the United States and Norway, we can only analyze both problems that are occurring all over the world. 

https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_cuisine

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/13/food-waste-united-states-climate-change/71537256007/

https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/reduce-food-waste#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20people,all%20the%20food%20in%20America.

For Meredith, Vivian, and me, our project will examine how civic education is taught in Scandinavia. We each decided to focus on a specific country within the area and compare and contrast our findings. I will discuss my country, Norway. 

We were all fascinated by the happiness levels present in Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia. We also all have some heritage residing from there and thought it would be interesting to learn more about their ways of life. 

We will unpack the styles of government and types of schooling, and then we will discuss how this contributes to the success of active citizenship. We want to understand how their residents are so happy and if their mental health correlates with education and citizenship.  

So far, while researching Norway, I have learned about their style of government and the primary school system. The Government in Norway is a constitutional hereditary monarchy, meaning a constitutional monarch is a hereditary symbolic head of state who mainly performs a representative and civic role but does not exercise policymaking power. With “hereditary,” this means that the role of the monarch is passed from one member of the ruling family to the next. King Harald VZ has reigned since January 1991, succeeding his father, Olav V. He is 87 years old! The next in line is Crown Prince Haakon, son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja; he was, from birth, the heir to the throne. The King’s constitutional role is mainly representative and ceremonial. “When the Constitution states that: “the executive power is vested in the King,” this now means that it is vested in the government” (Royal Court), which means that the King handles the formal opening of the Storting (Norwegian parliament) every fall. He lives in the royal palace, travels to other countries, and hosts foreign heads of State, and newly appointed ambassadors must present their credits to the King. The king is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces and holds the rank of general in the Army and Air Force and admiral in the Navy. 

The educational system is also different from that of the United States. Their system is 13 years long, with Kindergarten, Primary and Lower Secondary Education, and Upper Secondary School, quite similar to the states, but their “accredited higher institutions are free of charge with 33 options. Also, during the Upper Secondary Education (years 11-13), teen students are divided into 12 programs: four general studies and eight vocational programs. Another option is Folk high schools, which are boarding schools with no examinations. School is free of charge and mandatory. The overarching people in charge are the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS). The running and administration are municipal responsibilities. Compared to the United States, the Norwegian approach to education philosophy emphasizes equal access to higher education. Additionally, some recent reforms and challenges facing the Norwegian education system include curriculum revision in 2021, which aims to promote deep learning rather than “fragmented and surface-level learning.” They will promote, with increased focus, 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. 

I am incredibly fascinated with how students learn and have a future career goal of becoming an elementary school teacher. In order to teach and have a strong background, learning about other cultures and their school style is vital! 

Citations:

https://www.royalcourt.no/seksjon.html?tid=29977&sek=27300

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11191-022-00399-z#:~:text=In%20Norway%2C%20a%20new%20curriculum%20reform%20was%20recently%20implemented%20(2020,critical%20thinking%2C%20problem%20solving%2C%20and

https://www.britannica.com/place/Norway/Government-and-society

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_V

In today’s blog post, we pause the conversation on genocide and lack of human rights in the DRC and teach the readers about Mount Nyiragongo. The mountain is an active stratovolcano, meaning, “a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and strata”’ (Stratavolcano). Another example of a stratovolcano is Mt. Rainier in Washington State, USA. In 1977, an eruption occurred which killed 50 local villagers. 

The most “famous” was in 2002, “Warnings had been given and 400,000 people were evacuated from the city across the Rwandan border into neighboring Gisenyi during the eruption. Lava covered the northern end of the runway at Goma International Airport, leaving the southern two-thirds usable, and reached Lake Kivu” (Mount_Nyiragongo). There were 245 deaths due to this eruption. 

This mountain, or volcano, is known as one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes as well as being Africa’s most active volcanoes. Nyiragongo has one of the most dangerous lava flows due to the near perfect liquefaction of the lava. 

One of the most distinctive features of Nyiragongo is its persistent lava lake within its summit crater. This is one of the very few lava lakes in the world! 

The volcano is situated within the Virunga National Park, which is Africa’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is known for its diverse flora and fauna, including the critically endangered mountain gorillas. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization which has 1,199 World Heritage Sites worldwide. 

In conclusion, while the draw in of Mount Nyiragongo is undeniable, its perilous nature makes it a destination best admired from a distance. Whether through the lens of a documentary or the pages of a book, exploring the wonders and dangers of this volcanic giant can be a thrilling experience. However, venturing too close may be a risk not worth taking.

The Democratic Republic of Congo unfortunately endured genocide for many years and continues to face such challenges today. “Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC; Congo) has been embroiled in violence that has killed as many as 6 million people” (1). The DRC is constantly in turmoil through human rights, political debates, and outside groups and terrorists attacking. With a history of violence, the DRC is considered dangerous to visit or travel to due to “civil unrest and crime” (2). Civilians of East and South Africa tend to stay away from the DRC to stay safe and prevent the influx of outsiders. The violence in DRC is related to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda where inflexible militant Hutus, known as the Interhamwe, slaughtered ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus. Genocide is defined as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group to destroy that nation or group,” a tragic occurrence repeatedly witnessed in this country.

Equally horrifying is that of the above 6 million people who perished, over half were children under the age of 5 due to famine and disease. Diseases run rampant through the desert and jungles due to dirty water and people living in extremely close quarters. As well as killing, the DRC has some of the most prevalent levels of rape and sexual violence in the world. “As of 2023, DRC is home to an estimated 5.7 million internally displaced people urgently needing more than 2 billion dollars in medical and other aid. Nearly one million Congolese nationals have sought refuge in various African states”.

In summary, civilians of the DRC are actively advocating for peace and human rights, yet they continue to bear the consequences of genocide.

In anthropologist Wade Davis’ TED Talk, he discusses the importance of preserving endangered cultures. He stresses that losing cultures leads to loss of language and entire ways of thinking, which is detrimental to biodiversity and diversity amongst the human race. Davis also begs the audience to consider each culture acting as a singular puzzle piece in our world: losing puzzle pieces creates gaps in our puzzle.

When considering Davis’ belief that indigenous cultures teach the rest of the world how to keep harmony in our environment, the concept of losing language, creativity, knowledge, and wisdom is destructive to our globe. I agree with his beliefs and consider the Drokpas of Ladakh, India (Around the World Consultancy), an indigenous group whose population is dwindling yearly. When researching their group, I learned they do not marry outside the community and tend to wife-swap, which I found incredibly fascinating.

In the Dominican Republic of Congo, which began as a colony of Belgium, they have been struggling to find independence and have created colonization efforts. They have many small indigenous groups, including the Mbuti, Baka, and Batwa. “They live in nomadic and semi-nomadic groups throughout the country’s provinces. Indigenous Peoples’ lives are closely linked to the forest and its resources: they practice hunting, gathering, and fishing and treat their illnesses using their pharmacopeia and medicinal plants. The forest lies at the heart of their culture and living environment” (IWGIA). They continue to try and fight for their independence, yet also live a solo lifestyle.

On the other hand, “In terms of species diversity, the DRC is the most biologically diverse country in Africa and one of the most important biodiversity centers in the world, encompassing more than half of Africa’s tropical forest [2]. Globally, the country ranks fifth for animal and plant diversity” (Biodiversity in the DRC). With the variance in cultures and animal and plant diversity, there is a beautiful future, with hopes for the future.

Hello viewers, readers, and consumers of media on countries in East and Southern Africa. We will do a deep dive into the history, current events, and news to continue educating our viewers! We have all enjoyed learning more about our countries hope this can extend to our readers.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has many treaties set up, including “Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child” and “Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (UN Treaties) . The first entails prevention measures for banning recruitment of children under 18. This is also the same in the United States of America. The second entails the promotion of rights for people with disabilities. These are two of the most common and replicated treaties across the world, providing basic needs for humans. Continuing on with treaties and trade agreements, The DRC has bilateral trade agreements with over 50 countries and belongs to several international and regional trade organizations, including: the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (ECGLC), the Organization for harmonization of the business law in Africa (OHADA), and the East African Community (EAC)” (Trade Agreements). As seen in this large list and the 50 countries in which the DRC has trade agreements, there is an apparent popularity and extension to most of the world. As mentioned in the previous blog post, the Eastern and whole Democratic Republic of Congo has many important materials and natural goods that create profit for many different countries. The DRC is still a developing country and these treaties and trade agreements help support the economy. 

The DRC has been in conflict since the 1990s, including debates on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and media. People across their country faced arrest, possibly being beaten, and sometimes prosecuted. Journalists who criticized government policies faced threats and harassment and feared for their lives. Human rights defenders faced intimation, arrest without cause, and threats. Since 1996, conflict in the Eastern DRC has led to almost six million deaths. Due to the excessive amount of natural resources and sought-after materials, there has been a constant debate as to whom the resources belong. “DRC is home to some of the world’s largest reserves of the metals and rare earth minerals that are used in the production of advanced electronics” (GCT). Armed groups within the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have become more incentivized to join the Congolese conflict. Due to the weak government in the DRC and the invasion of criminal armed groups, Congolese civilians have experienced widespread rape and sexual violence, extreme poverty, and human rights violations. There is a constant fear among those who call the DRC their home and live in a battleground. M23, abbreviated from the March 23 Movement, also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, claims to try and defend the interests of minorities in the EDRC, including the Congolese Tutsi and Kinyarwanda. However, their rebels resurfaced and attacked Congolese troops, creating more civil unrest. “In 2023, DRC is home to an estimated 5.7 million internally displaced people in urgent need of more than 2 billion dollars of medical and other aid” (GCT).

Simply put, the quality of life is detrimental to health, human rights, and freedom of speech. The beautiful country’s inhabitants fear for their lives every day. The average age of death in the DRC is 59 years old while the United States of America’s is 77 years old. This is not only caused by civil unrest in the streets, but also the stress and fear in the DRC. 

Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo | global conflict tracker. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-democratic-republic-congo 

Hi everyone! My name is Sierra Hawes, and I am a freshman at the U of Oregon. I am originally from Bellingham, Washington, a mid-sized town near the border of Canada. Currently, I am majoring in Education Foundations with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher. When thinking of a topic for this blog, I considered my recent travels across a few countries in Europe and the UK and reflected on the tourism in the cities and towns I visited. I noticed many variants of the impacts in those locations and want to do a deeper dive into the themes of tourism.