Nobel Peace Price in Oslo

Students from Rønningen Folkehøgskole had the wonderful chance to see the CNN Interview with Martti Ahtisaari live in the Oslo city hall.

“Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal” -Martti Ahtisaari, winner of the Nobel Peace Price 2008.

CNN Interview
On October 10th Endre, Mina, Signe, Kristine, Mary, Ida, Mari (all Global), Anja (Danse), Nhung, Jaroslav, Alena and Veronika (International) had the wonderful chance to see the CNN Interview with Martti Ahtisaari live in the Oslo city hall .
Before the group was able to enter the city hall they felt like at the airport with the serious security check, but everybody was too excited to get nerved.
To the question why she wanted to see the interview Mary said: “It is a big privilege for me to be in the live audience of such a CNN interview, because he has been working for peace in many countries over 3 decades. I wish I could have been here when Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.” The other students agreed with her that it is a big honor and they also said: “We won’t have often the possibilty to see a Nobel Peace Price Winner so close. This is unique.”
The interview itself was amusing and funny, because Ahtisaari has a special sense of humor. The only thing what was disturbing a little bit where the many advertisement breaks of CNN.

Ahtisaari at the balcony of the Grand Hotel

Torch Procession
After the interview the whole group was joining the torch procession from the Dome to the Grand Hotel on the Karl Johans Gate. Here they met also other students from Rønningen, who were also taking part at this traditional event in Oslo.

A group of Burmese people showing the picture of Aung San Suu Kyi and the Torch Procession trough the city to the Grand Hotel

At the Grand Hotel they had to wait quite a long time and some began to freeze, but this didn’t minder their good mood. All around there was music and people were shouting Ahtisaaris name.
Then, at 19:00 the door of the balcony at the Grand Hotel opened and Martti Ahtisaari stepped out. The atmosphere with all the torches and the optimistic people couldn’t have been better.

This experience was really fantastic and unique and the students want to say thank you to Ottar, to give them this possibilty! Thank you!

Martti Ahtisaari at the CNN interview in the Oslo city hall

Student Veronika Brauner