NFH_ANNUALREPORT

Solidarity in practiceANNUAL REPORT 2010

search and rescue operations conducted in Norway

159

hectares of stolen agricultural land in Cambodia finally returned to the people of eight villages

180deadly mines cleared from South Sudan in 2010, an important contribution to building up the country

2 500

new immigrant women ready to stand in 2010 local elections

100

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a fearless organisation with robust opinions

result-oriented and solution-focussed

standpoints based on knowledge and experience

challenges power and injustice in partnership with vulnerable groups

performs solidarity in practice – not charity

We support people so they may protect themselves and promote their own interests.Our work is based on collaboration between two equal partners, not charity.Charity gives the donor control over the recipient, whereas solidarity means respecting the partner’s integrity and their right to set their own conditions.

This is

NORWEGIANPEOPLE’S AID

SEARCH AND RESCUE

High alert in the Easter mountains 14Joint exercise at sea 15Increased demands of search and rescue volunteers 16

ASYLUM AND INTEGRATION

A touching reunion 20Dinner is served! 21Three important battles 22

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Investments with side effects 26A long way yet to equality 27Powerful voices for rightful distribution 28

MINES AND CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Cluster munitions ban 32Praise for minefield policy 33A ban with results 34

YOUTH, ANTI-CORRUPTION WORK, NRK TV CAMPAIGN 2011

We LIKE engagement 38Norwegian People’s Aid Youth in growth 40A voluntary basis 41Open and active against corruption 42The largest collective effort in the world! 44

Contents

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A fearless and honest voice“In a world where the traditional development/aid regime is under great pressure, adaptability is a must. At the same time, it is important to remain true to one’s nature and be honest about the organisation one represents,” says acting Secretary General, Orrvar Dalby.

A rapid glance at Dalby’s workbook reveals many exciting tasks, both within the organisation and far off in the big wide world. “Leading an organisation the size of Norwegian People’s Aid means being able to relate to issues both inside and outside the organisation at the same time,” Dalby says, beginning with a few thoughts about the world in which we operate. “I believe the entire Western aid sector must be prepared for radical change in the time to come. The global balance of power has changed dramatically over a short space of time and the West’s setting the agenda for aid is less in step as new economies emerge. We see growing superpowers such as China and India investing in countries under dictatorship without setting conditions or making demands of the authorities. This is very attractive for countries which want the money but would rather avoid pressure linked with governance or just distribution. This means that we have to think very carefully about the role Western organisations are to play. In the final analysis, it’s all about a race for scarce

resources, in which Norway is also involved. Norwegian People’s Aid will continue aiming a powerful searchlight at Norwegian investments abroad because we expect them to have standards that ensure human rights and contribute to the rightful distribution of ensuing benefits. We enjoy a particularly good position to be able to do this because our collaboration with local organisations around the world provides us with concrete experience of precisely this issue. It is such experience that provides the basis for our political lobbying work and which helps provide us with credibility and confidence.”

An organisation in growthOrrvar Dalby rose to the challenge of taking on the leadership of Norwegian People’s Aid when, in December 2010, he was asked to step in on a temporary basis after Petter Eide. Dalby came to Norwegian People’s Aid as a sectional manager in 2007 before taking over the division for foreign affairs. “Norwegian People’s Aid is an extremely rewarding organisation to work for; we are fearless and take up standpoints concerning important social issues, distinguishing us from many other aid organisations, says Dalby, who is nevertheless determined to return to his post as head of the foreign affairs division as soon as the new Secretary General is in place.”

Before that though, there is a TV appeal to be conducted the four-yearly General Assembly to be organised. “Norwegian People’s Aid is run by its members and I am tremendously impressed by all the voluntary work which is undertaken in our 100 or so local chapters across the country. We have witnessed a seven per cent increase in membership over the past year and, in the autumn, members’ representatives will come together for the General Assembly, to select a new board and go through and revise the statutes of the organisation. This is a very important event for the whole organisation,” Dalby says.

Tasks on the General Secretary’s agenda also include internal reorganisation of the administration. “The reorganisation is generally to do with the continual adjustment of administrative support functions of an organisation in growth and about

FOREWORD FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

Acting Secretary General Orrvar Dalby finds it rewarding to

work for a fearless organisation which

takes up standpoints concerning important

social issues.

(Photo: Werner Anderson)

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improving our financial management, planning and budget processes in particular,” Dalby says. “We are not a profit-generating organisation at the outset but we must nevertheless maintain stable, secure capital and reserves. This is a challenge upon which we have to maintain a continuous focus and which, I believe, all organisations have to work with from one time to another. Such processes are healthy for all organisations, and helping maintain cost consciousness is absolutely necessary when administering funds from donors to humanitarian work.”

An emergency relief organisation when neededAlthough emergency aid work is not a primary function of Norwegian People’s Aid, the organisation has played an important role in the aftermath of natural disasters during 2010. “We chose to get involved in supporting the victims of both the earthquake in Haiti and the flood in Pakistan although we are not otherwise established in these countries. “ Dalby says. “However, our close collaboration with sister organisations in Solidar (the European network of people’s aid organisations) makes it possible for us to enlist when disasters occur in countries where we do not have any presence from before. In this way, we can give our support when an acute situation occurs almost anywhere in the world. We become visibly involved in collection activities in Norway, and this is something that out traditional support players really appreciate,” Dalby explains. “The main thrust of our activities, however, remains our work for the just distribution of power and resources as well as support to our partners working with organisation and participation,” he adds.

TV appeal given to Norwegian People’s AidNorwegian People’s Aid is one of the world’s largest mine-clearance organisations, disposing of land mines and cluster munitions in 18 badly affected countries. “This autumn, the NRK TV Appeal will provide us with a genuine opportunity to speak of our important work of clearing mines, cluster munitions and other explosives which are left behind after war and other armed conflict; preparations for this are in full swing,” Dalby says.

“It’s a major victory every time we can tick off a country on the list of those finally able to declare themselves free of mines and cluster munitions. Norwegian People’s Aid played a key role in the work to achieve the two international bans on landmines (1997) and cluster munitions (2010) and is currently actively involved in the clearance of residual landmines and explosives. The bans mean that new mines will not be laid in areas we have previously cleared, and once a mine has been disposed of, it is gone for ever. We see concrete results from this work every day and this has great significance in the work of getting war-torn countries back up on their feet again.”

Fearless spokesmanAlthough much of Dalby’s engagement is linked to our international work, he is no less concerned with the issues that Norwegian People’s Aid deals with on a national basis. “We are an extremely important part of the voluntary sector in Norway, helping to plug the gaps in public provision alongside other voluntary organisations, Dalby says, pointing to the renewed interest in national rescue service work in which many of our volunteers are engaged. This year alone, we have had 25 commissions,” Dalby says. He nevertheless underlines that there are a number of grey areas in relation to the authorities that need to be looked at more closely. “We shall also continue to be a fearless spokesman in relation to refugees and asylum-seekers, an area where we have really made our mark, Dalby says. This work is the result of the Norwegian People’s Aid national strategy and, in keeping with all our other activities, is rooted in our values and the very idea of solidarity.”

Text: Kristine Lindberg

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The 2010 accounts show consolidation following several years of increased turnover in the organisation. This year, it has been a great pleasure to wish 1700 new members welcome. Thus we have managed to turn the tide from a membership decrease in 2009 to a seven per cent rise this year, thanks largely to the considerable efforts of members recruiting on our behalf.

TURNOVER 2010

Activity accounts as of 31.12.2010 (Tall i tusen) ACQUISITION OF FUNDS 2010Income from members 1 237Public donors 598 523Others 13 205Sum donors 611 729

Gaming and lotteries 32 957Donors 39 739Total collected funds 72 697

Activities which fulfil NPA’s objectives Refugee reception centres and other operating units in Norway 102 993Sales of advertising space in APPELL 846Activities which create incomeProduct sales 3 158Total accrued funds from operational activities 106 997

Net finance posts 4 515

Other income 0

TOTAL ACQUIRED FUNDS 797 174

FUNDS USEDGaming and lotteries 12 988Donors 10 714Product sales 1 806Other expenses 5 769Total expenses to acquisition of funds 31 277

Mines and cluster munitions 214 232Reconstruction, food and emergency relief 97 204Long-term development 249 573Hospital operations and other health work 19 436Attitude-changing and anti-racist activities 10 205Refugee reception centres and other operating units in Norway 103 938Members’ organisation 16 736Information work in Norway 8 892Project follow-up at Head Office 26 890VAT payments -1 184Total expenses to objectives 745 921

Administration 24 297

TOTAL USED FUNDS 801 496

ANNUAL ACTIVITIES RESULT -4 322ALLOCATION OF ACTIVITY RESULTTransferred to/from Equity with externally imposed restrictions -2 147Transferred to/from Equity with self-imposed restrictions -243Transferred to/from other Equity -1 932TOTAL ALLOCATION -4 322

When you give 100 kroner to Norwegian People’s Aid, 93 kroner goes towards

work promoting democracy, the just distribution of power and resources, clearance of landmines and cluster

munitions, asylum and integration work and rescue services.

Of the remaining 7 kronene bruker vi 4 go towards obtaining new funds and

3 kroner to administration.

The annual accounts, audit and Report from the Board for 2010 can be downloaded as a PDF file from:

www.folkehjelp.no

ActivityMill.NOK

Mines and cluster munitions 214Development cooperation 366Asylum and integration 114Rescue services/ Other activities in Norway 17

Area Mill.NOK

Africa 305Asia 59Middle East 93Europe 55Latin America 35Global projects 8Norway 246

Expenses by area of activity

Expenses by geographic area

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NP Aiders change the world – Be part of it! In 2010, we developed a new regular donor concept for old and new donors alike. This is an important tool for obtaining funds which can be used where the need is greatest. NP Aiders help support people to change their lives.

Read more at: www.folkehjelper.no

Engagement from businesses and employees Norwegian People’s Aid is humanitarian partner to the Oslo City Run. In addition to a donation for mine-clearance work in Angola, Statoil gave a further 500kr for each of its 161 employees that ran in the 2010 Oslo City Run. The total contribution amounted to 90,500kr – corresponding to 4,625 metres of mine-free roads.

Collaboration with trade unionsCollaboration between Norwegian People’s Aid and the trade union movement was further strengthened in 2010, with most LO unions now supporting our inter-national work. A good example is the collaboration with the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees which supports our solidarity work in Palestine and Lebanon, as well as mine-clearance in Laos. The 4-year agreement covers project support, joint political activism and activities to engage the union’s members in international solidarity.

Disaster relief collectionsWhen disaster strikes a country where Norwegian People’s Aid is not established, we collaborate with our sister organisations in the international network Solidar. In 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid was able to contribute considerable support from our donors to emergency relief and reconstruction following the flood in Pakistan and the earthquake in Haiti.

1st May 2010People change the world was the slogan for the annual Norwegian People’s Aid collection undertaken on the 1st of May in collaboration with LO, the Labour Party and SV. The 2010 campaign focussed on just distribution of power and resources in Ecuador, Cambodia and Sudan. 1.3 million kroner were collected. The purpose of the collection is not simply to gather money for our international work but also to make our political standpoint known in relation to the chosen cause.

Symbolic giftsIn 2010, only Norwegian People’s Aid and Plan were able to show increased turnover from symbolic gifts. Norwegian People’s Aid took in 1.5 million kroner in symbolic gifts, an increase of 100,000 kroner on the previous year.

Good supporters give good results!“Our new regular donor concept is a credible, well-prepared offer to private donors making it possible to support the organisation financially; this is very important for strengthening our work internationally” says Norwegian People’s Aid Chairman, Finn Erik Thoresen.

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NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID AROUND THE WORLD

On the threshold of a new countryIn April 2010, the first free elections for almost sixty years were held in Sudan. Following the 2005 peace agreement, Norwegian People’s Aid has worked in close collaboration with the SPLM (Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement) to bring about an election based on the greatest possible democracy, justice and equality, and in which women formed a natural part of the electorate. Salva Klir and the SPLM received widespread support, foreshadowing the South Sudanese vote for independence from the North in 2011.

States parties meeting in LaosNorwegian People’s Aid has played an active role in achieving the international ban on cluster munitions. In November 2010, the first states parties meeting for the convention on cluster munitions was held in Laos, one of the world’s worst cluster-munitions affected countries. Over 110 countries attended the meeting in Laos, thus sending a clear message from the international community that cluster munitions have no role to play in today’s society. Millions of cluster munitions have already been destroyed and seven countries, including Norway, have decommissioned all their cluster munitions.

Re-launch of Racism-free ZonesIn August 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid re-launched the Racism-free Zone concept, originally started in 1998 in collaboration with LO. The background to the project was people’s being discriminated against at social venues on account of their skin colour or cultural background. The Zone commits itself to taking all reports of discrimination within a business seriously, as well as to try and prevent such situations occurring in the first place.

Norwegian People’s Aid undertakes practical solidarity work around the world in collaboration with local partners. We take up standpoints based on experience gained in our daily work, whether at refugee reception centres or in minefields or during search and rescue operations or on the Gaza Strip. Taking experience

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Search and Rescue + Asylum and Integration Norway

Mines and Cluster Munitions Development Cooperation Development/Mines Mine programme concluded in 2010

Norway Croatia Russia Bosnia Herzegovina GeorgiaSerbia Palestine Lebanon MoldovaBosnia Herzegovina Mozambique Iraq UgandaJordan Rwanda Angola ZambiaGuinea Bissau Somalia EthiopiaDRC Congo South Africa SudanMauritania Tanzania ZimbabweLaos Burma CambodiaTajikistan Bolivia VietnamThailand Chile

ColombiaCubaEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasNicaragua

The right to time off for Search and RescueThe right to paid leave in order to participate in search and rescue operations requested by the police is an issue that is permanently on the Norwegian People’s Aid agenda. The Minister of Justice has on several occasions emphasised the importance and necessity of the voluntary sector of the search and rescue service and, in a letter dated 6.10.2010, calls upon employers to accommodate employees who need time off to participate in search and rescue operations. Norwegian People’s Aid will continue to work at this issue until the right to paid leave for such operations is established by law.

from the field into our political lobbying work is a conscious strategy and enables Norwegian People’s Aid to contribute to significant political change the world over. Our members and supporters make us a forceful organisation that is listened to nationally and internationally.

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NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID FIELDS OF ACTIVITY

www.npaid.org

Norwegian People’s Aid is the labour movement’s humanitarian organisation for solidarity. We work with international solidarity, humanitarian mine clearance, rescue services and first aid, asylum and integration. We have more than 10,000 members and 2400 employees in over 35 countries.

Rescue Service

Development Cooperation

Asylum and Integration

Mine Action

Photo: Werner Anderson

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SEARCH AND RESCUE

When anyone gets lost or injured in the mountains, it is volunteers that turn out to help. Norwegian People’s Aid has 2000 volunteer crews on standby for society. In 2010 they participated in a total of 159 search and rescue operations.

On average, Norwegian People’s Aid volunteer crews are called into action to save life and health every second day. They are ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their efforts make Norway a safer country in which to live.

health and rescue groups across the entire country60

search and rescue operations undertaken in 2010

159

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Norwegian People’s Aid maintains preparedness throughout the year against disasters – flooding, avalanche and other larger incidents.

(Photo: Espen Brekke)

searches for missing persons89 rescue operations following avalanches

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High alert in the Easter mountainsEvery year, many volunteer rescuers – both men and women – choose to spend their Easter holiday taking care of other people’s safety. Norwegian People’s Aid has around 20 health and rescue groups stationed in the mountains at Easter. They turn out for everything from avalanches and search operations to patients with heart problems.

Avalanche is one of the greatest challenges to Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue crews. Every minute counts for anyone trapped under the snow. Statistically, the chances of survival are small. That’s why the service maintains particularly high alert for avalanche search and rescue in a number of areas across the country. Tromsø is one example. “There are many avalanche-prone areas in Troms. For this reason Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue Tromsø has extremely operational crews for dealing with avalanche,” says Anne Mette Johnsen, Head of NPA Health and Rescue. The avalanche group in Tromsø has two avalanche leaders and a series of crews on high alert at all times throughout the six months of winter, including Easter. These amount to a very important resource for the rescue services in Troms. The Tromsø group do a good deal of training and have gained solid experience of real avalanche events over the years. The crews are highly motivated, maintain excellent personal preparedness and have an impressively short response time, Johnsen says.

Search and retrieval operationsWhile avalanches fortunately occur relatively seldom, search and retrieval operations on behalf of the health service are more common for crews on duty in the mountains over Easter. Search operations, however, are often of only short duration. Johnsen believes this to be the result of the lowering of the threshold for reporting someone missing. Generally speaking, she believes this to be a good thing.

Early report, rapid rescue“15 years ago, only a few people had a cell phone. Now everybody’s got one. There’s reason to believe that this has also led to greater expectations of our notifying contacts at an earlier stage than previously if one is delayed or something happens. On this basis, the rescue services are also notified earlier,” Johnsen says.

People in the mountains at Easter may also become ill or injure themselves. Ambulances come no further than the end of the road and sometimes the weather is too poor for the Air Ambulance or rescue helicopters. Then someone else has to take on the task. “Off-road retrieval is the kind of task we are often used for. Nearly all come through the Acute Medical Communications switchboard,” says Johnsen.

The crews, who are well-prepared for being out in demanding conditions as a result of training and exercises, make their way on snow-scooters or tracked vehicles or, when no other way is possible, with skis and sleds.

National coordinationWinter rescue services have a long tradition in Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue. Before the snow-scooter, crews got through with skis and dog-sleds. Patients were transported on sleds. Since 1972, Easter preparedness has been coordinated nationally. “Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue’s first information switchboard was co-located at St Olav’s in Vangåsen, north of Hamar, with the Vang group, recalls Hedmarking Johnsen, who has herself spent many an Easter on stand-by in the area. Since then the information switchboard has been at various different places such as Dombås and Skramstadsetra near Rena. For the last few years, it has been in Tromsø.”

Text: Asmund Møller Johansen

SEARCH AND RESCUE

Many areas in Troms are prone to avalanche. For this reason, Norwegian People’s Aid in Tromsø

has extremely opera-tional crews for dealing

with avalanche.

(Photo: Norsk Folkehjelp)

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Joint exercise at seaThe feeling of summer has come to Rogaland and boat-owners are returning to the sea in droves. Volunteers too gather together to organise the summer’s preparedness at sea.

The volunteers come from Norwegian Sea Rescue, Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps, the Norwegian Guide and Scout Association Preparedness Force, Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs and Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue. They have come together under an umbrella organisation called FORF (Volunteer organisations’ search and rescue forum), which has organised the meeting.

The 45 volunteers gathered at Lindøy, a centrally placed location for the crews from Hjelmeland, Strand and Forsand, and Stavanger. Even in the middle of the week, there were a number of leisure boats moored up in the Lindøy guest harbour, and these received a friendly visit from the Rescue Service. “The purpose of the conference was to meet up and relaxing circumstances for professional exchange and discussion of search methods at sea. Unfortunately, there have been far too may accidents at sea in this district,” says Head of the FORF Secretariat, Erlend Aarsæther. “We hope everyone takes precautions before heading out to sea, but at the same time it is very important that people are able to get out to sea and enjoy themselves. Often, it’s just a case of simple things, such as wearing life jackets or sailing vests when on board. When an accident happens and you are thrown overboard, it’s too late to think about putting on a life jacket. In addition, it’s always worth reminding people that alcohol and sailing a boat do not go together, that people must listen to weather forecasts and seek a harbour if the weather is too bad. People of all ages should know about traffic at sea and that’s why we encourage everyone who spends time at sea to take the boatmanship certificate,” Aarsæther points out.

The focus for the Lindøy conference was twofold: Coastal searching using small boats and searching over larger areas and the open sea. Different methods were examined, with the emphasis of safety. Voluntary organisations have no time to lose in the event of search and rescue operations. While boats and helicopters search the sea, other crews comb the shoreline. Safety for crew members is paramount whilst at the same time doing a good job. “ Too many resources for a sea search is a seldom occurrence, and the volunteer organisations and

professionals cover for each other. The Sea Rescue helicopter is unable to undertake thorough searches along the land and searching open stretches of sea requires larger ships such as those from the Coastguard, among others. Volunteers this evening trained with the Sea King rescue helicopter from 330 Squadron in getting patients on board the helicopter. It blows like a hurricane under a helicopter and it requires excellent boatmanship to hold a boat steady. At the same time, the helicopter crews manoeuvre into the perfect position to let down rescue personnel. A stretcher is then lowered into the open boat and the patient laid upon it. When patients are suffering from hypothermia, it’s better to have them on a stretcher than be winched up in the sling. The stretcher and rescuer are winched up into the helicopter together and minutes later the patient is on his way to hospital,” concludes Aarsæther, expressing great satisfaction with the execution of the exercise.

Text: Espen Brekke

If a missing person is found at sea and recovered by a small boat, it is always very important to get the person rapidly to hospital owing to the dangers of hypothermia.

(Photo: Kristine Notvik)

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Increased demands of search and rescue volunteers The number of search and rescue operations in Norway goes up year by year.

While voluntary search and rescue organisations are a precious resource, demands as to quality are always increasing. For Norwegian People’s Aid, this means maintaining continual focus on professional development, courses and training. When our crews are scrambled to save lives, they must be trained for the job and have the equipment they need.

The Norwegian Rescue Service is based on the concept of solidarity. I help you today because I may need you help tomorrow. We are dependent on the whole of society to do their bit, from the volunteer who gives of his/her time and skill, the family that makes it possible and employers that give rescue crews leave when the alarm goes off, to the government that organises matters and provides funding. This is solidarity in practice!

In an ever more high-tech and demanding daily life, it is crucially important that all parties take responsibility for their own areas and ensure that the conditions are in place to deliver as good a rescue service for the next 40 years as we have done to date.

Norwegian People’s Aid actively works to strengthen the financial basis for this work, for volunteer crews to have the opportunity to spend time training and mustering when the alarm goes, and to develop the rescue service further.

This is done to ensure that we are in an even better position to save your life the day you lose your way or get injured in the mountains.

Text: Erlend Aarsæther, Head of the FORF Secretariat

SEARCH AND RESCUE

OPERATIONS: Monthly divisions

■ Total

Divisions by region 2009 and 2010

■ 2009 ■ 2010

Division by type of task

▼ Search for missing persons

▼ Personal Assistance

▼ SEAO

▼ Avalanche

▼ Other

50

114

89

5

(Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Eas

t

South-

East

South-

West

West

Centra

l Nor

way

North

0

10

20

30

40

50

DecNovOktSep

tAugJu

lyJu

neMayApr

ilMarc

hFe

bJan

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Norwegian people’s Aid is the only humanitarian organisation in Norway to run refugee reception centres. Our experience from this work is invaluable in our political lobbying work to improve the rights and living conditions for refugee and asylum seekers in Norway. Through the media, courses and information work with the trade union movement and broad engagement from our members, we reach out to many different target groups with integration and measures against racism.

Norwegian People’s Aid shall be a fearless advocate for refugees and

asylum-seekers’ rights in Norway(Photo: Werner Anderson)

new enterprises declared their workplaces Racism-free Zones

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new immigrant women stand ready to take part in the 2011 local elections after taking Women Can courses

100

886 resident refugees and 334 ethnic Norwegians

arranged joint activities in 25 municipalities

people over 10 months became members of the Norwegian People’s Aid Facebook campaign: Prejudice Makes You Stupid

21 000

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people are newly-educated as guardians to assist unaccompanied minors

60

asylum-seekers have a proper place to live at our 11 refugee reception centres

1645

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A touching reunionAwdya Futur (23) was returned to Greece in accordance with the Dublin agreement but managed to get back to Norway again. Now she has a residence permit and excitedly waiting to see if her husband will also be allowed to stay in Norway.

On 4th September 2010, Awdya gave birth to her son, Joseph; a month later she was granted residence in Norway. Just recently, her husband, Mubarek Osman Mehammed (23) also managed to get back to Norway. While awaiting Norwegian National ID numbers, Awdya and Joseph are living at Toten State Reception Centre, while Mubarek is installed at the Torshov Transit Centre in Oslo.

The pair have not seen each other for six months and Mubarek has never seen his baby son until Appell (NPA members’ magazine) takes him to Toten so he can meet his family. It is a touching moment. Awdya and Mubarek hold round each other a long, long time while they study each other intently. “You’ve got so thin!” exclaims Awdya. “Yes, I’ve been so worried I haven’t had much of an appetite,” Mubarek replies before Awdya leads him up the steps to the flat that she shares with four other women. Little Joseph is waiting there, fast asleep and blissfully ignorant of all the difficulties his parents have been through. “He’s just beautiful,” says a moved Mubarek as he holds his son in his arms for the first time.

Want to be togetherAwdya and Mubarek are both from Eritrea but met in Sudan. They got married and decided to try to find somewhere where they could live together safely. They managed first to get to Greece and then to Norway, but after 10 months at a refugee reception centre in Flekkefjord, first Awdya, then Mubarek were returned to Greece in keeping with the Dublin agreement. “Greece was like hell. We had no money and pretty much lived on the street and in parks,” Awdya recalls. When she was eight months pregnant with Joseph, she managed to get back to Norway while Mubarek remained in Greece. There he survived on eating from rubbish-bins for six months until he too managed to get back to Norway. “It’s so good to know that we are in the same country! Now I know he’s getting proper food and sleeping in abed, not outside, ” Awdya says. “I’ve missed him constantly. Now we just dream about being together and making a good home where we can be a happy family,” she continues. “I’m waiting for the Directorate of Immigration to contact me and simply hoping that they’ll allow me to seek asylum in Norway. All I want is to be with my wife and son, says Mubarek, who can’t put little Joseph down.”

Looking to the futureMuch has changed for Awdya since she was living at Haslemoen Transit Centre in Våler, heavily pregnant and sick with worry for Mubarek. Now she is Joseph’s mother and knows that she is able to stay in Norway. “It was a joyful day when I got my residence permit. Now I can begin to look towards the future for the first time. And it’s so good to see Mubarek again; I feared he would die as he was living in such terrible conditions and had absolutely no money, she says. The little family enjoys the few hours they have together and laugh and cuddle each other constantly. In the car on the way back to Oslo,” Mubarek is quiet. “Now I can relax for the first time for a very long time. I have seen my wife and held my son and know that they are all right. Tonight, I shall sleep well,” he says.

Text: Sissel Fantoft


Picture caption: Married couple and new parents, Awdya and Mubarek, finally reunited after being

separated fro the last six months.

(Photo: Elmer Laahne)

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Dinner is served!On 19th August 2010, the municipality of Kongsvinger, in collaboration with Norwegian people’s Aid, was declared a Racism-free Zone. This means actively working to create a community in which everyone can feel included. The day was celebrated with Kongsvinger’s annual town party.

“Would you like a taste?” Aref Nasir piles rice with almonds and raisins and laden kebab sticks onto a plate and serves curious Norwegians with a big smile. On his head he has a cardboard chef’s hat he has made for the occasion. The food made by the eight young men from Afghanistan sells like hot cakes. The Kongsvinger town party is an annual affair and this year the local refugee reception centre is present with three food booths from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Chile. The queues are long outside each booth but perhaps longest outside the Afghan tent. The smell of rice and lamb is difficult to withstand for the town party’s hungry visitors. Only very few have ever tasted Afghan food before.

The boys behind the counter are proud to say that they have made all the food themselves, and that they have learned how to do it while staying at the centre. “Today we have been making food for over eight hours,” grins Abbas Mohamali. And it seems to have

been worth it, for the queue continues to grow and the platefuls of food at 50 kroner a time are disappearing to the accompaniment of smiles as big as Abbas’, while Donkeyboy performs on the stage in the background.

Activity Leader, Sergio Rocco, from the Norwegian people’s Aid refugee reception centre at Kongsvinger has organised the residents’ participation, and it is a great way for the Kongsvinger population to meet some of the asylum-seekers and their exotic food culture. It is also a great occasion to celebrate that we are a Racism-free Zone, says the municipality’s new Chief Officer, Bernhard Caspari, adding that it is an important symbolic event to make clear what kind of a community we want to be for the people who live here.

Text: Anne Håskoll-Haugen

Activity Leader, Sergio Rocco, from the Norwegian people’s Aid refugee reception centre at Kongsvinger, organised the party for the centre’s residents and the Kongsvinger population.

(Photo: Anne Håskoll-Haugen)

Keeping our own house in orderNorwegian People’s Aid actively works against prejudice and discrimination in Norwegian society and it is very impor-tant that this is reflected in our own operations.

Norwegian People’s Aid aims to promote the objectives of the law on discrimination within its business: “To promote equality, ensure equal opportunities and rights and to prevent discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, descent, skin colour, language, religion or beliefs.

In addition to all our job advertisements encouraging applications from people with minority backgrounds, we have declared our offices a Racism-free zone. This means that we have an explicit racism-free profile and that we treat everyone with respect, regardless of skin colour, religious or cultural background.

When employment interviews are being conducted, our policy is that the interview team be made up of both sexes whenever practicably possible. Of our 200 or so employees in Norway, 25% have an immigrant background. Our management group consists of women and men in equal measure.

21

Three important battlesNot all results may be measured by figures or statistics. Some of our results within asylum and integration issues come from long-term political lobbying and can be witnessed in changed attitudes, increased awareness and better rights in relation to vulnerable groups in society.


(Photo: Ingeborg Øien Thorsland)

Paperless refugeesIn 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid began the No One is Illegal campaign in collaboration with a raft of other organisations. We have collectively asked the government to set a limit to the number of years people in Norway may be deemed ‘illegal’, irrespective of age. This corresponds with the Directorate of Immigration proposal from 2003. Norwegian People’s Aid does not support amnesty but a final limit for paperless persons who have been living longest in this intractable situation, difficult from an humanitarian perspective and problematic from that of human rights. Bringing about a political change in this field is a long process. We expect, however, there to be a solution for families with children which have been in this situation for a long while, and the government has already given notice of a White Paper concerning refugee children before the summer of 2011. The campaign has received broad support both within and outside our organisation; the case involving Maria Amelie is a clear example.

Asylum-seekers in GreeceOn the basis of our long experience of running refugee reception centres, Norwegian People’s Aid has worked out a solution to Europe’s refugee challenges from a perspective of solidarity. In 2010, we put the situation of asylum-seekers in Greece on the agenda. The experiences gained from a fact-finding mission resulted in the proposal to establish a centre for unaccompanied underage asylum-seekers in Greece. The centre was to provide accommodation for up to 70 children and was to be established in collaboration with Greek organisations. The proposal was well-received by Norwegian authorities but has not been followed up so far.

At the same time, Norwegian People’s Aid has been in the forefront of trying to put a stop to returning refugees to Greece under the Dublin Agreement. In October, Norway called a temporary halt. This was followed by a judgment from the International Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that confirmed that return to Greece was in breach of human rights.

Closure of waiting units and return centresThe closure of return centres in the summer of 2010 was an important step in the right direction. Norwegian People’s Aid wishes to set the agenda for further discussions. To start with, such return centres must be suitable for a varied group of people from unaccompanied minors to families with children if they are to encompass all whose applications have been rejected. Secondly, there must be clarification of what is meant by “skills-enhancing and return-focussed activities.”

Text: Irfan Qaiser, Advisor, Norwegian People’s Aid

22


Norwegian People’s Aid works in partnership with local organisations of farmers, indigenous peoples, women , young people, human rights activists and volunteers in over 30 countries. Our goal is to strengthen their ability to fight for a more rightful distribution of power and resources within their society. Organisation is important for mobilising people to participation, spreading information and influencing public opinion and political decision-making.

In Norway, Norwegian People’s Aid is an active advocate for issues which emerge from our partners’ struggles in their countries. We work to influence public debate and the political environment in Norway by means of our own statements and participation in various arenas in national and international fora.

people in Rwanda prepare to tell the authorities what they think about public service provision in the districts where they live

20 000 Cambodians took part in demonstrations against land theft to defend their rights to land, housing and the means of existence

450 000

24

Three happy girls at a school in Ecuador. Junior high school education has now been estab-lished after pressure form Norwegian People’s Aid local partner organisations (AUCC). It was realised that there was too much violence and child labour in the region and the best way of combating this was thought to be junior high school provision to local young people. Previous governments had proposed private schools but few have the financial resources. For this reason, it is an important victory for the local population that the school is state-owned. AUCC has provided 12 PCs to the school. Parents, teachers and students at the school hope that further pressure on the authorities will result in funds for expanding the school so that more places can be offered and, in the long term, a more varied curriculum.

(Photo: Werner Anderson )

450 000

hectares of stolen agricultural land in Cambodia was finally returned to the people of eight villages

180

in South Sudan received training to play an active role in their communities to limit violence against women

576 women and 279men In connection with the election

and referendum in South Sudan, 100

South Sudanese journalists and12 editors

received training in how to work

under difficult and

conflict-filled conditions and 30 journalists took part in meeting for dialogue

with security personnel in order to avoid

violent confrontations

25

Investments with side-effects“Elephants have gone astray in villages and lions have attacked people,” says Diamantion Nhampossa (39). He sums up the consequences of foreign companies, including Norwegian ones, establishing themselves in Mozambique.

Nhampossa is head of União Nacional de Campones (UNAC) one of the Norwegian People’s Aid partner organisations in Mozambique. UNAC keeps track of which foreign companies have invested in the Mozambique countryside and the consequences this has for local communities.

Erosion and wild animals“International investors come to Mozambique from around the world. There are companies from Brazil, China, USA, South Africa, Sweden and Norway. The commonest businesses are sugar-cane, mining, eucalyptus-planting and ecotourism,” Nhampossa says.

As head of UNAC, Nhampossa represents 86,000 members. While his parents are farmers, Nhampossa himself studied philosophy in Zambia and law at the University of Mozambique. “The establishment of international companies brings many problems. One of the most common is erosion of the land. Farmers traditionally move on every four years to protect the land; in many cases this is no longer possible where international companies have established themselves. As a result, the farmers are much more vulnerable to drought,” says Nhampossa. “Another problem is that the international companies often close off access to water and prevent people from collecting wood which they use for making food and building houses. There has also been a problem with wild animals. Animals come and go as they always have done. When a company suddenly builds on an established animal route, they become confused. There have been instances where elephants have gone astray in villages and lions have attacked people.”

People approve new establishment“According to the law, all companies that wish to establish themselves in Mozambique are required to consult local communities before obtaining permission from the authorities to set up business. In theory, no one can circumvent getting signatures from the local community that approve the setting up of the business there. But there are many ways around this,” Nhampossa soberly explains.

“Many come to the villages and invite everyone to big parties with food and wine. The big companies don’t have to do very much before local villagers are willing to subscribe to agreements.”He lifts up a pen and, holding it by the tip, shakes it a couple of times to demonstrate how small the bribes must be in order to obtain approval. “It’s also a fact that the president and people at high levels at the university have percentages in many of the international companies. In this way, establishment happens rapidly and painlessly,” Nhampossa explains.He sighs. “The problem is that many villagers do not understand all that a company establishing itself means. There was, for example, a South African investor who started up a crocodile farm in a village. When he ran out of food, he simply left the farm, leaving all the hungry crocodiles behind. Nor do we know the long-term consequences of planting so many eucalyptus trees. We do know, however, that they drink a great deal of water,” he says.

Proof of injusticeIn parallel with mapping the extent of foreign capital’s establishment and destruction in Mozambique, UNAC is teaching people about the consequences of subscribing to company wishes and how to avoid doing so. Nhampossa says this is crucial preventive work. In those cases, however, where the international companies have already established themselves, he hope the mapping project will be able to provide evidence of the dimensions of the problem and thus contribute to calling a halt. “The mapping is important because it gives us a good basis from which to influence opinion. We want to obtain evidence of poor implementation of the law and documentation of the problem,” says Nhampossa. The report is expected to be ready by the beginning of 2011.

Text: Tine Solberg Johansen


Diamantion Nhampossa er leder for bonde-

organisasjonen UNAC, og jobber for 86 000

medlemmers rettigheter i møte med utenlandske

investeringer på landsbygda i Mosambik.

(Foto: Tine Solberg Johansen)

OBS!

26

A long way yet to equalityIn March 2010, elections were held in Iraq. Eight months later, there is still no government in place. An intense tug-of-war is now taking place between political, ethnic and religious groups. So what is the situation of women in the shadow of men’s struggle for power?

Mother of two Alia Rashid Amin (42) wanted to have her say and stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Kurdish opposition party Goran, or Change, as it likes to be called. The party wants to put an end to the abuse of power and corruption of those in power today, both among the central authorities in Baghdad and in the nearby autonomous region, Iraqi Kurdistan.

Patriarchal attitudesAlia was not able to claim a seat in parliament this time round but she continues to work for the improvement of women’s position in a number of arenas. She wants the country’s inhabitants, especially women and young people, to gain greater influence. Inherited authoritarian culture and patriarchal attitudes are the biggest obstacle, Alia says. She no longer wears a veil herself. “It is a challenge to separate state and religion in an Islamic country. I hope to contribute to bringing about equality where women have real influence on their own terms and are not just decoration for men. The same goes for young people. It’s dream I will follow regardless,” she says, whether by participating in a political party or as women’s rights activist.

Alia makes good use of her engagement in her job as Project Advisor for Norwegian People’s Aid. Her field of enterprise covers respect for human rights, support to democratisation, combating violence against women and increasing social engagement among women and young people.

One of the first Norwegian People’s Aid projects she worked on was support to Kurdish widows who had lost their husbands and been driven from their land under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

A micro-credit project gave small loans to the women who sustained themselves through keeping goats or the use of a sewing machine or a small shop at home. A quarter of the profits were collected and transferred to other families who then got the opportunity to provide for themselves too. “When women get access to their own resources, they can achieve a higher position, including within the family,” Alia thinks.

Two year-olds married offAlia functions as our interpreter when Norwegian People’s Aid and Fagbladet visit one of the centres that provide help to village women who are vulnerable to persecution and ‘honour’-related violence. At the centre we hear of two year-old girls who have already been promised as wives to men in the village.

Activists at the centre give legal and social support to young girls who are exposed to violence or who refuse to get married. In order to avoid ‘honour’ killings, arrangements are sometimes made whereby the man is paid to accept a “divorce”. A marriage is regarded as valid when it is registered with a religious leader, a mullah, whether or not the wife is just a child when she is promised away by her own parents. Women’s rights activists work tirelessly to influence local mullahs not to register such marriages and to get the practice banned under the law. “Honour killings have at last been forbidden by law, says Alia, but the law the enforced in very different ways and not particularly strictly. In a court-case, for example, one woman’s testimony concerning honour-related violence is ignored if she testifies alone. Two female witnesses are needed to weigh against one of a man,” she says.

People want peaceAlia Rashid lives in Kirkuk, the disputed oil-rich city in the north. Here Norwegian people’s Aid works in partnership with Efforts for Development Organisation – an independent organisation which brings young people together across ethnic, religious and political divisions. Here they learn about solving conflict and how to live together and build a community across dividing lines. “The future belongs to the young. They make up nearly 60% of the population in this region,” says Alia.

Many Kurds want Kirkuk to become the capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in North Iraq. Conflicting voices can be heard from Arab, Turkmen and Syrian inhabitants. Alia believes that the city’s status should be determined by a referendum among its inhabitants, as laid down in the constitution. “My hope is for an ordinary, safe life for the inhabitants of Kirkuk. People are tired of conflict now,” she says.

Text: Monica Scanche, NUMGE.First published 9.11.2010

Inherited authoritarian culture and patriarchal attitudes are the biggest obstacle in relation to contributing to women’s and young people’s participation in Kurdistan, says Project Advisor in Norwegian People’s Aid, Alia Rashid Amin.

(Photo: Monica Schancke )

27

Powerful voices for rightful distributionIn 2011, alongside our partners, we will maintain special focus on how foreign investment affects the distribution of power and resources and, not least, how this affects the living conditions of groups which are already vulnerable in the countries where we have a presence.

One important victory in 2010, owing to the efforts of Norwegian People’s Aid and our partners, was that civil society’s voice was heard in Colombia in connection with the development of a free trade agreement between EFTA and the country. Together with the Colombia Network, we saw to it that the spotlight was aimed at human rights conditions in


the country and the negative consequences the trade agreement would have for Colombia’s internally displaced persons and indigenous peoples. The agreement was signed in 2008 but the ratification is still postponed owing to active lobbying work.

Text: Anna Birgitte Mørck, Advisor in Norwegian People’s Aid

Luis Fernando Arias Arias, indigenous peoples’ leader,

human rights lawyer and Secretary General for Nor-

wegian People’s Aid partner, ONIC, demonstrates against

the free trade agreement between EFTA and Colombia

in front of the Department of Trade and Industry and

Parliamentary Secretary Rikke Lind.

(Photo: Helle Berggrav-Hanssen )

28

MINES AND CLUSTER

MUNITIONSEvery day innocent people are killed or maimed by mines and cluster munitions. Thousands are affected by these weapons every year in many countries. These explosives are left behind after war and armed conflict. This is an unacceptable and wholly unnecessary threat that affects civilians, children and adults, around the world. As one of the world’s foremost bodies within humanitarian mine- and explosives clearance, Norwegian People’s Aid is helping remove this threat.

On average, every one of our

mine-clearance workers has freed

104 073 sq. metres of land

In 2010 Norwegian People’s Aid freed

sq. metres of land for civil populations around the world.

This corresponds to

16 135international-size football pitches

30

In Laos alone 1 420

cluster munitions were found and cleared from rice-fields,

fields, roads and residential areas

Diana Likiso James from the Women’s Mine Clearance Team has just found a TM46 (Russian anti-tank mine) outside Lainya in South Sudan

(Photo: Werner Anderson )

31

Cluster munitions banThe ban on cluster munitions came into force on 1st August 2010 and the first states parties meeting was held in Laos in November the same year. A 66 point action plan is to turn the promises of the Cluster Munitions Treaty into reality. Norwegian people’s Aid ensures the tools are available to make it possible.

“The legal obligations the states assumed when signing the cluster munitions ban are now becoming the reality on the ground with intensive cluster munitions clearance, destruction of stockpiles and increased assistance to victims of cluster munitions,” says mine policy advisor Atle Karlsen, who represented Norwegian People’s Aid at the first states parties meeting for the cluster munitions convention in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. “During the conference we were reminded how important this work is. A 10 year-old girl was killed in a cluster munitions accident while her 15 year-old sister was badly injured. Children and adults in Laos live with their lives and health in constant danger,” Karlsen points out.

Urgent121 governments were represented at the conference in Vientiane, among them 34 countries who are yet to sign up to the convention. 108 countries have now signed the international ban on cluster munitions and 46 have ratified the treaty which forbids the use, production, stockpiling and transport of cluster munitions. It also demands that all cluster munitions are to be destroyed within eight years and that affected areas are to be cleared within ten years. In other words, countries that have signed the treaty have no time to lose. “Norwegian People’s Aid has developed ‘help to help yourself’ solutions for the destruction of smaller or irregular stocks of cluster munitions. In addition, we are currently testing a new examination method which would rapidly be able to free up large areas in cluster-munitions affected countries,” says Per Nergaard, Head of the Norwegian people’s Aid Mine Division.

In collaboration with Moldovan authorities and international donors, Norwegian People’s Aid has shown that countries with few resources do not need to spend lots of money on complicated, commercial destruction methods. With technical advice from Norwegian people’s Aid, they are in fact capable of destroying their stockpiles themselves. Moldova actually destroyed its airborne cluster munitions before the ban came into force on the 1st August and was thus able to declare itself free of cluster munitions. “Despite everything, this is actually about saving lives. Every cluster bomb that is destroyed is one less that could have killed or maimed a child,” says Nergaard.

Bombs’ footprintsThe Moldovan method was presented to interested countries during the states parties meeting, as was a new method for liberating land. The method is currently being tested in Laos, the world’s worst cluster-munitions affected country on account of the American bombing of Ho Chi Minh’s supply route during the Vietnam War. Using target data supplied by the Americans, information from local populations and our own investigations in the field, Norwegian People’s Aid is able to uncover the footprints of every single American cluster-munitions raid. “When we find out where the cluster munitions have landed, we also find out where they haven’t landed. This means that large areas may be declared free of cluster munitions without costly, time-consuming exploration. Every area that can be declared free of cluster munitions is an area that villages can use to grow food for their families,” Nergaard says.

The method is new and it will take time to finish its development, not to mention win the confidence of the local population. Nevertheless, Norwegian people’s Aid is already testing the method in Sekong Province, in Laos. So far the results are confidence-inspiring and the trials are likely to be expanded to other Norwegian People’s Aid clearance projects in the country. The next states parties meeting is to be held in Lebanon, another country with a serious cluster-munitions problem following Israeli bombing in 2006. The states will then be measured up against the promises they made in Vientiane.

Text: Øystein Sassebo Bryhni


Thi lost his arm in a cluster munitions

accident in 1977. Now he is leading a campaign to get his

home country, Vietnam, to sign up to the cluster

munitions ban.


32

Praise for minefield policy

Norad has evaluated the work undertaken by the Norwegian People’s Aid Mine Division from 1999-2010. They say the report is one of the most positive they have ever made.

According to Norad, the combination of political advocacy and operational mine clearance means that Norwegian People’s Aid stands out from other organisations. Head of the Norwegian People’s Aid Mine Division, Per Nergaard, could not agree more. “Norwegian People’s Aid is an organisation which takes standpoints on the basis of experiences gained from our daily work, whether they are from refugee reception centres, in minefields or on the Gaza Strip. Taking field experience into our policy has therefore become a conscious strategy on our part and helped us to bring about bans on landmines and cluster munitions,” says Nergaard.

PredictabilityThe report points out that close collaboration between Norwegian People’s Aid and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been a precondition of the leading international role gained by Norwegian People’s Aid. “The Foreign Ministry has been an important supporter of both our political work and our mine-clearance operations. That we have now entered into a four-year contract with the Ministry provides us with a predictability that we have never had before,” Nergaard adds.

The report was produced by Elsbeth Krogh and Tim Nardner from the Danish consultancy company COWI A/S and covers the period from 1999 to the present. Krogh underlines that they have only been able to see a tiny bit of Norwegian People’s Aid mine operations but thinks that the selection they made nevertheless gives a clear picture.

Building relations“In Sudan we saw how Norwegian People’s Aid conduct their own operations in the field; in Ethiopia we saw how they build up skills locally and in Jordan how they use their practical field work in political lobbying of the authorities,” says Krogh. “Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the world’s leading organisations for mapping, clearance, capacity-building, development of new technology and liberation of land,” says Nardner, emphasising, moreover, the ability of Norwegian People’s Aid to build relations with various authorities. “Norwegian People’s Aid has negotiated, officially and unofficially, on behalf of the Norwegian Government on a number of occasions and this has

lead to political achievements,” says Nardner, referring to the bans on landmines and cluster munitions.

Room for improvementDespite all the praise, the two analysts think there is room for improvement. In particular, they think that Norwegian People’s Aid development work should be able to be linked more closely with its mine work. Currently the two programme areas function more or less as separate organisations. “We understand that this is largely owing to the fact that Norwegian People’s Aid development work cannot easily be united with its mine work and that this has been neither necessary or desirable. Nevertheless, we think that the mine work would benefit from strengthening its socio-economic competence,” says Krogh. “Such competence is generally lacking in mine-clearance milieus. Norwegian People’s Aid could help the entire milieu by strengthening the links to development work and poverty reduction,” she says.

Text: Øystein Sassebo Bryhni

Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Større greets Soraj Ghulam Habib after signing the international ban on cluster munitions in Oslo in December 2008

(Photo: Federico Visi)

33

A ban with resultsOn the 1st March 2011, it was 12 years since the Landmine Convention came into force in international law; on the 1st August we will be able to celebrate the first anniversary of its sister convention that forbids all use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

Both conventions came as a result of interested countries, civil society and multilateral organisations recognising the enormous, tragic consequences of the use of these weapons. Up until today’s date, 156 states parties have committed to meeting the demands of the Mine Convention while the Cluster Munitions Convention has 52 states parties (108 countries have signed).

The effect of these conventions is invaluable. Today the mine problem has been reduced to specific, discernible areas in most affected countries whereas the situation back in the 90s was extremely imprecise. It was then estimated that as many as 80 million mines were left lying on the ground. Landmine accidents were fewer than 4000 in 2009, the lowest figure since the convention was signed. Where cluster munitions are concerned, clearance programmes have already started in most affected countries. Moldova and Norway have already destroyed all their stock of cluster munitions and badly affected countries such as Lebanon and Laos receive important support from other states parties.

In addition to the concrete humanitarian effects of the convention, there are also other knock-on effects that are worth mentioning. When landmines, cluster munitions and other explosives are cleared after a

war or armed conflict, a considerable barrier to long-term development is also removed.

Purely politically, these conventions have probably had a far greater effect than most could have imagined. The conventions gain political power to small and medium-sized countries which do not usually have as much weight or influence in traditional, multilateral disarmament processes. Countries such as Laos, Zambia, Lebanon and Mozambique now have legitimate roles within these processes while large countries such as USA, China, India and Russia (none of which are states parties to either of the conventions) have been more or less sidelined when unwilling to participate in negotiations prior to the conventions.

Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the world’s largest mine-clearance organisations and we remove landmines, cluster munitions and other left-overs of war in 18 or so countries around the globe. We also participate actively in international coalitions such as ICBL (The International Campaign to Ban Landmines) and CMC (The Cluster Munition Coalition) as well as in The Monitor, precisely because we see that the political processes and their effects are very important parts of the work we do.

Text: Atle Karlsen, Advisor, Norwegian People’s Aid


Phongsavanh Sayngeun from Lamane in Laos to-gether with her husband

Xaiyaket Chittavong. – I began in this job to help villages get rid of

unexploded bombs, says Phonsavanh.


34

YOUTHANTI-CORRUPTION

CHAIRMANNRK TV CAMPAIGN 2011

YOUTH


36

YOUTH

We LIKE engagement!Young Norwegian People’s Aid volunteers visit schools and organisations, holding presentations about engagement. And the demand for them is great.

“I like engagement” is a Facebook campaign based on creating engagement for large, important issues. The campaign also includes a lecture tour. “The campaign poster shows a picture of a banana chocolate and a banana. It reflects the fact that many people got engaged over the issue of returning banana chocolates to the Twist selection, and succeeded. So we ask, why not get just as much engaged on behalf of Cambodian banana farmers,” says project worker Hilde Jørgensen.

Young volunteersThe point of the campaign is to show that engagement makes a difference. “When enough people stand together, they often win the day. The campaign is aimed at students and older adolescents, and members of Norwegian People’s Aid youth groups have taken courses about giving lectures and presentations. We keep getting enquiries from colleges and high-schools who want us to come and visit, so there’s clearly an interest, says Jørgensen. The young lecturers talk about what solidarity work is and how aid work can be carried out in practice in accordance with the Norwegian People’s Aid values basis. The main focus of the campaign in 2010 is on three countries: Sudan, Cambodia and Ecuador. We underline that these are not professional employees of Norwegian People’s Aid but volunteers. It’s great that our young members and students get up there and represent Norwegian people’s Aid in this way,” says Hilde Jørgensen. In 2011, we will be following up the issue of Palestinian refugees.

Fantastic responseSahar Azari (24) studies political science and has been a member since this summer. She has already held a number of talks in connection with the “We LIKE Engagement” campaign. “I’ve been politically active since I was 13 and joined Norwegian People’s Aid because friends told ne about the work they do. It’s been very exciting and I’ve learned huge amounts, not least in the lecturing course in connection with this campaign,” she says. Participants commit to holding at least two lectures afterwards. “There were four of us from the Trondheim group that took the course. We learnt to plan a lecture then did it for the others and got feedback. So far I’ve done two lectures, both at Ringve Junior High School, but have plans to speak to LO Youth, AUF, SU and RU,” she says.

At Ringve, Sahar has Anne Marit Haugland Grimsbo with her. “The first class we met were 2nd year drama students and there we found tremendous engagement. They had loads of questions and we had good discussions afterwards. It was great fun! Afterwards we had a group of 1st year general studies students. Here we got less response so we got to experience two completely different audiences. But I absolutely want to hold more lectures,” says Sahar Azari.

Norwegian champions in engagement “I am proud of being a member of an organisation that shows such great engagement in creating a more just world,” says Head of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth, Solveig Igesund. “We react when the Directorate of Immigration issues ridiculous proposals for interning asylum-seekers and we are holding an appeal on Kristallnacht about Romany people and their rights, standing outside in many degrees below zero when it’s our shift. Over the autumn, Norwegian people’s Aid Youth has trained a number of lecturers to spread information about international solidarity in Sudan, Cambodia and Ecuador,” says Solveig, adding: “All this adds up in my opinion to Norwegian people’s Aid Youth deserving the title of Norwegian champions in engagement 2010! We’ll be taking this with us into 2011 when we will continue to fight for a more humane asylum policy, for the Oil Fund to withdraw from unethical companies and for First Aid training in all schools,” says Solveig, engaged.

Text: Sissel Fantoft

“I am proud of being a member of an organisa-

tion that shows such great engagement in creating a more just

world,” says Head of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth, Solveig Igesund.

(Photo: Asle Huse)

38

VI Like

ENGASJEMENT

&

Mange tusen engasjerte seg for å få banansjokoladen tilbake i Twistposen. Det er bra. Når flere står sammen får man til endring. Tenk hvis like mange ville engasjere seg for bananbønders rettigheter i Kambodsja som for banansjokoladen. Med engasjement kan vi forandre verden.

Vis engasjement på facebook.com/folkehjelp

Fins det en engelsk plakat?

39

Norwegian People’s Aid Youth in growth! In 2010, members of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth have shown that engagement counts. With engagement we can change the world - and that’s the slogan that has been with us all year.

Our members have kept things going at a high tempo and with fantastic determination, whether it was the 1st of May solidarity concert, First Aid services during the Norway Cup or going on a lecture tour about international solidarity.

Norwegian People’s Aid Youth has made a difference. In Malm, the youth group crushed myths and misconceptions about asylum-seekers by protesting against a racially motivated Facebook page in the local paper. The result? The Facebook page was removed. In Bergen, the youth group’s engagement was noticed by the Sponsor Committee at the university. The result? Sponsor week provided funds for 1.5 km of mine-free roads and paths to school and enormous attention for the work done by Norwegian people’s Aid. These are just two examples, but believe me, there are more!

The year has also been used to build up a recruitment culture in the youth organisation. We have recruited new members by holding appeals at LO’s student conference and AUF’s summer camp and national assembly. During the Solidarity Conference, we got 60 new members in an hour, and at all central gatherings, such as the autumn camp and youth leader courses, recruitment has been very firmly on the agenda. And this offensive has already begun to bear fruit – Norwegian people’s Aid Youth is growing!

We have got a great deal done in 2010 and we should be proud of it. We will be taking this positive trend into our National Assembly year, where both challenges and opportunities will be waiting for us.

Best WishesSolveig IgesundHead of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth

YOUTH

The head of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth is proud of all the youth groups have

managed.

(Photo: LO media)

40

A voluntary basis

“If we are to be good abroad, first we must be good at home,” says Chairman Finn Erik Thoresen, thereby satisfied that Norwegian People’s Aid enters 2011 in a stronger position than in previous years.

In 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid began a recruitment campaign, something which has led to a growth of 1700 new members. Five new local chapters were also set up. “We’ve done a great job with recruitment and the way in which we now communicate about member-ship is more clear and thorough in relation to what our members can get involved in,” Thoresen points out.

“More members nationally means strength for the organisation internationally,” says Thoresen, adding: “It is much easier to identify with an organisation one thinks is doing a good job locally, in relation to search and rescue services for example, or taking care of people’s lives and health in general. At the same time, when Norwegian People’s Aid promotes the needs of people somewhere else in the world – Palestinian refugees, for example, during our 1st May campaign – then it is easier to gain people’s support for this work, precisely because we have achieved credibility through local activities. That’s why I think if we only had our work abroad, the basis for our whole organisation would be much weaker.”

More members means greater political weight when Norwegian People’s Aid put forward its points of view. But Thoresen also wishes to underline the importance of regular donors to the organisation. “A lot of excellent work has also been done to raise income for the organisation. Our new regular donor concept is a credible, well-prepared offer to private donors making it possible to support the organisation financially; this is very important for strengthening our work internationally.”

Local driving forcesAs Chairman, and a generally very engaged man, Finn Erik Thoresen is often on the go, allowing himself to be inspired by the activities conducted by Norwegian People’s Aid local chapters up and down this long-stretched country. “One simply has to take one’s hat off for all the voluntary work done in solidarity with people who need an extra helping hand,” says Thoresen, listing a whole raft of activities undertaken at local level. He mentions, among other things, the arrangements made by the Trondheim chapter for bathing and other activities for the disabled. “This is an example of socially useful work that

people believe in and want to spend their time doing, wholly voluntarily. This type of work cannot be governed by central priorities in Norwegian People’s Aid; here we need to listen and be flexible, allowing local needs and priorities to decide. In this way, we have an enormously important social role. In many ways, it’s also like how we work internationally: our partners define which issues need to be put on the agenda,” he says.

Active anti-racistWhen Finn Erik is asked to focus on the issues he thought most important in 2010, he is quick to mention Norwegian People’s Aid anti-racist work. “I’m very pleased about the re-launch of Racism-free Zones after this concept has been lying relatively dormant for a while. We now stand out as the clear owner of this concept alongside LO although the challenge remains the same: to get companies or associations to show that everyone is welcome, irrespective of skin colour. This re-launch was one of the most important things we did in 2010. Changing attitudes is not done overnight and, unfortunately, we see that it is more important than ever to be a counterbalance against prejudice and racism in Norwegian society. At the same time, we must tolerate working with issues that are not concrete and measurable; in particular our work aimed at changing attitudes requires patience and a long-term approach.

DialogueIn 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid conducted the first Dialogue Forum, where all the local chapter leaders met the board to discuss what the various chapters are involved in and their wishes to start up new activities. Creating such a meeting place is tremendously important for keeping each other informed and included, so this is something which we will be repeating in 2011. Norwegian People’s Aid is a membership-run organisation in which the members’ engagement is the very fundament of our existence. For this to be credible, people must be taken along and feel included. Credibility is absolutely key for us to have the power to get things done, both within the organisation and in the population at large.”


THE CHAIRMAN

Finn Erik Thoresen is proud of the growth in membership: “More members means greater political weight when Norwegian People’s Aid put forward its points of view.”

(Photo: Norwegian People’s Aid)

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Open and active against corruption Corruption in the aid sector is high on the agenda in the Norwegian aid milieu, with Norwegian People’s Aid too. There has been more openness about this issue over the last few years, leading to increased debate and greater mutual learning between organisations as to prevention and handling of such cases.

In 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid had a turnover of over 800 million kroner, working with long-term development work and humanitarian mine clearance with local partners across the globe. Many of the countries in which we have a presence are considered to be among the most corrupt and conflict-filled nations in the world. This is the day-to-day situation to which we have to relate. We therefore recognise the problems but refuse to accept them. For this reason, Norwegian People’s Aid has zero tolerance for all forms of corruption. We work for a unified attitude and common approach across the whole organisation in relation to corruption and strive for full openness concerning this work.

There is no simple reason as to why corruption occurs. Deficient systems and local culture often provide the seedbed of corrupt behaviour and the combination of great poverty and low wages its trigger. The problems are worst for those at the bottom of the ladder.

Corruption makes itself known in many ways but is always linked to disloyal behaviour and crime. Corruption has therefore become a taboo issue and it often requires both courage and knowledge to acknowledge that this may be a problem among one’s own ranks too. This is why Norwegian People’s Aid is concerned about creating openness and defusing the issue of corruption within the organisation.

In 2008, Norwegian People’s Aid adopted a set of guidelines for anti-corruption work and 2009 saw the release of our own reporting routines. This means that

the Oslo head office now has a system for receiving and dealing with reports of undesirable incidents and situations, wherever these might occur within the organisation. Our work with internal control has also been strengthened with a greater number of staff and the establishment of a central procurement function. There is still a little way to go, however, before an all-encompassing tool is in place. We are currently working with the development of a reporting function for all incidents that may involve non-compliance, so called “incident reporting”. Responsibility for this will be with the various programmes and not at head office. The incident reporting system is to have a wide sweep, including HSE issues and incidents that may not necessarily be corrupt but that lie in areas of doubt. Such a system should create a greater sense of ownership of anti-corruption work in the programmes themselves. It will also be easier to catch sight of possible cases which one would not usually view as non-compliance with acceptable routines and practices.

Norwegian People’s Aid recommends that all its partners establish guidelines and procedures against corruption. We evaluate our partners’ administrative and control routines and clearly communicate our zero-tolerance policy. At the same time, we acknowledge that may of our partners lack the necessary capacity or training to deal with these challenges. Where we discover this to be the case, we either make training part of the collaboration or offer external support.

ANTI-CORRUPTION WORK

(Photo: Mohammed Omer)

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Incidents in 2010In 2010, Norwegian People’s Aid investigated two instances of suspected corruption or corrupt behaviour.

SudanNorwegian People’s Aid has it s largest country programme in Sudan. This requires good administra-tive routines and systems to ensure control of the use of funds. The 2009 internal audit showed unsatisfactory tendering and contract procedures so Norwegian People’s Aid decided to undertake a further internal audit in 2010 focussing on Norwegian funds over the last five years. Transactions for a total of 200 million NOK were audited and the results showed marked improvements, particularly in our logistics routines over the last two years. The 2009 audit had uncovered purchases that were not centralised under the logistics department and therefore not documented. This was not in keeping with our guidelines, and part of last year’s audit was concerned with discovering the financial conse-quences to our programmes of not following those guidelines. The work has been both compli cated and difficult but the audit was unable to show any great financial consequences of not following the tendering regulations.

In 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a report of poor financial control at the Norwegian People’s Aid office in Juba, South Sudan. The report came as a consequence of the financial management of the programme remaining situated in Nairobi, while the operative programme management was transferred to Juba. We have since noticed a marked improvement in the routines for financial control since the financial and administrative management has also been transferred to the Juba office. The case has been closely followed up by Norwegian People’s Aid and is now closed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ complete satisfaction.

BurmaBurma is one of the world’s poorest countries and corruption is a big problem. Norwegian People’s Aid maintains high alert in relation to uncovering weaknesses in our partners in the country. Since 2007, three former Norwegian People’s Aid partners have exhibited weaknesses in their internal administrative routines. One case concerned active corruption, the second breach of contract and the third poor administrative routines in a new and inexperienced partner. All collaboration was immediately halted in the first two cases. In the third instance, collaboration was put on ice until the partner was able to document new, improved internal control routines. The total sum involved in these three cases amounted to 116,000 NOK, from a total budget of 12 million.

In each of these cases, the irregularities were discovered either by our own employees or those of our partner. The cases were immediately taken up with the partner concerned and reported following the proper procedures to both the Norwegian people’s Aid head office in Oslo and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of the work to strengthen our partners’ internal control routines and to increase their preparedness against corruption, we held an anti-corruption seminar with all employees and partners in Burma in 2010. We also undertook internal training in sound accounting procedures and purchasing routines. All our partners in Burma are now actively working to strengthen their internal routines in this area.


(Photo: Werner Anderson) (Photo: Inger Sandberg)

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The largest collective effort in the world!Being awarded NRK’s TV campaign is a great honour for a humanitarian organisation and, in 2011, Norwegian People’s Aid is the proud owner of this campaign. Money collected will go towards Norwegian People’s Aid work to remove mines and cluster munitions left behind by war and armed conflict.

The TV campaign is the world’s largest collection campaign in terms of both money raised and the number of people who volunteer to help each year. Going round with a collecting-box or being visited by a collector is a sure sign of autumn in Norway and the amount of engagement bound up with this tradition is enormous. The TV campaign is something we Norwegians should be proud of. Visiting foreigners are amazed at how we actually manage to gather the nation in front of their TV screens on this particular Sunday while 100,000 collectors knock on every door in the country to collect money for a good cause. The secret behind this incredible logistical

NRK TV CAMPAIGN 2011

Kampho (14) døde

Joy (10) survived

Vee (12) died

Watshana (4) survived

Campaign Leader Kari Bucher alongside Per

Nergaard, Head of the Norwegian People’s

Aid Mine Division

(Photo: Sølve Sæther/NRK)

Kampho (14) died

Vee (12) died

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challenge lies in the formidable work of the country’s administrative committees, at county, municipal and local level. without their efforts, the TV campaign would be impossible.

2011 is Voluntary Work Year and this makes us very expectant of the work that lies ahead. I am proud and grateful to be the campaign leader for the TV campaign and looking forward to working with Norwegian People’s Aid in the coming year.

Kari BucherCampaign Leader

Nine children were out playing in their village when they found something they thought was a ball. The ball was a cluster munition. When it exploded, four of the children were killed. The five others survived with minor injuries. Two year-old Dokthjan survived because he sat protected on his big brother’s back. His big brother was killed.

Every day children and adults suffer the consequences of mines and cluster munitions left behind after war and armed conflict. There are far too many such stories around the world which never get told.


Sivohn (6) survived

Noy (8) survived

Thanghe (11) died

Som (12) died

Dokthjan (2) survived


www.blimed.no

Thanghe (11) died

Som (12) died

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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS IN 2010

• Brightpoint Norway AS• BUL Sports Association• Coop Norway SA• EL & IT• Government of Japan (Embassy of Japan in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)• Industry Energy• IMDI• NISO• Norad• Norwegian Civil Service Union• Norwegian Directorate of Immigration• Norwegian Engineers and Managers Association• Norwegian Food and Allied Workers Union• Norwegian Labour Party• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs• Norwegian Prison and Probation Officers Union • Norwegian Transport Workers Union • Norwegian Union of General Workers• Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees• Postkom• Posten• Statoil• The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs• The European commission• The Extra Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation• The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining• The German Federal Foreign Office• The Gjensidige Foundation• The International Trust Fund for Demining and Victim assistance• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland• The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs• The US Department of State• UNDP• Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices• United Federation of Trade Unions• UNOPS

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Published by Norwegian People’s Aid 2011Editor: Kristine Lindberg

The Annual Report is also published in NorwegianDesign and layout: Magnolia

Translations: Neil HowardCover photo: Werner Anderson

ISBN: 978-82-7766-072-1

Postbox 8844 YoungstorgetN-0028 Oslo

Telephone: 22 03 77 00Fax: 22 20 08 70E-mail: [email protected]: www.folkehjelp.no

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