NPA_results_report-2009

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Solidarity in practice NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID RESULT REPORT 2009

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Solidarity in practice

NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID RESULT REPORT 2009

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We support people so that they may defend themselves and promote their own interests. Our work is based on equal cooperation with partners. Charity gives the donor control over the recipient whereas soli-darity involves respecting part-ners’ integrity and their right to set their own conditions.

SOLIDARITY IN PRACTICE

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EXPENSES BY ACTIVITY AREA

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES

WHEN YOU GIVE 100 KR TO NORWEGIAN PEOPLE’S AID

FACTS

Mine clearanceEmergency aid andhealth workLong-term developmentAsylum and integrationMembers’ organisation

237 mill.97 mill.

258 mill.97 mill.16 mill.

AfricaAsiaMiddle EastEuropeLatin AmericaGlobal projectsNorway

351 mill.68mill.

124 mill.72 mill.40 mill.11 mill.

219 mill.

Activity accounts as of 31.12.09

ACQUISITION OF FUNDS

FUNDS USED

ANNUAL ACTIVITIES RESULT

Income from membershipPublic donorsOthersTotal donors

Gaming and lotteriesDonorsTotal collected funds

Activities which fulfil NPA objectivesRefugee asylum centres and other operations unitsSale of advertising space in APPELLActivities which create incomeProduct salesTotal accrued funds from operational activities

Net finance postsOther income

TOTAL ACQUIRED FUNDS

Gaming and lotteriesDonorsProduct salesOther expenses Total costs to acquirement of funds Mine clearanceReconstruction, food and emergency reliefLong-term developmentHospital operations and other health workAttitude-changing and anti-racist activitiesRefugee reception centres & other operations unitsMembers’ organisationInformation work in NorwayProject follow-up at Head OfficeVAT paymentsSum kostnader til formålet

Administrasjon

TOTAL FUNDS USED

Allocation of activity resultsTransferred to/from Equity with externally im-posed restrictionsTransferred to/from Equity with self-imposed restrictionsTransferred to/from other Equity

TOTAL ALLOCATION

• Norwegian People’s Aid works in close collaboration with accountants and an audit committee in relation to the use of funds and fund flow within our own organisation and in that of our partners.

• Norwegian People’s Aid has a well-established sound sys-tem of internal notification and a clear, robust anti-corrup-tion policy (read more on page 36).

The Accounts, Audit and Auditor’s Report for 2009 may be downloaded as a PDF from www.folkehjelp.no

(figures in whole thousands)

15 397

1 325

2 199

18 921

11 59011 813

1 5115 444

30 358

237 30996 735

258 03016 2558 799

88 57316 1588 027

25 164-1 692

753 357

20 303

804 018

1 185621 77320 102

641 874

30 55355 17085 722

90 222840

3 50294 564

-41913

822 939

94 kroner goes towards work to promote democracy and a just distribution of power and resources, the clearance of land-mines and cluster munitions, asylum and integra-tion work and rescue services.

of the remaining 6 kroner we use 4 kroner to obtain new funding and 2 kroner on administration.

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2009- Never before has Norwegian People’s Aid had such a large income as this year and never have we used more money in promoting solidarity in practice.

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farming families’ 5-year battle for water contrib-uted to the High-Plains Indians’ work for rightful distribution of natural resources in 2009.

young people between 13 and 30 are members of Norwegian People’s Aid.

children avoided having to remove their underwear when Norwegian People’s Aid put a stop to the Directorate of Immigration’s age-test examination.

authorised crews are on stand-by in their local communities, making sure that Norwegian society can feel safer.

million Zambians can celebrate after their country is declared mine free.

4000

2035

556

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Contents

YOUTH

RESCUE SERVICES

ASYLUM AND INTEGRATION

UTVIKLING

MINEARBEID

READ MORE ON PAGE 9

READ MORE ON PAGE 12

READ MORE ON PAGE 18

READ MORE ON PAGE 26

READ MORE ON PAGE 32

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Norwegian People’s Aid has organised its operations within four activity areas: Rescue services, asylum and integration, development work and humanitarian mine clearance. In this report you can read about some of what we have worked to achieve, both nationally and internationally.

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photo: Werner Anderson/Cox

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TROMS

NORDLAND

FINNMARKTromsø

Maria Høiden (21), Tromsø Health and Rescue ServicesTrained ambulance service worker in Tromsø“The reason I joined NPA is the challenges. You’re a volunteer of course and you provide help and make yourself useful in a different way from what I do at work. I also get more courses, get to help with searches, and improve myself too.”

Marie Ackermann (18), NPA Youth MalmStudent in further education“I’m concerned about helping and about the conflict in Gaza. I’ve got involved with Norwegian People’s Aid because they’re international”

1400teams given first aid duringthis year’s Norway Cup

7asylum-seekers got to ask direct questions of top politicians concerning Norwegian asylum policy at the Asylum Grill event

200students met up for the student gathering in Trondheim

75youths enjoyed a fantastic summer camp at Utøya

SeveralthousandSandnes inhabitants were vaccinated against swine flu with the help and support of Norwegian People’s Aid Sandnes

Oslo

BUSKERUD

TELEMARK

ØSTFOLD

HEDMARK

OPPLAND

ROGALAND

HORDALAND

Sandnes

Trondheim

Malm

SØR-TRØNDELAGMØRE OG ROMSDAL

NORD-TRØNDELAG

Norwegian People’s Aid in Norway

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“Our role is to contribute to fairer development in the long term rather than to deliver social services to poor countries.”

Secretary-General to Norwegian People’s Aid, Petter Eide.

Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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– Poverty endures because someone wants it that way, usually those sitting in positions of power. It’s a conscious policy – poverty is created by people and maintained by people, says Petter Eide.

– The authorities in every country have the responsibility for ensuring ac-cess to services and promoting good de-velopment for all. If we, as an interna-tional organisation, go in and do the job for them, it also removes the pressure on heads-of-state to do it themselves. Our role is to contribute to fairer de-velopment in the long term rather than to deliver social services to poor coun-tries, he explains.

Most people connect us with classic aid work and emergency relief, but what you’re saying here doesn’t support such an idea?

– No, and it’s high time we came to a clearer specification of what NPA’s role is, answers Eide promptly. Nor-wegian People’s Aid has a political ap-proach to its work. I am convinced that a better division of resources is the key to fairer development. There has been too little focus on this in development aid. We also have to look at power and who influences political decisions. The power relations have to be changed. I am willing to assert that this way of thinking is what will give results in the long term.

Can you give us an example of this work functioning in practice?

- Yes, among other things we have had an important share in the politi-cal change in Bolivia. We have long

been collaborating with the social movements of indigenous peoples and farmers and have contributed to their building up a political capacity. These movements have made a strong contri-bution to a lasting change of power. For the first time in history a president has been elected who has redistribution of resources as one of his primary objec-tives. That’s how we think about aid, says Eide with enthusiasm.

But Norwegian People’s Aid clears mines and cluster munitions from very many countries around the world. Isn’t that delivering a service?

– Yes, that’s right. Norwegian People’s Aid is not an emergency relief organisation but we do undertake hu-manitarian work to do with mine- and cluster-munitions clearance. In this we have a slightly different perspective from that of long-term development work. But here too political change is the key issue. If we hadn’t achieved binding agreements which ban the production and spreading of mines and cluster munitions, we could go on clearing them for all eternity. All NPA activity is linked by a number of over-riding, fundamental values concerning solidarity and human dignity, deeply rooted in the organisation’s 70-year his-tory and its connection with the labour movement.

Seeks change in power relations– People are poor because someone wants them to be, says Secre-tary-General to Norwegian People’s Aid, Petter Eide. He thinks that development aid must contribute to a fairer distribution of resources.

by Kristine Lindberg

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Norwegian People’s Aid Youth is involved in activities within rescue services and international solidarity. There are over 2000 members aged between 13 and 30 in Norwegian People’s Aid Youth.

In 2009, 4400 turned out for the youth campaign Involve Yourself and 200 par-ticipated in the student gathering in Trondheim. 30 young people from Nor-wegian People’s Aid refugee reception centres were involved in NPA Youth ac-tivities.

YOUTH

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hen the bombs fell on Gaza in January 2009, it awakened enormous engagement in the

members of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth. By participating in demonstra-tions and petitions, we showed our soli-darity with the Palestinian people. This engagement continued in the 1st of May campaign with a Gaza film evening, ap-peals and street collections. Then, at NPA Youth’s first ever student gather-ing, we got to meet Suha from the West Bank, take part in a debate about recon-struction after the war and learn to give public speeches about Gaza. The year was also affected by the autumn election in which asylum-seekers were presented as criminal fortune-hunters and as a problem to Norwegian society. NPA Youth demon-strated against the government’s severe asylum policy; we wrote reader’s let-ters and arranged a human library. At this year’s summer camp, young people from NPA refugee reception centres took part in the traditional cup com-petition, health and rescue training, barbecuing and lots of fun. Our antira-cist work has also been bolstered by an enthusiastic new group in Fredrikstad who, along with other NPA Youth ac-tivists, commemorated hiv/aids day by handing out condoms and raising con-sciousness about the issue. NPA Youth leaves a year be-hind it full of enthusiastic voluntary activity and looks forward to new chal-lenges. Our health and rescue group will continue to show solidarity and care for tired or lightly-injured partici-pants at the annual Norway Cup and we

Norwegian People’s Aid + Solidarity in Practice= True

text Solveig Igesund, Leader for Norwegian People’s Aid Youth

will all stand side by side with victims of discrimination and repression both in Norway and elsewhere in the world. Through a strengthening of our politi-cal profile, we will become natural part-ners for left-wing youth organisations and in 2010 we intend to get even more young people to demonstrate Solidarity in Practice through Norwegian People’s Aid!

“NPA Youth demon-strated against the government’s severe asylum policy; we wrote reader’s letters and arranged a hu-man library.”

Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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Youth

t is quiet in the corridors of the Nor-wegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim

one Friday morning. But the relaxed morning atmosphere soon dissipates when Norwegian People’s Aid Youth take over the refectory area and kick off a large panel debate. Whose responsi-bility is it to bring life back to Gaza?

People say to me that everything’s quiet in Gaza. That’s the real tragedy – there’s actually nothing happening, says an engaged Kirsten Beck-Olsen, NPA’s

First studentgathering everAn array of top-ranking researchers and aid work-ers inspired participants at NPA’s first student gathering in Trondheim.

text Mari Storvold Holan

resident representative in the area.

– GO TO GAZA

More than 200 participated in the gath-ering in Trondheim in the autumn of 2009. The students discussed Gaza and asylum policy.

– What can we do, as students, as people, when the situation is such a stalemate? We’re just sitting here talk-ing. But what can we do, the panel is asked by one girl from the floor.

– To begin with you should learn from the mistakes of our generation, then you should go down there, see what’s happening with your own eyes and force those in power to hold Israel accountable, encourages Norwegian People’s Aid Chairman Finn Erik Tho-resen to applause from the floor and corroborating nods from the rest of the panel.

RELEVANT DEBATES

Whilst the Gaza and asylum debates were open to all NTNU students, the lecture about life in the aid sector was reserved for members of Norwegian People’s Aid Youth. Thea Westby (21), taking development studies in Bergen, was to be found among the participants throughout.

– The debates during the student gathering are very relevant to what I’m studying. The media image creates a very negative picture of Africa but here we’re meeting people who confirm that it isn’t true, she says. Iselinn Pauli Martinsen (21), who is taking the sane course in Bergen, agrees:

– Here I get to learn things for free and to meet people who have been working with exactly what I want to do, she says.

engasjert: – Vi sitter bare her og prater. Men hva kan vi gjøre, spurte ei jente under Gaza-debatten.

Youth

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Norwegian People’s Aid have 60 local health and rescue groups and 2000 au-thorised volunteers on stand-by. Volun-teer crews are deployed for avalanche accidents, search and rescue and for tasks relating to patients in remote areas. They also assist with first aid at sports events and concerts.

In 2009 crews were deployed a total of 122 times on such work. During the Norway Cup, football players from 1400 teams received first aid from Norwegian People’s Aid volunteers.

RESCUE SERVICES

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Rescue services

– we have the wind behind us and there’s no-one who doesn’t think we do an important job, but there’s still a lot of party speeches. When the national bud-get is announced, the politicians aren’t quite as generous, says Health and Res-cue Services leader in Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid, Jon Halvorsen.

- Our grants have been doubled from six to twelve million kroner dur-ing the last period but we’d ideally like the figure to come up towards 50 mil-lion, he continues.

TOO FAR FROM OSLO

Over the last few years there’s been a ten per cent increase in incidents and we have to take action two or three times every week.

The challenges of being a volunteerBoth Norwegians and tourists are encour-aged to use the great outdoors. Then they must also be saved when things go wrong.

text Sissel Fantoft

- National debate has a lot to do with fear of a muslim youth carrying out a terrorist act but what we know will happen is that someone will go missing in the mountains. Local re-sources are absolutely crucial: We can’t send people out from Oslo to Tromsø if there’s an avalanche; they’ll all be dead before help arrives, says Halvorsen.

PAID TIME OFF

Another challenge is working together with the other groups involved in the rescue field.

- Since our operations exist on a voluntary basis, we do our exercises in the evenings. All the others operate during the day so we must manage to find a way whereby we can carry out joint exercises. We ask our employ-ers, both public and private to give our members paid time off, without being noted as absent, whenever someone is to be saved during the day. Such things are part and parcel of understanding what we are doing, says Halvorsen.

ALWAYS PREPARED

Stian Edvardsen is leader of the ambu-lance service in Tromsø and an active member of Norwegian People’s Aid. He always has his stand-by pack with him.

- In the public sector, fortunately, it’s accepted that one can leave work if called out for a rescue operation dur-ing working hours. Here in Tromsø we maintain a high level of preparedness during the winter and we are ready and able to spend 24 hours in the field if necessary at all times, says Edvardsen.

Health and Rescue Services leader in Norwe-gian People’s Aid, Jon Halvorsen.

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

photo: Elmer Laahne

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authorised crews are on stand-by in their local communities, making sure that Norwegian society can feel safer authorised.

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Rescue services

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

hen 4H had to abandon their summer camp owing to an outbreak of swine flu,

the media turned its spotlight on the world’s largest football tournament. Fortunately Norwegian People’s Aid Health and Rescue Service was well prepared and already in contact with the chief medical officer for protection against infectious illnesses.

- 14 days before the cup we wrote to all the teams giving advice from the health authorities about what to do in the event of an outbreak, recalls Monica Lervik, leader for the field hospital.

- We also bought in large amounts of disinfectant and encouraged Norway Cup to do the same.

- The last thing we did was to set up a separate isolation room in the field hospital with its own equipment.

GOOD COLLABORATION

The Norway Cup management are im-pressed by the way in which Norwegian People’s Aid handled the situation.

- Everything went off without a problem thanks to the collaboration be-tween us as the arrangers, Norwegian People’s Aid and hired medical person-nel. We all had the same approach and we are very satisfied as to how things were handled, says Terje Lund, Deputy Chairman on the Norway Cup board.

- When you see how the field hos-pital is run, it is easy to be amazed that

Flu on the fieldWhere in previous years we bandaged legs and patched grazes, this year our focus during the Norway Cup was to get parents and players to wash their hands. It saved the cup.

text Øystein Sassebo Bryhni

the whole thing is based on voluntary work. There is high professionalism at all levels.

THE EKEBERG TROLL

At the end of the tournament, Norway Cup presented the Ekeberg Troll to Norwegian People’s Aid in appreciation of its efforts. 37 years’ experience meant that normal service was maintained de-spite the fact that the management had its hands full with the swine flu.

- You might have thought our own people could have panicked, but when the first cases occurred we held an in-formation meeting and they just rolled up their sleeves and got on with it. No-one went home to avoid getting infect-ed, says Monica, who left the daily run-ning of the field hospital in the capable hands of her two seconds-in-command.

- Subsequently I’ve thought how well the ordinary service functioned. Our crews had a very good understand-ing of the situation. Everything ran smoothly and if it hadn’t been for the swine flu, I probably could have sat with my feet up on the table, says ser-vice leader Frode Hansen. The health and rescue service perhaps thought they would get a well-earned breather after the cup was over? Not a chance. They immediately moved into pandemic preparedness mode across the whole country.

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Rescue services

Service leader Frode Hansen assures TV2 vi-ewers that everything is under control on the Ekeberg playing fields.photo: Tine Solberg Johansen

teams were given first aid the Norway Cup 2009.

1400

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Norwegian People’s Aid is the only hu-manitarian organisation in Norway to run refugee reception centres. Through the media, coursing and information work, cooperation with the labour movement and broad-based engagement from our own members, we reach out to many dif-ferent target groups with initiatives for integration and against racism.

At the end of 2009, Norwegian People’s Aid was running 11 refugee reception centres. We had undertaken 13 Women Can courses, 25 Human Libraries, 15 courses for guardians and 15 Diversity and Dialogue courses.

ASYLUM & INTEGRATION

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Asylum & Integration

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– there's a refugee reception cen-tre right beside where I live and there’s been such a lot of trouble with it. They’re always stealing bicycles and stuff, she told us.

Ingrid and the rest of her class vis-ited the Norwegian People’s Aid Hu-man Library when its bus-tour called in at the high school in Molde. For the Hu-man Library Bus, one of NPA’s tools for combating prejudice, this was just one of seven stops on its 2009 Norway tour.

LARGE SELECTION OF BOOKS

On the available to loan list in the Town of Roses was an asylum seeker, a person with HIV, a Somali, a disabled person, an Iraqi Kurd and a woman who had undergone gender-confirming surgery. Ingrid’s class was divided up into small-er groups, which borrowed one book each. The students were allowed to ask whatever they wanted as long as they returned the ‘book’ in the same condi-tion as when it was lent out.

– Why did you really come to Nor-way, asked Ingrid’s classmate, Greta Thiru (16) of the Somali book, Fuad Adam (27).

– I came because we do not have peace in Somalia, he replied. There has been war there since I was seven years old. Now I’m 27.

FAMILY DEAD

– Do you still have contact with your family in Somalia, followed up Tove

– No, said the Somali book. He took a short pause.

– They are dead now. They died in the war.

– Jeg tenker ikke så mye positivt om dem, sa In-grid Røskard (16), helse og sosial elev ved Roms-dal videregående skole i Molde, om asylsøkere før hun møtte en levende asylsøkerbok på Menneske- biblioteket.

Asylum-seekerfor loan

– Do you have any brothers or sis-ters then, asked Tove.

– I had a brother but he’s not alive any more. He’s dead too.

– That’s very sad, said Tove. What do you think about articles in the pa-pers and on TV about asylum-seekers stealing and raping and stuff, she asked.

ASOCIAL NORWEGIANS

– There are asylum-seekers who do not do good things. Just like there are criminal Norwegians. But there are good asylum-seekers too. Most are re-ally nice, he said with a smile.

– So what’s your impression of Norwegians, asked another of Ingrid’s classmates.

– You’re nice but very asocial. I’d only ever met social people before I

“In Somalia we talk with everyone if we know them or not. Here you only talk to people you know.”

prejudice: Elise Jørstad ( from right), Ingrid Røskard and Greta Thiru asked the Somali book about what it’s like to be an asylum-seeker in Norway.

text Tine Solberg Johansen

came here. In Somalia we talk with ev-eryone if we know them or not. Here you only talk to people you know, he said.

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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photo: Werner Anderson/Cox

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Asylum & Integration

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Norwegian immigrant women are bet-ter prepared to speak up at parents’ meetings having taken part in Women Can courses.

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text Tine Solberg Johansen

Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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n September the news broke that the Directorate of Immigration (DI) wanted to determine the age of asy-

lum-seekers by carrying out so called intimate examinations of their genita-lia.

- Norwegian People’s Aid got wind of the plans in September last year through our work for guardians for single asylum-seeking children, recalls Anne Cathrine Seland, head of the Na-tional Department in Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid.

- Our instinctive reaction was that this had to be in breach of human rights. For this reason we engaged Mette Lars-en from the law firm Stabell and Co and got DI to put their initiative on hold un-til a legal evaluation had been made.

ILLEGAL

In January, the lawyers’ crystal clear verdict arrived.

- Our conclusion was that the ex-amination is an encroachment on one’s private life, and for such an encroach-ment to take place, consent has to be given. Since the result of an asylum case can be affected by refusal to take such an examination, it must be considered as force and is therefore a violation of one’s private life, explains lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen.

The evaluation also gained atten-tion outside Norway.

- First I got a telephone call from the secretary to the UN High Commis-sion for Refugees who had heard about the age examination. They reacted im-

The watch-dog winsAsylum-seeking children can keep their underwear on during the Directorate of Immigration’s age test. Norwegian People’s Aid had a legal evaluation undertaken that shows that the examinations are in breach of both Norwegian and international law.

mediately and requested a meeting. We met in the early morning of the 21st January, the same day Norway was to appear at a hearing of the UN Chil-dren’s Rights Committee. After having heard about the legal evaluation, they said they wanted to take the matter up with the Norwegian authorities, says Larsen.

During the hearing of the UN Chil-dren’s Rights Committee, Larsen made sure that all representatives were given a copy of the legal evaluation of the age examination.

- I was able to lay the conclusion of the legal evaluation right on the table in front of each member of the UN Chil-dren’s Rights Committee. Since it was the first thing they saw when they sat down, they began looking and reading, and it became part of the hearing. Lys-bakken was asked to assure the com-mittee that the examination would not be introduced. He replied “We need to take a closer look at this”.

The report following the hearing in Geneva criticises intimate examina-tions as “invasive, culturally insensi-tive” and “unreliable”. At the same time the committee asked the Norwegian au-thorities to ensure that age examination take place in a scientific manner which takes every step to avoid the risk of in-fringing the child’s physical integrity.

POLITICALLY DEAD

The Department of Justice has deemed it necessary to underline that no such intimate examinations are undertaken

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today. Officially, the legal basis for inti-mate examinations and how they affect human rights is being considered. The Norwegian People’s Aid report is to be taken into consideration.

As far as Norwegian People’s Aid understands it, however, the Depart-ment of Justice has shelved the idea of intimate examinations for good. The whole issue has become politically em-barrassing and the government desires that it receive no further attention.

Secretary General to Norwegian People’s Aid, Petter Eide, believes that the authorities will think twice in fu-ture before suggesting initiatives with-out previously investigating the legal and human rights aspects.

- We have made it very clear that we are a watchdog that will not accept the Norwegian authorities introducing initiatives into asylum affairs without checking out the legal and human rights issues , says Eide.

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Asylum & Integration

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avoided taking clinical test: Examination of the genitalia of asylum-seeking children as part of the age test has been stopped and in all proba-bility will never be introduced.Library photo: Werner Andersen/Cox.

children avoided having to remove their underwear when Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid put a stop to the Directorate of Immigration’s age-test examination.

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Chile

Bolivia

Ecuador

Colombia

El SalvadorNicaragua

Honduras

Cuba

Guatemala

Norway

VietnamThailandCambodia

Laos

Tajikistan

GeorgiaMacedonia

MontenegroSerbia

Bosnia Herzegovina

Russia

Lebanon

Jordan

South-Africa

UgandaRwanda

Somalia

EthiopiaGuinea-Bissau

Sudan

Tanzania

Angola

Mozambique

ZimbabweZambia

Burma

Iraq

40 000South African young people have influenced their own future. The organisation for development and coopera-tion in southern Africa base their youth work on the opinions the young people have expressed.

Asma Qweimani, female mine clearance operative, Jordan“I will never forget how awful the first few days in the minefield were. But after a lot of hard work, many challenges, evening shifts, burning deserts and loneliness, we managed it. Now we are women who insist on being allowed to show what we can do in a society that thinks women are weak.”

9,7 millionpeople in Rwanda are safer after the country was declared mine-free.

64dogs graduated from the mine-dog centre in Sarajevo and will contribute to making the world safer from mines

73families in Cambodia have received acceptable compensation after having been forcefully moved from their homes.250

women and men completed the indigenous peoples education EIFIN Colombia where the rights of indigenous peoples and women form part of the syllabus.

2farmers’ cooperatives in rural Honduras have received deeds to the land they cultivate.

Norwegian People’s Aid internationally

Mine action

Development and mine action

Development

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Chile

Bolivia

Ecuador

Colombia

El SalvadorNicaragua

Honduras

Cuba

Guatemala

Norway

VietnamThailandCambodia

Laos

Tajikistan

GeorgiaMacedonia

MontenegroSerbia

Bosnia Herzegovina

Russia

Lebanon

Jordan

South-Africa

UgandaRwanda

Somalia

EthiopiaGuinea-Bissau

Sudan

Tanzania

Angola

Mozambique

ZimbabweZambia

Burma

Iraq

40 000South African young people have influenced their own future. The organisation for development and coopera-tion in southern Africa base their youth work on the opinions the young people have expressed.

Asma Qweimani, female mine clearance operative, Jordan“I will never forget how awful the first few days in the minefield were. But after a lot of hard work, many challenges, evening shifts, burning deserts and loneliness, we managed it. Now we are women who insist on being allowed to show what we can do in a society that thinks women are weak.”

9,7 millionpeople in Rwanda are safer after the country was declared mine-free.

64dogs graduated from the mine-dog centre in Sarajevo and will contribute to making the world safer from mines

73families in Cambodia have received acceptable compensation after having been forcefully moved from their homes.250

women and men completed the indigenous peoples education EIFIN Colombia where the rights of indigenous peoples and women form part of the syllabus.

2farmers’ cooperatives in rural Honduras have received deeds to the land they cultivate.

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Norwegian People’s Aid cooperates with organisations of farmers, indigenous peoples, women, youth, human rights activists and volunteers in over 30 differ-ent countries. Our partners work towards democracy, human rights and the right-ful distribution of power and resources in their respective countries. At the same time Norwegian People’s Aid works with political lobbying in Norway.

In 2009, work undertaken by Norwegian People’s Aid led to the Norwegian Pen-sion Fund’s withdrawal from Elbits Sys-tems, who run a surveillance system on the Israeli wall on the West Bank.

DEVELOPMENT

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Development

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ingle mother Jestina Mukoko leads one of Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid’s partner organisa-

tions – one which documents breaches of human rights. On the 3rd December 2008 she was taken from her home by security forces.

Like-minded organisations in Zim-babwe, supported by Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid worked tirelessly to find her and to make the authorities account-able. The state eventually admitted that she was in their custody, accused of sabotage and terrorist activity. Libera-tion organisations countered, claimed the accusations were fabricated.

NOT BITTER

After enormous pressure, Jestina was finally released in spring this year. In September the charges against her were dropped in a judgment from the High Court against her treatment at the hands of the state.

- I emerge from this experience not as a bitter person but as a better person. Better in the sense that I can now un-derstand what other activists in Zimba-bwe have been through, said Jestina to the media after her release.

- I am so relieved that the charges against me have been dropped. I think this victory was solely made possible by the support from the international com-munity, other journalists, colleagues in civil society and human rights cam-paigners, she added.

CONTINUING WORK

Fear still remains in Jestina’s office

A life saved – Jestina MukokoThe fear remains in freedom-fighter Jestina Mu-koko. But she’s alive. She continues to work for human rights in Zimbabwe after Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid helped to bring about her release from her kidnappers.

S and at the other human rights organi-sations in Zimbabwe, but the fact that civil society prevailed over the govern-ment in her case shows that things can happen and that the work for democ-racy and human rights must go on.

free: Jestina Mukoko says she is not bitter about her abduction. She is happy she now un-derstands what other human rights campaig-ners have been through. photo: Martin Schutt/EPA/Scanpix

text Tine Solberg Johansen

”I emerge from this experience not as a bitter person but as a better person.“

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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photo: Werner Anderson/Cox

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Development

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farming families’ 5-year battle for water contributed to the High-Plains Indians’ work for rightful distribution of natural resources in 2009.

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Fight for water in the AndesIn the village of San Pablo Urco on the high plains of Ecuador, the local population have a long tradition of fighting for their rights to natural resources. Now mining and tourism threaten the fragile ecosystem and the population’s access to water.

public meeting for small farm-ers has been called at the meet-ing house in San Pablo Urco in

the Ecuadorian Andes. Those present are all members of COINOA, the local farmers’ organisation, and one of the partner organisations of Norwegian People’s Aid.

The sun is shining outside, but in-side it is dark. Between 40 and 50 wom-en and men fill the benches. A woman with long black hair, a pink skirt, a sea-green shawl and thick stockings stands in the doorway. Her hat waves with peacock feathers. Curious children peer into the room through her legs. Flies buzz. Today’s meeting is about the chal-lenges to do with land and water in con-nection with the new law on mining.

GAINED ACCESS TO LAND

The land around here was previously controlled by the priesthood, the armed forces and other authorities, but as ear-ly as the 1940s and 50s the indigenous population, small farmers, began to or-ganise themselves to secure their rights to the land.

In the land reforms of the 1960s and 70s, the land was redistributed to previous tenants and land-workers. They were then organised in coopera-tives but these were gradually dissolved as the government prioritised larger ac-tors who were producing goods for the export market.

CORRUPTION

– So then we began to organise our-selves to get roads, electricity and wa-ter, recalls Cesar Pilataxi, one of the traditional leaders of the village and one of the founders of the local farmers’

organisation.Pilataxi takes a break from the

meeting to tell us about the local pop-ulation’s battle before and now. The farmers in the area have always had ac-cess to the water that runs down from the Andes but when the large flower plantations bought up large areas of land they began channelling it off.

– There was a lot of corruption; those who paid the most got the water. We nearly had no water at all! Cesar is eager in his gesticulations, his hair tied in a long ponytail beneath his green vel-vet hat.

WON THROUGH

They voluntarily made irrigation chan-nels, organised the use of water and fought for rightful distribution. They were constantly in conflict with the authorities and the large flower plan-tations but they gradually gained sup-port from more organisations, even the smaller flower plantations. In the end, they won through.

– Now everyone gets water in a fair says, says Cesar, nodding seriously.

NEW BATTLES

But even though the farmers’ organi-sation and it allies managed to obtain rightful distribution, water is still a chal-lenge for the farmers in San Pablo Urco.

- We have much less water now than before. Ten years ago the water pressure was three times higher. Cesar illustrates the shrinking amounts with his hands.

The supply of water from the Andes is a part of a fragile ecosystem known as Páramo, the high mountain area between the tree line and the per-

A manent snow. The particular grass which grows there holds back the water and filters it before it runs further. But because of poor admin-istration and over-use, the Páramo is beginning to dry out. For this reason the area must be protected and man-aged very carefully.

– We often use meetings to raise consciousness about how to take care of our water, says Cesar.

– It is important that the local communities assume a collective re-sponsibility.

TOURISTS AND MINES

The water is threatened from sever-al sides. The Páramo has become an attractive area for the tourist indus-try, mining companies have found gold and silver in the mountains, and several multinational compa-nies are interested in bottling the water to sell to people in the cities. There are also plans to channel the water down to the new airport out-side the capital, Quito.

According to Ecuador’s consti-tution, water cannot be privatised. Grass-root organisations in Ecua-dor are now fighting for this to be reflected in legislation. They want to make sure that local communities together will be able to protect and administer the water resources.

– My dream is that we have enough water for our villages in the future. We are all together on this and it is the water that has brought us to-gether. Cesar’s gaze falls on the green hills in the background: the way up to the Páramo and the Andes, the source of the water itself.

text Helle Berggrav-Hansen

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fought: Indigenous people of the Cotopaxi province took to the streets and demonstrated for water rights in the new constitution. It brought results.photo: Cristina Santacruz

Development

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Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the world’s largest actors within humanitarian work against mines and explosives. The organisation undertakes explosives clear-ance, training of mine dogs and political lobbying.

In 2009 we contributed to the establish-ment of a new international standard for declaring an area safe from explosives. This means that explosives-clearance workers need no longer comb each area where they suspect undetonated bombs and mines may be found. Rather they can free up land on the basis of thorough mapping. This means a better use of re-sources and that more people may use the land in their local areas more quickly.

MINE ACTION

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Mine Action

n the 12th October 2008, a group of women in Jordan be-gan a task which then seemed

impossible to complete. Asma Qwei-mani, one of those ten women, talks about their achievement:

– Our first day of training: Every-one said it was impossible and no-one believed that women could do it. Even when we had begun our training, and then completed it, there were many who said it was just an experiment.

CRIED

And then we began work in our first minefield, Sabha 7. I remember it like it was yesterday. I cried and felt it was the most difficult day of my entire life. Our team-leader saw me crying. I can still remember what he said:

– Asma, he said, you have to be pa-tient. This is just your first day; every-thing will be fine. I don’t want to see de-feat in your face. I know you can do this.

At the end of each of the first work-ing days we felt we had failed when we looked at our productivity. We thought it was so low and you can’t imagine how disappointed we were. Every single day on the way back on the bus there was someone who said:

– That was my last day, I won’t be coming back tomorrow. But we all came back next day and every day until we reached field Akhaider 4.

CAN MANAGE ANYTHING

I will never forget how awful the first few days in the minefield were. I’ll never forget the tears we felt. Minefield

Akhaider 4 was our next job and it felt like impossibility itself. But today, after a lot of hard work, many challenges, evening shifts, burning deserts, loneli-ness and the feeling of being totally iso-lated you get when you’re working in the back line and the only thing you can see is another female clearer working on the access path, we made Akhaider possible. We did it! And we managed it! And we can do much more!

We female mine-clearance work-ers can do lots of things, not just clear mines, but also take on other challeng-es and problems that women meet in their lives. Now we are women who in-sist on being allowed to show what we can do in a society that thinks women are weak. To become a mine-clearance worker wasn’t easy, it was very tough, but because it was tough it made me tough enough to tackle mu own life and my own challenges myself.

– How mine-clearancework changed me

– This was my last day, I won’t be coming back tomorrow, thought mine-clearance worker Asma Qweimani time after time while clear-ing her first minefield. Now she has been clearing mines for over a year and is jubilant about both mine-free access roads and an improved self-image.

brave: Asma Qweimani cried a lot during her first few days as a mine-clearance worker but after more than a year in the field she feels that the job has made her tougher and more capable of tackling the challenges in her own life.

Otext Per Nergaard

”I will never forget how awful the first days in the mines were.“

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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million Zambians can celebrate after their country is declared mine free.

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Mine Action

photo: Werner Anderson/Cox

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

ia is a Norwegian People’s Aid mine clearance worker in Sara-van Province, Laos. The prov-

ince is one of the most hard-hit areas in the country from American bombing during the Vietnam War. It is also one of the poorest areas in Laos. Norwe-gian People’s Aid has 49 mine clearance workers in action in Saravan.

BOMBING AROUND THE CLOCK

Tia is just too young to have experi-enced the USA bombing of Laos, but in the same way as he tells his children to watch out for bombies today, his par-ents were always telling him what it was like to live in a country which was bombed on average every eight min-utes, 24 hours a day for nine years.

The bombing of Laos is often talked about as the forgotten war. Whilst most people know about the war in which North Vietnam tried to take South Viet-nam under communist rule, few have any insight as to how the neighbour-ing country, Laos, was affected by the conflict. Ho Chi Minh, the road used to move both supplies and troops from North to South Vietnam, crosses large parts of East Laos. Naturally it became a strategic target for American bombing in efforts to stop the North Vietnam-ese. American bombers dropped more bombs over Laos from 1964 to 1973 than were dropped during the entire Second World War. At the end of the war, al-most 40 per cent of agricultural land in Laos was unsafe owing to undetonated bombs.

Clearing deadly remainsfrom a forgotten war– Watch out for bombies, warns Tia Vongmaksm (34) his three chil-dren ever day when they leave for school. Bombies are the nickname for cluster munitions and explosives in Laos. During the Vietnam War 270 million cluster bombs were released into the country. Nearly 80 million still lie undetonated on the ground.

RICE GROWING BETWEEN THE BOMBS- I work for Norwegian People’s Aid because I have a dream about saving the lives of the villagers, says Tia. He is ready for work. Wearing a beige T-shirt carrying both the flag of Laos and the Norwegian People’s Aid logo, he finds his clearance partner and goes out into the field. They work in pairs: One moves forward with the metal detector and the other carefully digs with a spade wher-ever the detector gives a signal.

- Before I got this job I was work-ing at a school in my village, but I’ve also worked out in the rice fields and I know how difficult it is when there are bombies lying in the fields and in the thick scrub that one often has to re-move to grow rice. That’s why I wanted to do this job; I know how important it is, says Tia.

- Of course I was afraid when I was working in the rice fields, but I had no choice, he goes on.

Despite the fact that just under half of the agricultural area in Laos is infested with undetonated bombs, four out of five people in the country live from agriculture.

- I saw someone from my village killed by a bomb when cutting scrub to grow rice, but I needed food so I couldn’t let it stop me working in the rice fields, says Tia.

FREEING LAND FOR FARMERS

In the areas Tia has searched stands rows of red sticks, at roughly 5-metre intervals. They indicate cluster muni-

T

making the country safe: Tia Vongmaksm is making the world’s most bomb-infested coun-try safer. photo: Marianne Hagelund

text Tine Solberg Johansen

tions finds that have not yet been re-moved. When they have been detonated or cleared, the red sticks are replaced with white ones. When the whole area has been cleared, the land is ‘freed’. This means that it is declared safe and that farmers can go to work again. Then Tia and his mine clearance colleagues can move on to another area, search for more explosives and, in due course, de-clare yet another area safe.

Clearing explosives is hard work, but the clearance workers themselves, the authorities and humanitarian or-ganisations such as Norwegian People’s Aid work towards the common goal of making the country safer.

Tia hopes that one day he will not have to deliver the “watch out for bom-bies” speech at breakfast.

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Mine Action

After the Vietnam War, 80 million cluster bombs still lay undetonated on the ground in Laos. Norwegian People’s Aid mine clearance workers remove the remains from a forgotten war. photo: Werner Andersen/Cox

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Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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Corruption –a hindranceto development

here is widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most important hindrances to

development in many countries. In 2009, Norwegian People’s Aid worked is about 40 countries. Many of these countries are highly ranked on the list of the most corrupt countries in the world. For people who live there, it cre-ates considerable problems in their ev-eryday lives. In some places, corruption has become part of the system; in oth-ers, part of the culture. The explanation is often the same. Great poverty, low wage levels and many having difficul-ties making ends meet. Where money is in circulation, some see the chance of making themselves richer or of ‘top-

ping’ up a low wage with bribes. The problems are worst for those lowest on the ladder.

For us who work in many countries with widespread corruption, this is a reality we have to relate to. We recog-nise the problems but do not accept them. That’s why Norwegian People’s Aid has zero tolerance of all forms of corruption.

“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”

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FOCUS

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Corruption

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“Norwegian People’s Aid has zero toler-ance of all forms of corruption”

OUR FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTIONCorruption or corrupt behaviour can take many forms: demanding bribes; demanding private kick-backs for con-tracts entered into on behalf of an em-ployer; removing documents to conceal breaches of routines, threatening col-leagues to behave corruptly; favouring a relative over someone better qualified; failure to report corrupt behaviour; en-tering agreements without contracts or carrying out double book-keeping.

In 2008 Norwegian people’s Aid passed its own guidelines for anti-cor-ruption work.

And in 2009 notification routines were established, meaning that the head office in Oslo now has a system for receiving and handling notification about undesirable incidents and situ-ations wherever they might occur in the organisation. Over the last year our work with internal control has been further strengthened with more opera-tives and the establishment of a central purchasing function.

Employees who discover or may reasonably suspect corrupt behaviour linked to our work are obliged to re-port it. Norwegian People’s Aid takes all such notifications seriously and we make sure that ‘whistle-blowers’ can act without having to fear negative con-sequences to their job situation or to their private lives.

Norwegian People’s Aid recom-mends that all our partners establish guidelines and procedures within their own organisations. We carry out evalua-tions of our partners’ administrative and control routines and clearly commu-nicate our zero tolerance policy to our partners. At the same time we recognise that many of our partners lack the nec-essary capacity or training to deal with these challenges. Where we discover this to be the case, we either build in such training into our collaboration or offer our partner external support.

INCIDENTS IN 2009In 2009 Norwegian People’s Aid inves-tigated two concrete examples of sus-pected corruption or corrupt behaviour.

SudanNorwegian People’s Aid has its largest country programme in Sudan. This re-quires sound administrative routines and systems and organisation which can ensure control of the use of funds. In 2008, our internal review revealed problems in the administrative and sup-port functions to the programme. The necessary guidelines and procedures were in place but were not being suffi-ciently complied with. The internal re-view was unable to prove corruption as such but the lack of respect for routines and procedures made the organisation more vulnerable to corrupt practice and we found that a tightening of the purchasing and administrative routines was necessary. The organisation of the financial and support functions was also strengthened.

A new internal review was con-ducted in 2009. Much had improved but the new review discovered that non-compliance with the guidelines for tendering and the entry of contracts still existed in parts of the emergency relief programme. Our regional office in Nairobi was the place largely involved in purchasing and tendering proce-dures. To ensure that no documentation was lost, the office was therefore closed temporarily and all documentation re-lating to the programme examined by an external auditor. Again no corrup-tion could be proven but the control revealed clear breaches of our internal guidelines for tendering and the entry of contracts. One of the measure taken to ensure better control was to transfer an even greater part of the purchasing and logistics functions to our repre-

sentative office in Juba, South Sudan. These functions were previously di-vided between our departmental offices in Nairobi and Kampala, making the control aspect too broad and making it difficult to follow up and check that our procedures were being followed. The internal review and the subsequent restructuring have also resulted in post-related consequences for the two indi-viduals in management positions who failed to ensure that routines and guide-lines were complied with.

BurmaDuring 2009, lapses in the adminis-trative routines of one of our partners were discovered. The internal investi-gation showed that parts of our support were not being used in keeping with the contracted obligations. The lapses were followed up with the local partner and Norwegian People’s Aid demanded that the lacking documentation be provided. Further payments to the organisation are currently under evaluation and rou-tines for transfer and control have been tightened. To ensure that our partners are aware of our anti-corruption policy and to strengthen their own control routines, an anti-corruption seminar for all our partners in Burma was ar-ranged in 2010. Training was also given in sound accounting and purchasing routines.

OtherSome of our other local representative offices have also dealt with a variety of less serious incidents of breach of, or failure to follow, guidelines at the local level. Investigations were also begun in 2009 into one of our programmes in Africa. So far no corruption or corrupt behaviour as been discovered in other programmes.

“Norwegian People’s Aid undertakes to follow up, investigate and take legal action in cases where corruption has been discovered”

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People’s Aid onthe right trackThe desire for change and new impulses is greater than ever inNorwegian People’s Aid – It is exciting to lead an organisationwith so many committed, skilled people in the voluntary force, saysChairman Finn Erik Thoresen.

eople who want to support an organisation are often commit-ted and have a wish to contribute

voluntarily, but not necessarily through membership in an organisation in the traditional sense. The tendency today, particularly among younger people, is a desire to get involved through action and not through passive supportive membership or traditional honorary capacities. We wish this trend welcome but it means thinking anew about what we offer our current and future mem-bers, says Finn Erik.

NEW THINKING

And that’s exactly what Norwegian People’s Aid is doing. In 2009, the or-ganisational committee kicked off a broad debate. The goal is to promote activity and to slim down bureaucracy in Norwegian People’s Aid.

The committee put a critical spot-light on how Norwegian People’s Aid functions today and the proposals for change have been brave. Engagement in all the various parts of the organisation has been enormous and I applaud the committee for having driven straight at the heart of our challenges and for put-ting forward important proposals both large and small, says Finn Erik.

In the middle of the four-year gov-erning period, a national conference is held in Norwegian People’s Aid. Dur-ing the conference in 2009, the board was happy to be able to conclude that Norwegian People’s Aid is on the right course towards a more modern, effec-tive members’ organisation.

ENGAGED STUDENTSOne of the most exciting things that has happened in the organisation in recent years is the establishment of student groups under Norwegian people’s Aid, says Finn Erik. In 2009 the first student festival was arranged in Trondheim; it was a great success with healthy atten-dance and engaged NPA members and students.

Norwegian People’s Aid has a lot to offer on a national basis for those who want to get involved with voluntary work.

- The rescue service is constantly attracting new members, but we also have areas such as international soli-darity where we see more students becoming involved. Not least, we have the ‘People’s Friend’ project that I find particularly inspiring. That’s aimed at the integration of refugees and asylum-seekers in local communities round the country, sys Finn Erik Thoresen.

- At the outset we see unfortunate-ly that in many places a certain scepti-cism exists in the local population to do with the setting up of reception centres and the arrival of asylum-seekers. The People’s Friend project is a bridge-building project between the reception centres and the local milieu, where the exchange of information and natural meeting places between the local popu-lation and asylum-seekers are arranged. We still have a long way to go and can do more to involve local chapters in the centres. There’s a great potential here, not least for all the families with small children and young people that sit alone

by Kristine Lindberg

Norwegian People’s Aid ChairmanFinn Erik Thoresen

at the reception centres. There’s noth-ing to be gained by these groups being isolated and that’s why the People’s Friend project is so important, says Finn Erik.

NEW ENTHUSIASM

- As Chairman, I’m lucky enough to get to travel a lot in Norway, meeting our volunteers. My impression is that there’s a new enthusiasm and vibrancy in the organisation and for me that’s re-ally rewarding. Many of the chapters are excellent organisers, promoting new re-cruitment and arranging collaboration between their own local chapters and others. This shows that People’s Aid is on the right track!

Norwegian People’s Aid Results 2009

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international commitment: Aid for Spain made the basis for the foundation of Norwegian People’s Aid in 1939. On the 1st of May 1948 many people walked under the parole “The Franco dictatorship must be overthrown”. Freedom for the Spanish people”.

orwegian people’s Aid is the la-bour movement’s humanitarian organisation for solidarity. We

support people in their struggle for more influence over their own lives and the development of their society. Solidarity in practice is our vision. Norwegian Peo-ple’s Aid is an organisation governed by its members.

Many of the organisation’s 12,000 or so members do voluntary work in their local communities. First Aid, rescue and disaster preparedness are important parts of their efforts. Members can also get in-volved with international solidarity work and local anti-racism initiatives through

70 years’ engagement for solidarity in practice

Norwegian People’s Aid. Internation-ally, Norwegian People’s Aid is engaged in over 30 countries. We work in part-nership with local organisations and authorities to ensure a solid local com-mitment to our projects. Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the world’s fore-most organisations within humanitar-ian mine clearance and a board member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

The organisation was founded by LO in 1939 and celebrated 70 years in 2009. Below is a selection of milestones from the Norwegian people’s Aid story.

photo: Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv

41

N

The LO secretariat approves the foundation of Norwegian people’s Aid. Aid to Spain and Worker’s Health Corps formed the basis of the new organisa-tion.Health and rescue services mobilised across the country following the outbreak of war.Health stations and company health services established across the countryMillimek A/S, a company for disabled workers opens at Løren in Oslo.The peak year for “Housewife holidays”. Over 6000 women and children participate in holiday activities under NPA.Norwegian People’s Aid sets up action committees, firstly against drowning accidents, then against accidents in the home.Norway’s first nursing home for epileptics opens at Kure Gård.NPA Oslo runs a field hospital and health stand-by service at Norway Cup.The labour movement collects 7 million kroner for reconstruc-tion in Vietnam, which NPA distributes.

1939

1940

1946

1948

1960

1962

1963

1972

1975

The first asylum reception cen-tre opens at Klemetsrud, Oslo.Collaboration established with the humanitarian arm of the SPLM liberation movement in South Sudan.“Human Worth”, NRK’s TV col-lection brings in just under 70 million kroner for Norwegian People’s Aid.NPA engages on the Palest-inians’ behalf during the war in Lebanon.Norwegian People’s Aid mobil-ises to relieve the food crisis in Poland: “Poland doesn’t need sympathy – Poland needs food”.International work strength-ened by agreement between LO and Norad. Determined that work shall cover: disaster work, emergency aid and co-operation with liberation move-ments.International engagement be-gins in earnest. Portugal, Chile and the liberation movements in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia are the first important tasks.

1988

1986

1983

1982

1981

1980

1979

1991

1992

1996

1997

1998

2004

2008

2009

Norwegian people’s Aid starts setting up and running volun-teer exchanges in Norway.A separate mine group is established within the interna-tional division.“Joint action against racism” established in collaboration with LO.NPA actively participates in political work that culminates in an international ban on landmines. Jody Williams and the Mine Campaign, of which NPA is a member, receives the Nobel peace Prize.Guardian programme for asy-lum-seeking children begins.Mine-dog centre in Sarajevo established.NPA central to the interna-tional campaign leading to the agreement for a ban on cluster munitions, signed in Oslo on 3rd December.Work divided into two core areas: “Protection of life and health” and “Rightful distribu-tion of power and resources”.

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www.facebook.com/folkehjelp

twitter.com/norskfolkehjelp

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www.origo.no/-/sandbox/show/208515_norsk-folkehjelp-ungdom

HONORARY MEMBER

Johnny Delet, Askøy

30 YEARS' MEMBERSHIP

Arthur Bekkenes, Askøy Knut Haugen Oslo Kjersti E.R.Jenssen, Oslo

Published by Norwegian People’s Aid 2010Editor: Kristine LindbergThe Annual Report is also published in NorwegianDesign and layout: HeydaysPrinted by: Aktietrykkeriet ASPrint run: 9000Cover photograph: Werner Anderson/CoxEnglish translation supplied by: Neil Howard

DISTINCTIONS 2009

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS IN 2009

FOLLOW US ON

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CoopEL & ITFagforbundetFellesforbundetForbundet for Ledelse og TeknikkGjensidigestiftelsenGovernment of Japan (Embassy of Japan in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)Handel & KontorHelse- og rehabiliteringIndustri EnergiIMDILONORADNorsk ArbeidsmannsforbundNorsk Fengsel- og FriomsorgsforbundNorsk Nærings- og Nytelsesmiddel- arbeiderforbundNorsk Tjenestemannslag

PostkomStatoilThe Dutch Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe European CommissionThe Geneva International Centre forHumanitarian DeminingThe German Federal Foreign OfficeThe International Trust Fund forDemining and Victim AssistanceThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of FinlandThe Swiss Ministry of Foreign AffairsTransportarbeiderforbundetUDUDIUNDPUNOPSUtenriksdepartementetUS Department of State

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SOME OF OUR RESULTS FROM 2009

farming families’ 5-year battle for water contributed to the High-Plains Indians’ work for rightful distribution-of natural resources in 2009.

Norwegian immigrant women are better prepared to speak up at parents’ meetings having taken part in Women Can courses.

authorised crews are on stand-by in their local communities, making sure that Norwegian society can feel safer.

million Zambians can celebrate after their country is declared mine free.

4000

200

2000

12,5

RETURN ADRESSNorsk FolkehjelpPostboks 8844 Youngstorget0028 Oslo