Photo: Auguste Bernick/The Olaf Messenger
“What will future generations look back on with us, the 2020s? Will they say ‘why didn’t they do that?’ What don’t we know now?” Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre asked students during his visit to the college on Sept. 18. Gahr Støre’s speech to Norwegian and select Political Science students centered on this question, hoping to inspire students to think more of their responsibility as a generation to cultivate global peace and a plan for climate change.
Prime Minister Gahr Støre’s trip to Minnesota
“Here is the place I feel most at home across the Atlantic,” Gahr Støre said, referring to Minnesota. 40 percent of the Norwegian population immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-to-late nineteenth century with nearly 850,000 Norwegians settling in Minnesota. There are now as many Norwegian-Americans as there are Norwegians. Minnesota welcomed the Prime Minister and used the occasion to celebrate the state’s ties with Norway.
The Prime Minister visited Minnesota as part of his trip to North America leading up to the United Nations General Assembly session. His trip began in Canada by meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the 2023 Global Progress Action Summit in Montréal, Quebec. Their meeting affirmed the close relationship between Canada and Norway, two countries committed to working together to fight the climate crisis. From there, Gahr Støre flew to Minnesota for his visit to St. Olaf, the Norway House in Minneapolis, and Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn.
At Camp Ripley, Gahr Støre celebrated 50 years of international friendship and exchange between the Norwegian Home Guard and Minnesota National Guard at the Camp. The two military groups have trained side-by-side, sharing their technology and best practice, since the 1970s, making this the longest military exchange program between any two nations. Senator Amy Klobuchar then welcomed Gahr Støre for a fireside chat at the Norway House.
Visit to St. Olaf
The Prime Minister and his team traveled to campus on three helicopters. Accompanied by the Norwegian Secret Service, Gahr Støre met with President Susan Rundell Singer and other college leaders on the soccer field. The group proceeded across campus to Viking Theater where the Prime Minister would speak to students, college leadership, local and Norwegian media about the ties between Norway and the United States and security in Europe.
Gahr Støre was greeted with a standing ovation as he took the stage in Viking following a brief introduction by Rundell Singer. He began his speech with an acknowledgement that the speech was taking place on the ancestral homelands of the Dakota people. Gahr Støre spoke of the necessity of acknowledging Indigenous peoples and their land, stating the importance to him of creating a relationship with the Sámi who are Indigenous to Norway.
Speaking on the beauty of Minnesota, Gahr Støre reflected on the journey of Norwegians immigrating to the land. He compared the land to his own nation’s terrain, containing oil unknown to the many Norwegian who left the country for more opportunity in America. “Why did people leave Norway? They didn’t know the resources that were there and how to use them,” Gahr Støre said.
Climate Change
In his speech, Gahr Støre highlighted Norway’s hopeful progression in the fight against climate change. According to Gahr Støre, Norway has agreed to Europe’s goal of cutting carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030. They are working towards reducing their fossil fuel consumption through capturing carbon dioxide and storing it under sea beds on the Norwegian coasts. Plans are still being tested to conduct this safely.
Utilizing a projected map, Gahr Støre outlined Norway’s plan to create on and off shore wind and solar energy panels. By relocating their investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy, Norway aspires to have the funds to achieve these initiatives by the 2030 deadline. However, numerous factors depend on the Northernmost region of Norway — home to the Sámi.
The indigenous group, Sámi, inhabit Northern Norway and are experiencing a resurgence of culture and tradition. Sámi culture is the oldest culture to exist in the country, which is why it is imperative that their livelihoods are respected in the midst of new innovations.
Following his visit to Minnesota, Gahr Støre attended the United Nations General Assembly — a gathering of international leaders to discuss current global challenges. There, Gahr Støre advocated for progressive climate change actions. He attended a Sustainability Panel and chaired the Oceanic Committee. “This issue is not only important to Norway but every nation. Through dialogue and good conversation we can find a solution that honors our international sanctions to protect the Sámi reindeer herding and keep the populations near the Northern border stable. We can avoid these conflicts if we sit together,” Gahr Støre said.
Russian Ukrainian War
As his speech continued, Gahr Støre spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what it means for Norway. “There are two reasons to use force in the current international community, if you are attacked, or if the UN security council approves it. Ukraine was attacked” Gahr Støre said. Norway has supported Ukraine since the invasion started and recently created a five-year support plan.
The five-year plan would pledge to support Ukraine militarily and economically. According to Gahr Støre, the plan aims to provide humanitarian support during a war that is redefining politics in Europe. This comes along with other European nations pledging their support for Ukraine as the war continues.
As for resolution of the war, Gahr Støre said it must come from discourse, not fighting. The use of military power to solve historical disputes goes strongly against Norwegian ideals of promoting peace. “It has to end — hopefully at the table and not the trenches,” Gahr Støre said. He added in his speech that Norway and Russia had previously solved a dispute over oceanic borders in 2010, and he hopes this negotiation could be a model for future disputes across Europe.
The invasion of Ukraine and subsequent international political impacts were a focal point for students in the question and answer period with the Prime Minister. Although Russia poses little physical threat to Norway, Gahr Støre said that the war has political impacts that will ripple throughout Europe if the standard for negotiations remains low. He also commented on the impact of Nordic countries joining NATO, including the impact of Finland’s April 2023 bid.
Looking Forward
“I believe we are at the midst of change and important shifts,” Gahr Støre said. Both his speech and visit urges students to consider the future. He hopes that students will consider their roles in creating a more sustainable world and hopes that involves collaboration between Oles and their Norwegian peers.
