This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the first commercial oil and gas field, Ekofisk, in the Norwegian part of the North Sea. Growing up in Oslo in the 1960s and ’70s, I saw how oil and gas transformed Norway.
Last year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While most people probably have a vague idea of what fundamental human rights are, we live in a part of the world where many—myself included—probably take them more or less for granted.
Every May, Norwegians all over the world celebrate Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day. Signed 205 years ago, Norway’s is the second-oldest written constitution in the world that is still in use. The oldest, which in many ways served as a model for Norway’s founding fathers, is the American Constitution.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve published a blog on various topics pertaining to international diplomacy, first on HuffingtonPost.com and then on WashingtonDiplomat.com. While I enjoyed the opportunity to get my thoughts out there, I was never sure I was reaching quite the right audience.
