The Nobel Peace Center in downtown Oslo is currently running an exhibition on displaced peoples and refugees around the world. In terms of countries represented, all the usual ones are on display. Yemen with its Somalians washed up on shore, Serbia with people displaced by the war in Kosovo, Georgia due to war with Russia, Congo with civil war refugees, Columbia with people suffering from drug wars...the exhibition seemed like nothing surprising until, in one uniquely decorated corner of the exhibition space, Norway was represented.
And the Norway portion was the highlight of the exhibition itself. Norway? The host of the Nobel Peace Prize does not normally come across as a destination of refugees from anywhere, partly because it is so far from another zone of conflict or sources of poverty, and partly because, frankly, there is little that attract refugees. With a small job market and super expensive cost of living (perhaps on average the highest in Europe), refugees on the bottom of the food chain would, theoretically, suffer much more than they potentially would in other European countries with long traditions of immigration, like the UK or Germany.
And the number of refugees in Norway, compared to those of the other countries represented in the exhibition, is by any means tiny. However, the Norway section proved to be the one that the exhibitors put in the greatest effort within the entire exhibition. In a combined photo and video story-telling, the section focuses on the suffering of one young Iranian guy, Rahman, as he seeks asylum to stay in Norway in a detention center in northern Norway. Through interviews with Rahman, it portrays his emotions as he happily enjoys life in the modern, friendly detention center and then shares his depression as he gets rejected for asylum twice.
Then, shockingly, it starts talking about the next phase of Rahman's life. After being told to leave the country after his second asylum rejection, Rahman simply escapes the detention center and seeks a new life in southern Norway, doing odd jobs to make ends meet as an illegal immigrant without papers. The story ends by informing the audience that Rahman is still hiding somewhere in Norway, working illegally, and that, according to his own words, he will "never leave Norway, ever." In one corner of the section, the audience is encourage to write a few words on a Post-it to encourage Rahman.
Wait, what?! The audience, here in Norway, in a museum sponsored by a (practically) Norwegian state institution of Nobel Prize, is encouraged to emotionally support an illegal immigrant living in Norway?! Even in the left-end of the American political spectrum, with active encouragement of "amnesty for illegals," encouraging citizens to help illegals fight government authorities to stay in their country indefinitely seems quite unlikely, and if anything, not politically acceptable even for the most "liberal" element of the society.
But here in Norway, with its largely homogeneous, mono-ethnic society and natural resources-based small economy potentially easily disturbed by large influx of people with dubious productive capabilities (not to mention completely different cultures and languages), it simply makes no political or economic sense to be supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants in any way. Yet, the ultra-liberal values of the locals have pushed them to express the utmost sympathy for the illegals even if that means great sacrifice of their own individual interests.
People, both in the US and Europe, mention how the American version of "liberalism" is not leftist at all compared to what they have in Europe. And in many ways, that is really true. Norwegian liberalism, as seen by one exhibition, proved itself to have moved on from simple concern for social welfare within the political boundaries of the individual country to concerning itself with the condition of the entire human civilization. Such a global mentality, for a country of barely 5 million people, should certainly put to shame equally wealthy yet inward-looking major powers such as the US.
The Norwegians tells us that human dignity and the right to better life does not distinguish itself across borders, race, or culture, and certainly not between citizens and non-citizens. Sure, the exhibition indirectly adds to Norwegian nationalism by showing how this country has it much better than many others around the world, but the ultimate message is beyond just simply adding to the ego of the locals. By outwardly blaming their own country for failing to protect illegals, Norwegians are questioning the fundamental flaws of a political-based human organizational system.
And the Norway portion was the highlight of the exhibition itself. Norway? The host of the Nobel Peace Prize does not normally come across as a destination of refugees from anywhere, partly because it is so far from another zone of conflict or sources of poverty, and partly because, frankly, there is little that attract refugees. With a small job market and super expensive cost of living (perhaps on average the highest in Europe), refugees on the bottom of the food chain would, theoretically, suffer much more than they potentially would in other European countries with long traditions of immigration, like the UK or Germany.
And the number of refugees in Norway, compared to those of the other countries represented in the exhibition, is by any means tiny. However, the Norway section proved to be the one that the exhibitors put in the greatest effort within the entire exhibition. In a combined photo and video story-telling, the section focuses on the suffering of one young Iranian guy, Rahman, as he seeks asylum to stay in Norway in a detention center in northern Norway. Through interviews with Rahman, it portrays his emotions as he happily enjoys life in the modern, friendly detention center and then shares his depression as he gets rejected for asylum twice.
Then, shockingly, it starts talking about the next phase of Rahman's life. After being told to leave the country after his second asylum rejection, Rahman simply escapes the detention center and seeks a new life in southern Norway, doing odd jobs to make ends meet as an illegal immigrant without papers. The story ends by informing the audience that Rahman is still hiding somewhere in Norway, working illegally, and that, according to his own words, he will "never leave Norway, ever." In one corner of the section, the audience is encourage to write a few words on a Post-it to encourage Rahman.
Wait, what?! The audience, here in Norway, in a museum sponsored by a (practically) Norwegian state institution of Nobel Prize, is encouraged to emotionally support an illegal immigrant living in Norway?! Even in the left-end of the American political spectrum, with active encouragement of "amnesty for illegals," encouraging citizens to help illegals fight government authorities to stay in their country indefinitely seems quite unlikely, and if anything, not politically acceptable even for the most "liberal" element of the society.
But here in Norway, with its largely homogeneous, mono-ethnic society and natural resources-based small economy potentially easily disturbed by large influx of people with dubious productive capabilities (not to mention completely different cultures and languages), it simply makes no political or economic sense to be supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants in any way. Yet, the ultra-liberal values of the locals have pushed them to express the utmost sympathy for the illegals even if that means great sacrifice of their own individual interests.
People, both in the US and Europe, mention how the American version of "liberalism" is not leftist at all compared to what they have in Europe. And in many ways, that is really true. Norwegian liberalism, as seen by one exhibition, proved itself to have moved on from simple concern for social welfare within the political boundaries of the individual country to concerning itself with the condition of the entire human civilization. Such a global mentality, for a country of barely 5 million people, should certainly put to shame equally wealthy yet inward-looking major powers such as the US.
The Norwegians tells us that human dignity and the right to better life does not distinguish itself across borders, race, or culture, and certainly not between citizens and non-citizens. Sure, the exhibition indirectly adds to Norwegian nationalism by showing how this country has it much better than many others around the world, but the ultimate message is beyond just simply adding to the ego of the locals. By outwardly blaming their own country for failing to protect illegals, Norwegians are questioning the fundamental flaws of a political-based human organizational system.
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