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Norway Mourns Tsunami Victims

© Valerie Borey

At noon on January 5th, Norwegians joined other European countries in observing three minutes of silence in honor of those whose lives were cut short by the tsunami that devastated Asia last month. While silence marked the expansive void following the deaths of so many members of the international community, at least 13 Norwegians included, words of sympathy and grief attempted to reach across that void to touch the living.

At a memorial service held in Oslo on January 16th, Hilde F. Johnson, Minister of International Development corrected a line from the Poetic Edda, which reads "once you know your friend's sorrow, it becomes your own." He amended this with the observation that, "our friend's sorrow is never quite our own. We can never relieve those left behind of their despair, no matter how much we wish we could. It is a burden that must be borne."

Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Petersen also offered sincere condolences at the Jakarta Summit on the Tsunami Disaster, saying, "It has affected us all deeply. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their dear ones. The suffering of the people living on the coastlines of Indian Ocean goes beyond our imagination."

Meanwhile, towns across Norway reverberated with this sentiment of grief and sympathy last weekend as memorial services were held for those who died. Mourners lit candles and threw flowers into the water to symbolize their sorrow for the dead and worry for those who are still missing.

In an effort to aid the devastated Asian community, Norway has pledged one billion kroner in humanitarian aid, in addition to the hundred million kroner that the government has already sent. Donations from Norwegian companies and individuals account for approximately three hundred and eighty million kroner in additional assistance.

One online auction house, located at http://www.qxl.no/ofrene, has raised almost 800,000 kroner so far by selling items donated by 247 of the nation's leading artists. The auction will continue through the end of January and proceeds will be donated to the Norwegian Red Cross effort.

Individuals are also doing what they can to help the survivors - ten year olds Ebba Tangen and Jor Hjustad Tvedt raised 2,750 kroner by selling what they could of their own toys and baked goods. The schoolmates were in particular concerned about the many children who were affected by the tragedy.

This year, Norway is celebrating its 100th anniversary as an independent democracy. How suitable, one can't help but observe, that it spends this year reaching out in union with other nations rather than pushing them away. Independence needn't exclude interdependence.

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