Lifestyle. System of Justice and Guarantee of Compliance with Laws. Long-term Strategic Planning and Development Model for a Sustainable Economy. Work is an activity that dignifies and exalts the nation.
Over the years, I've had the wonderful
opportunity to live in various countries, providing me with a unique
perspective on lifestyle and development models that I wish Venezuelans could
embrace. My time at the University of Trondheim, now known as the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology (NTNU), between 1983 and 1986, played a
significant role in shaping my views.
During my stay in Norway, I observed how
education instilled core values from a young age, emphasizing decency, dignity,
and honesty in both, actions and words. This cultural ethos permeates Norwegian
society, guiding individuals to adhere to ethical standards and uphold a strong
moral compass. In this paradigm, human well-being and societal harmony take
precedence, fostering a culture of peace and cooperation.
As a result of this experience, any doubts I
had about which development model would be most suitable for Venezuela and the
world were dispelled. Norway's commitment to ethical conduct and societal
welfare served as a compelling example, inspiring me to advocate for similar
principles in my homeland.
Values and principles for basic education
The general values and principles of basic education are part of the curriculum and have been determined by royal resolution on September 1, 2017, on the basis of the Education Law § 1-5.
Most of it applies to basic education in Norway. Basic education consists of primary school and upper secondary education. Therefore, it includes the education that children and young people receive from the first grade of primary school to the preparation of studies and vocational education programs in upper secondary education, where part of the education takes place in business life. and labor.
Democracy and participation
The school will give students the opportunity to participate and learn what democracy means in practice.
The training will promote support for democratic values and democracy as a form of government. It will give students an understanding of the rules of democracy and the importance of respecting them. Participating in society means respecting and supporting fundamental democratic values such as mutual respect, tolerance, individual freedom of belief and expression, and free choice. Democratic values must be promoted through active participation in the entire training process.
The school will promote democratic values and attitudes as a counterweight to prejudice and discrimination. The school must also create respect for the fact that people are different and students must learn to resolve conflicts peacefully.
A democratic society is based on the fact that the entire population has the same rights and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. The protection of the minority is a crucial principle in a democratic state governed by the rule of law and democratic society.
A democratic society also protects indigenous peoples and minorities. The perspective of indigenous peoples is part of the democratic education of students. All participants in the school community should develop an awareness of both minority and majority perspectives and create a space for cooperation, dialogue and dissent. The work of cultivating diversity on the one hand and including the individual on the other requires a conscious vision of values and the exercise of professional judgment.
The school should be a place where children and young people experience democracy in practice. Students must experience that they are heard in everyday school life, that they have a real influence, and that they can influence what concerns them. They will gain experience and practice various forms of participation and democratic participation, both in the daily work of the subjects and through, for example, student councils and other council bodies. The dialogue between teacher and student, and between school and home, must be based on mutual respect. When students' voices are heard in school, they experience how they can make their own conscious decisions. These experiences have value here and now and prepare students to become responsible citizens.
Accompanying this process, Norway's
strong Justice System leads to respect, strengthening, and consolidation of
values. To have values, it is not only necessary to have good family teaching
at home and at school. To coexist harmoniously in society, values also depend
on an Adequate System of Justice and the guarantee of compliance with the laws.
Norway ranks as the fifth least corrupt country in the world, mainly because its legislation punishes corruption very harshly. Its Penal Code imposes sentences of up to 10 years in prison for crimes such as breach of trust, active and passive bribery, or money laundering, even if committed abroad. In addition, Norway has the best press freedom index in the world.
When the goal is to achieve well-being
and peace, around them all economic, political, and social aspects develop in a
very healthy way, where solidarity is within and outside the borders, where
provisions are established so that there are no surprises in decades, in the
long term. In a long-term Strategic Planning of a country, as is the case of
Norway, in more than half a century there have been no major surprises in the
economic and social aspects.
In modern history, Norway has not
shown the world, inside or outside its borders, any profile close to that of a
country with opportunistic intentions, to take advantage or benefit from other
countries to the detriment of its inhabitants. Rather, it has always supported
and offered its solidarity to countries in the world with greater difficulties.
The social development achieved by
Norway represents a scale much higher than the standard of living to that
achieved by countries in Europe, Asia, the US, China, Russia, Japan. Given
their level of long-term planning, Norwegians do not suffer the consequences of
economic crises such as those experienced in the mentioned countries, there are
no surprises. Everything is planned with the human being, society, peace as the
focus.
Norwegian National Day
Every year, on May 17, the Norwegians fill the streets with flags, music, and joy to celebrate the Constitution Day that Norway adopted in 1814 in the Constituent Assembly on May 16, 1814, signing the Norwegian Constitution on May 17, first and only constitution that is maintained today. It is celebrated across the country with children's parades and typical Norwegian festivals. For people who visit the country, being able to live this experience is surprising and very exciting.
Norwegians celebrate their national day differently than in any other country. It is not a military parade where a warlike power is exhibited with the presence of soldiers, tanks, and weapons of war.
May 17 is the quintessential children's day, having the school as a natural center with the flag hoist in the schoolyard, the school parades behind the banner of the respective center, and the various types of games and entertainment in those involving teachers and parents. Dressed in a combination of red or blue, depending on the orientation of their studies, they are a colorful element of the celebration of May 17.
That day, people wear spring clothes, but the characteristic thing is to wear the bunad, a typical regional costume. Each of the regions of Norway has its own and the Norwegians mark, with this festive outfit, their identity, and their local and national belonging.
Norway, Energy, and Oil
In the same way as the economic development of its neighbors, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, its development was always based on the strengthening of the various areas of its economy, in the different regions of its geography. Its development, in addition to natural resources, has been based on work, thereby achieving the highest levels of quality of life on the planet. As reported by the Norwegian state, more than 90% of all profits from oil income, that is, more than 800 billion dollars, is part of the Government's Global Pension Fund, not to be used at present, but to reserve it for the pensions of future generations.
Svein Richard Brandtzæg*, a Norwegian friend who was a classmate during my studies at the University of Trondheim, once sent me the following message:
“Norway, as you point out, saved the oil money for later use. We know that oil resources will be depleted, and by then, it is important that we are not finished in an economy that does not have the platform to sustain itself. ”
* Dr. Svein Richard Brandtzæg: From 2009 to 2019, President and CEO of Norsk Hydro ASA Company, Global and Integrated Energy and Aluminum Company with 36,000 employees in 40 countries, and from 2014 to 2020, President of the Board of Directors of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU.
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