American Coordinating Council of Norway www.accn.no Honoring 100 Years of a Woman’s Right to Vote Dear Reader It is with heavy heart that I write this letter. After much discussion, listening and consideration, I have made the exceedingly difficult decision to not hold an Independence Day event, here in Oslo, this year. Tradition says that this would have been our 35th celebration here in Oslo. As I write, the city of Oslo and the government of Norway have reduced greatly large events happening through- out Oslo. This was necessary to stop the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. The American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN), in keeping with these mandates and with the best interests of our members, the American community and citizens of Oslo in mind, is re-scheduling our celebra- tion to 2021. The ACCN started the planning of our 35th Independence Day celebration, here in Oslo, in January, as usual. Many committees were formed, and many volunteers have been working hard for many months. Hundreds of hours of planning and organizing have now been cancelled. I would like to thank the ACCN Board for all the hard work: ACCN Treasurer & Event Chair Karin Mandeville, Sec- retary Bjørnar Wehn, Raffle Chair Jeanette Førland, Advisors Chrys Hellem & Jan Søderstrøm, & Ole Hillestad, & Elaine Christiansen. In addition, a well-deserved thanks to the Committee Chairs: Lully Hillestad & Ron Krueger & Katie Coughlin & Tylor Barrot & Tracee Mehn & Mareah Peoples & Rande Hansen & Nina Ekback-Allen, plus all the good workers behind the committee chairs. A special thank you goes to Kristin Haanæs and Rande Hansen for the production of the Community Guide, and to Joshua Meek, from the US Embassy for his participation and to many other good people who actively participate in our organization. The ACCN has been active for 35 years and we could not have done this without the supporting companies that advertise here in our Community Guide. A huge thank you to ex-ACCN Chair Chrys Hellem for coming back to Norway to watch how the ACCN could meet the future. The ACCN is very sorry not to be in the park but will hopefully re-schedule to come back in 2021. Best wishes to all for the rest of 2020. Stay healthy! Bruce Allen ACCN Chairman NEMER A KE ID 2019 Photos: Gorm G. Lund V T S Design and Layout: Kristin D. Haanæs Printing: Merkur Grafisk AS Production is carbon-neutral. CO2 emissions have been compensated for. 2 COMMUNITY GUIDE 2020 –2021 www.accn.no COMMUNITY GUIDE 2020 –2021 www.accn.no 3 Greetings from To My Fellow Americans in Norway City Hall It is my honor and privilege as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of The annual celebration of the American Independence Day has become Norway to extend best wishes to Norway’s American community as a major and joyful event in Frognerparken, and in Oslo. There is a strong we celebrate the United States of America’s 244th Independence Day. parallel in the way Americans and Norwegians celebrate their national days. Both commemorate decisive moments in the history of our nations, As I reflect on my past two years serving as Ambassador, I am reminded and both put more emphasis on the social aspect of the celebration for of my primary responsibility, which is to represent the people of the children and families , rather than showing off military strength. This year United States and to strengthen the relationship between the United in light of the current health situation, and the COVID-19 virus, there will States and Norway. My priorities are to reassure the Norwegians of our unfortunately be no traditional celebration. steadfast and enduring alliance, to promote shared economic prosperity by pursuing new avenues of trade, investment, and innovation, and to As Mayor I want to thank the American community in Oslo for your valuable build on our strong historic and people-to-people ties. However, while contribution to our city. The American Constitution is a result of a struggle I serve as the official representative of the United States to Norway, in for freedom and independence, and your Founding Fathers inspired, - a very important sense, all of us, as Americans who live here - including among others, the Norwegians to create a liberal and modern constitution. all of you - serve as ambassadors for our nation...both in our culture and in our values every day. Together, we can share more directly our proud The ties between Norway and America are deep and strong. From about American heritage, fostering closer ties with our Norwegian friends and 1850 – 1920, more than 800 000 Norwegians immigrated to the USA. They partners. In particular, the American Coordinating Council of Norway is took part in building America based on hard work together with people of a key partner in furthering this vital U.S.-Norway relationship. I thank all nations. all of you ACCN for the important work you do. Ambassador Kenneth J. Braithwaite Today, both America and Norway are multicultural societies. The impor- Marianne Borgen , Mayor of Oslo This year has brought with it an unprecedented global challenge in tance of core values such as tolerance and respect for people from all nations the form of Coronavirus – a crisis particularly concerning for expatri- is more important than ever. The Declaration of Independence paved the way for equality and the development ate Americans like all of us who have family and friends back home. Though the challenges are daunting, I am of human rights. Despite our declarations and conventions – human rights and children’s rights are still under deeply impressed by the response of the American and Norwegian people as we face this crisis together. Un- severe pressure, in many parts of the world. In the years to come we have an important job to secure and strengthen precedented challenges often bring forth uncommon courage, and that has been on full display in Norway and our democracies, to secure peace and safety for our people. the United States- by our first responders, our brave medical professionals, and all who serve our communities. I know we will work together and support one another in this fight, and that soon we will find our way forward Americans and Norwegians have been allies in many important questions since World War II. In 2020 the COVID-19 to a brighter tomorrow. virus must be addressed by all nations. I want to thank the Americans in Oslo for your participation in our joint efforts to stop the COVID-19 virus. I wish for you, your families, and your wonderful colleagues a safe journey as we walk together through this un- precedented period in history. Though we are not able to be together this year, I know we will all be celebrating A special thanks to the American Coordination Council of Norway. I hope I see you next year in Frognerparken. in our hearts. Happy Independence Day from our Embassy family to yours Gratulerer med dagen! My best wishes for the American Independence Day 2020, I hope you all will have a wonderful day. 4 COMMUNITY GUIDE 2020 –2021 www.accn.no COMMUNITY GUIDE 2020 –2021 www.accn.no 5 fication till today, through the revisions and reversal of policies and through national and state amendments and laws. So, we can celebrate this centennial by learn- 100-Year Anniversary for Women’s ing some history and gain awareness of what systems and Right to Vote in the United States policies affect the right to vote for women, and others today. 100 hundred years of the fight for voting rights for women The women’s suffrage movement is known as a decades-long Article by Susan Morales Guerra, writer and facilitator fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States , hav- ing its official beginnings at the first public gathering for wom- In order to transform law, you need a political voice. In order en’s rights at a convention in Seneca Falls, New York in July, 1848. to have a political voice, you need to exercise the right to vote. Lucretia Mott (left) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (right) Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – Anne D. Gorden, Professor of History, Rutgers University, 2016. The leaders of this convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, became politically engaged through their Last March, while I was attending an international seminar work for the abolition of slavery. But as women, they were not able to take part in public meetings or or- outside of Oslo, there were seven American women present. ganizations. They later realized how the law considered slaves and married women “dead” as citizens, and I asked them to share their thoughts with me about the cen- defined them only as property of man, without any personal privilege or rights. They were, under the law, tennial anniversary of the right to vote for women in the USA. forced to obey their “masters” (read owners) at risk of punishment for disturbing domestic life. Stanton and Five of these were students in their twenties from a small Mott, with other activists, believed this was wrong thinking about any human being, including women. mid-western liberal college. Each one responded with “Re- ally?”. I wasn’t aware. I haven’t thought about it.” Their profes- In a recent anthology from 2019, The Women’s Suffrage Movement,Penguin Classics, the scholar Sally Roesch sors who were also there, mentioned that it gets more difficult Wagner extends the timeline of suffrage in this part of the world by nearly a thousand years. She begins with to arouse attention to women’s issues alone but they integrate the founding of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, when the Onondaga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, and Cayuga this into their classes of history, political science, literature and media studies, among other disciplines.