For the third year, UWC Red Cross Nordic joined the Nobel Peace Festival in Oslo, with six of our students representing RCN alongside UWC Norway.
At their stand, students spoke with visitors about the UWC movement, life at RCN and how to apply, including the scholarship opportunities available. They also invited people to take part in interactive activities exploring democracy and peace, creating an easy way to start conversations with people passing through the festival.
RCN students engaging with young people from Oslo
This year’s festival took place on 3 September at Rådhusplassen outside the Nobel Peace Center, with a programme centred on democracy, human rights and freedom of expression. Visitors could take part in activities hosted by organisations including the Norwegian Red Cross, Amnesty International, Norwegian PEN and the UN Association of Norway. The RCN stand was also part of the official programme, inviting visitors to explore what democracy means and contribute their thoughts to a shared democracy canvas.
The Nobel Festival team at the Nobel Peace Centre
At the same time, the Nobel Peace Conference 2026, “Democracy on the Brink,” brought Nobel Peace Prize laureates, activists, experts and young leaders together to discuss challenges facing democracy around the world. The programme included Maria Ressa, Juan Manuel Santos and Ales Bialiatski, as well as young activists from countries including Nepal, Kenya, Serbia, Brazil and the United States. Discussions focused on threats to democracy, lessons from democracy movements and ways to strengthen cooperation across borders.
For our students, the day was a chance not only to share RCN and UWC with others, but also to be part of wider conversations about peace, democracy and the role young people can play in their communities.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand, to UWC Norway for joining us, and to the Nobel Peace Center for welcoming RCN back to the festival once again.
