In earlier articles, I have discussed issues which I see as wrong in our world, and things we let drift un­resolved. But when we analyse issues and look for alternative ways ahead, we also must be criti­cal and sharp, yet not over­do it. We should remem­ber the simple pedagogical ‘trick’ that change is best en­couraged if we use positive encouragement and praise. Mothers know this best, but we all need to reflect on it, certainly now in the holy month of Ramadan and the Christian month of Lent.

It was a special day in the Norwegian capital Oslo last Sunday when the lead­er of the City Council, Erik Lae Solberg, opened the festive Ramadan lights on the City Hall at the Fridtjof Nansen Square, the Roald Amundsen Street, and the adjacent downtown streets on the eve of Ramadan. This year, the beginning of Ramadan coincides with the mid-fast Sunday in the Christian Church; few Christians fast in our time, but it is still referred to in the secular and religious calendars and preached about in religious services.

The newly elected City Council lead­er spoke at the event, along with the leader of the Islamic Council Norway, Masoom Zubair, and several other Mus­lim leaders. Oslo now follows suit with what London Mayor Sadiq Khan began last year, making Coventry Street be­come a festive street for the holy Mus­lim month. And at Christmas, there will be equally festive decorations and lights. Erik Lae said in his speech that he was glad to begin this tradition in Oslo, a city that has always been diverse but has in recent decades become even more multicultural and internation­al. Erik Lae said in his speech that he wants the city to show its unity, inclu­siveness, and diversity. Erik Lae rep­resents the Conservative Party in poli­tics, but he still has no problem being inspired by the Labour Party’s Mayor of London, on an issue that does not really have any political or party colour.

Oslo has many beautiful and monu­mental old churches, but there is not yet a Main Oslo Mosque. Perhaps that will come in the future in a city with some fifteen percent of its inhabitants being Muslims. The state church of Nor­way was dissolved in 2012, but still, the country remains mainly Christian, at least culturally. Some people have also drawn attention to opening a ‘neutral’ House of Prayer for all religions.

In Nairobi, Kenya, there is a school called Starehe Boys’ Centre and School, a top institution in the land with the ma­jority of the students coming from poor families or orphans, mixed with mid­dle and upper-class students. Some de­cades ago, visited the school and spoke with the school director Geoffrey Wil­liam Griffin, who was one of the main founders in 1959. He explained that the school and home had been established as a rescue centre for the homeless and that it soon grew into a top school, at­tracting rich children, too, who would be charged high fees to pay for all, plus donors contributing. He said that just after a semester or so, nobody would be able to tell who was rich and who was poor. Furthermore, to underline that all human beings are alike, the main as­sembly hall in this school is built with several windows and alters; turning in one direction, it is a church, turning the other way, it is a mosque, and the third way, the window has Hindu symbols.

I came to think about this unique school and its assembly hall after a car accident on a rural highway in Nor­way some time ago. Two young Muslim brothers had gone to the nearest city to collect their first new car, a Honda Civ­ic no less. On the way home, they must have lost control of the car and a terri­ble accident happened and both broth­ers died on the spot. They had grown up in the nearby village and were integrat­ed members of the community. How­ever, the unexpected issue came to the fore; how and where should the memo­rial service and burial take place? It was easy to call a Muslim clergy from a near­by town, but the church only allowed the outside garden and burial place to be used. In the future, I hope that the many beautiful Norwegian churches can be used for ceremonies for every­one, with required alterations of sym­bols and decorations, depending on the specific ceremony. The state maintains the churches as cultural heritage sites. A debate has begun and the church lead­ers must show positive and all-inclusive attitudes, the real values of all religions.

And now then, from religion and se­rious issues to lighter issues about co­operation in music and dance, and the story about cooperation across coun­try borders in such fields in Scandina­via. Last Saturday, Marcus and Marti­nus (22), identical twin brothers from North Norway, won the European Mu­sic Festival contest of Eurovision TV on behalf of Sweden. The final event will be held in May in Malmo, Sweden, having won last year’s event. Interest­ing, too, is that this year, many want to boycott Israel from participating, due to the war in Gaza. The text of its mu­sic entry is said to have a political mes­sage, which is not allowed. If the Swed­ish organizers would try to get out of it without stating a reason, it ought to be possible to say that there are major security problems with allowing the Israeli participants to attend, for the singers from Israel as well as other par­ticipants and the audience.

I am glad that Sweden this year al­lows performers from another coun­try, a close neighbour, can represent Sweden. Perhaps the Norwegians, Mar­cus, and Martinus, will do their best for Sweden, but they don’t have to win. Af­ter all, Sweden won the whole contest last year. About cooperation in mu­sic and other friendly fields, this year’s Eurovision reminded me that Norway twice has been represented in the con­test by Alexander Rybak, who is of Be­larusian heritage, and Åse Kleveland, who is of mixed Swedish and Norwe­gian heritage, now not only a Norwe­gian citizen but even a former govern­ment minister of culture and equality. All the mentioned artists remind us that music is borderless with an inter­national language, inspiring more co­operation in music and other fields.

There are many things around us that we can and should praise. We are good at seeing what is wrong in others, fo­cusing less on encouraging coopera­tion and inclusion. Besides, if I look for what is positive, I will find it, and if I fol­low up on positive actions, I will be able to do more of it – in everyday life and big politics, in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, and more. And then, we should draw attention to positive sto­ries and their model functions. If some­body praises me, I will try to live up to the expectations and actually become better than I would otherwise. Also, we know that it is in giving that we re­ceive, and in doing one good deed, we learn to do more good deeds. If this be­comes our focus, in the spirit of God Al­lah, then we may even be able to expe­rience a world with wars and conflicts.

Atle Hetland
The writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com