Among the various summer schools and seminars in existence, a special position is held by the International Summer School in Oslo. For the past 20 years students and teachers have gathered here from around the world. With regard to the number of courses, the quality of the lecturers and the type of participants, this Summer School undoubtedly holds a respected position.
In the space of six weeks in Norway, participants from almost all continents had the opportunity to live and study together. They studied not only their particular subjects in the special courses, the general aspects of Norway, its people and their way of life, but they also had a unique occasion for the exchange of experiences and thoughts ranging over a wide area.
Today, when we are striving for the full affirmation of active peaceful coexistence—creating, developing and accepting conditions for forming a real international community—every action in the field of international understanding holds importance. Thus the gathering of nations in Oslo ideally presents the opportunity for the creating of the new ideas needed for cooperation and understanding. The problem is to avoid accepting the existing status quo in world relations. During the international evenings, chats after lectures, various discussions and, most important, during personal talks each person had the opportunity to comprehend and finally accept some of his friends’ ideas which at firsts appeared to be so strangely different.
The system of studies in different countries, problems of living standards, economic politics, political freedom and, what is more important, ideological orientation was clarified for many of us after six weeks of living together. The 42 days of lectures, conversations in the cafeteria, and excursions laid a strong foundation for the development of new friendships. The need for cooperation and broader contact has become clearer to most of the participants.
After the end of school, the small international society of Blindern composed of a mixture of people from East and West, the North and South of the world will disappear. Each returns to his respective country, but the rich and useful experiences prove how urgently international friendship is needed today, and that it must be striven for and achieved.