Meet our new intern, Ingrid Bugge!
Ingrid Bugge, student intern at the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC)
This month, the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief in the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), where the IPPFoRB Secretariat is based, received its first student intern from the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo.
Born and brought up in the capital city of Oslo, Ingrid Bugge is a third-year student in the Bachelor of Religion and Society (BRS) program, which equips students to understand, reflect and engage with theological, religious and social issues in the contemporary world.
‘’My interest in studying this program and joining this internship is connected to my childhood, which was predominantly spent living closely with immigrant families in the south of Oslo. I went to school with children from diverse and multicultural backgrounds, which never really appeared as something unique or different. It was not until I moved to a school which wasn’t as diverse that I started appreciating the values tied to multiculturalism and pluralism’’, said Ingrid and continues,
‘’In my BA-program, we studied a theory which says that religion will eventually disappear. However, this theory has been proven wrong on many occasions. I find it very important that we don’t ignore or avoid talking about religion and belief in our everyday lives as that in itself can lead to more misunderstandings and barriers in society.‘’
At the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ingrid will be helping both the IPPFoRB Secretariat and the Freedom of Belief Initiative in Turkey (FoBI) project. In addition to working with practical tasks such as organizing online events, she will write articles, provide support with relevant research on FoRB, and take part in important meetings that will allow her to experience the different aspects of working in a human rights organization.
Liv Hernæs Kvanvig, Director of IPPFoRB and the Head of the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief in the NHC.
‘’I can already feel that being an intern here will be more than what I thought it would be. I have received tasks which have helped me learn how my study becomes practice. I will be doing a little bit of everything, which is exactly what I had hoped for when I got this internship’’, said Ingrid about her time at the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief.
‘’We are very happy to welcome Ingrid to the team and look forward to seeing her dip her toes into the world of human rights, especially the right to freedom of religion or belief. Young people have a lot to contribute in this field and should be given opportunities to gain knowledge and experience’’, adds Liv Hernæs Kvanvig, Director of IPPFoRB and the Head of the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief in the NHC.
Starting this year, the NHC seeks to continue its cooperation with the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo and receive interns in the years to come who will provide support on the various freedom of religion or belief projects at the Centre for Freedom of Religion or Belief.
In her spare time, Ingrid plays the flute and likes exploring different genres of music. She also loves reading and spending time with friends, especially when the sun is shining in Oslo. In the future, she hopes to become a teacher and empower the youth to speak their minds and take charge of the future.
‘’When you live in this part of the world, it is easy to forget that this is not the reality for the majority. We must strive to build a more equal world and the youth are important to achieve this. We as young people need to care because the future is ours. The world is getting smaller because of technology and that gives us lots of opportunities to use it positively in order to bring meaningful change in our societies.’’