The FK North-South Forum is a biennially event that is organized as an extended framework for sharing visions and experiences with over 300 partners of Fredskorpset, as well as 800  representatives from Norwegian society at large.
 
The FK North-South Forum 2008 will be conducted in Oslo City Hall Thursday 4. September at 14.00, bringing people together from more than 60 countries.

The doors will be closed at 1350 hrs.
Participation by invitation only.
 
The program is scheduled to last until 15.45.

Through an inspiring session in The Oslo City Hall, we will enjoy international speakers and artists expressing their views on Dialogue and Development from their perspectives.

The Programme will be opened by the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Mr. Torbjørn Jagland. Contributors will be, among others Nobel Peace Prize Laureate,  Professor Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh, Dr. Thomas C. Mathew from Christ University Bangalore,India, The High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebæk, the internationally  awarded violinists Eldbjørg and Ragnhild Hemsing and the reknowned world musicians Annbjørg Lien on violin and Zotora on didjeridoo.
 
The FK North-South Forum 2008 will be hosted by The Mayor of Oslo, Mr. Fabian Stang and Fredskorpset.

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. He previously was a professor of economics and is famous for his successful application of microcredit - the extension of small loans. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Yunus is also the founder of Grameen Bank. In 2006, Yunus and the bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.".
Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen Foundation. In early 2007 Yunus showed interest in launching a political party in Bangladesh named Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power), but later discarded the plan. He is one of the founding members of Global Elders. Yunus also serves on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN.

Father Thomas C. Mathew is a member of a religious congregation of Catholic Priests called Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)

He has a master degree in Chemistry and MS in education from Iona College, New York. He obtained his Doctorate from Bangalore University on Educational Administration and the title was “Organizational Commitment of teachers in Degree Colleges in relation to their work values, Self actualization and leadership behavior of principals”.

He has been working with Christ University (previously called as Christ College), Bangalore   India since 1986 on various capacities and currently serving as its Vice Chancellor heading the university. Christ University is a partner of FK UNG Programme since 2002 and recently was awarded as the Gold Partner of FK.

Fr. Thomas is a well known person in the field of education in India and has served as a member of various Academic bodies constituted by University grants Commission, India.

He has extensively travelled in India and abroad on various assignments and is a pioneer in bringing many International Collaborations of Christ University.

Torbjørn Jagland was the leader of the Workers' Youth League, the youth wing of the Labour Party, from 1977 to 1981. He had previously chaired the local chapter of this organization from 1973 to 1976. From 1975 to 1983 he was a member of Buskerud county council.

Jagland became acting party secretary of the Labour Party in 1986, and then formally appointed in 1987. In 1986 he also became chairman of the Labour Party international committee. He held these two positions until 1992, when he left to become party leader, succeeding Gro Harlem Brundtland. Jagland was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Buskerud in 1993, and has been re-elected on three occasions.

In 2005 Jagland was elected to the Norwegian Parliament for a fourth term. As the previous President of the Storting Jørgen Kosmo had not stood for parliamentary re-election, Jagland was elected to this position by the members of parliament.

Jagland is known for his strong support of Norwegian membership in the European Union. In 1990 he published the book Min Europeiske drøm (My European Dream). Since 1999 Jagland is also one of several Vice Presidents of the Socialist International.[9] From 2000 to 2006 he chaired the Socialist International Committee on the Middle East, and he has outspokenly opposed the alleged "islamophobia" presence in Western societies. He became chairman of the board of The Oslo Center upon its establishment in 2006.

Annbjørg Lien is one of Norway’s most outstanding fiddlers. She has a solid basis in traditional music, but is never afraid of crossing musical borders. Her collaboration with musicians from all over the world and her inspiration from other cultures, have made her a top performer of World Music as well as Norwegian folk music.

She comes from a musical family, and studied Hardanger fiddle with her father in addition to classical violin at Ålesund Music School. Annbjørg later studied privately with other fiddlers, including Hauk Buen of Telemark.

Several symphony orchestras have engaged Annbjørg as a guest soloist to perform compositions written for the Hardanger fiddle, such as Geirr Tveitt’s “Tri fjordar”. She has made many television and radio appearances, including a TV special in memory of King Olav V.

Annbjørg has actively toured with Norwegian music and culture abroad for 25 years, traveling to most parts of the world.

Her collaboration with folk musicians from many different countries has taught her that folk music is truly an international language.

Young virtuoso violinists Eldbjørg Hemsing (born 1990) and Ragnhild Hemsing (born 1988) convey an exhilarating freshness and musicality that captivates audiences. Performing as soloists or together as the Hemsing Sisters, their mature, high-level playing has brought them First Prizes, appearances with leading Norwegian and European orchestras, and TV and radio performances.

Critically acclaimed for their fluid execution and finely honed, personal interpretations, Eldbjørg and Ragnhild Hemsing are also versatile musicians. As classical violinists they are sought after for solo recitals; together they perform as a spectacular duo. Their concert repertoire includes performing violin and viola together in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra. They also play Norway's national folk instrument, the resonant-stringed Hardanger fiddle.