“Dugnad”: Volunteer work in Norway that strengthens community ties

Anne Helen Myhrvold did not come to this area from the outskirts of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, just to beautify the course of the Jersrudbekken River as it winds its way through the forests towards the fjord. Rather, she came motivated by a deep Norwegian sense of duty, community and responsibility.

Granted, what she’s doing seems like a normal clean-up, removing everything from car tires to motorcycles from the river path, and offering everyone candy afterwards, but she and her friends from a nearby university have been doing things like this since kindergarten, cleaning up neighborhoods and holding bake sales to fund sports teams.

This falls within what is called “dugnad” in Norway, which means volunteering with a social dimension and for specific goals. It is not just an activity, but the mentality behind what these volunteers do.

A kind of antidote

At a time when sociologists see that the fabric of societies in the West is eroding, with the role of churches and community organizations declining, and connections across demographic lines diminishing, “Dugnad” represents a kind of antidote.

No one here denies that the “dognad” is the reason behind Norway’s continuous ranking among the world’s most trusted countries, and that it plays a major role in that. This type of volunteering constitutes a simple and comprehensive bonding force at the same time, giving Norwegians not only a sense of doing good, but of doing good together.

Myhrvold says: “Going out to clean the place and making it look beautiful is important, and it starts at an early age. The individual learns to do it and loves it, and this contributes to building the team.”

Social capital

The roots of this tradition go back to Norway’s history as a poor country of small farmers and fishermen. When a church or bridge needed to be built, or a neighbor was building a barn, everyone would come together to help each other.

“It was a kind of social insurance or resource mobilization, and it was imbued with a sense of justice,” says Karl-Henrik Sevesend, a professor at the Institute for Social Research in Oslo, who has studied such traditions. “It is not for your own benefit. You contribute, and everyone else contributes as well.”

Today, social scientists around the world mourn the loss of “social capital,” the community ties that foster trust and bring broader benefits to everyone.

Sevesend explains that “dugnad” is considered an incubator for social capital, saying: “If we look at the word (dugnad) itself, we will find that it contains a social element, as its linguistic roots refer to the concept of virtue.”

He adds: “You contribute to meeting the needs of the community, you meet people, build networks, and get to know your neighbors.”

Part of identity

The Jersrude River clean-up campaign is organized by the Ruskin Organization, affiliated with the Oslo City Council, which organizes volunteer clean-up campaigns, and this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Myhrvold registered her name with several friends who study at the nearby Norwegian University of Life Sciences and belong to a group called “Femininity and Sophistication.”

“It seems better after every volunteer day,” says volunteer member of the group, Sunny Marie Tamelg Froland.

In addition to participating in “Dugnad,” volunteers collect money for charitable causes. Currently, they support a group that provides medical assistance in Africa.

For all the young women in bright orange jackets and thick gloves, participating in dognads is just part of being Norwegian, and it usually involves an element of fun, whether serving pancakes to workers on construction sites or organizing a barbecue for schoolchildren.

On the other side of town, Norway’s largest walking and outdoor activities association organizes its own “dognad” event, including a sausage skewer grill.

Teaching children

The Norwegian Trekking Association is one of the most popular groups in the country, as it works to maintain trails and wooden houses for nature lovers in the country. On a clear day, the association’s volunteers carried out a special activity on a playground in the residential neighborhood of Børøm. The goal was to teach local children wildlife skills, such as first aid. Many of the children brought stuffed toys to practice on, and it is also an opportunity for neighbors to meet and talk.

As parents and children gather around the fire, the sounds of sausages cooking, and volunteers in red jackets walk around, talking and preparing the free presentation for anyone who wants to attend. Maria Rude, who brought her seven-year-old daughter to one of the activities, says she has been doing such events “for many years.” She adds that local children’s festivals, neighborhood clean-ups and other activities provide something for children to do, and the organization of the famous Norwegian Independence Day celebrations on May 17 was made possible thanks to “Dugnad.”

Greater benefit

Rhode admits that sometimes she has no desire to volunteer, whether it’s planning games or preparing food, but she sees more benefit.

She says, “The good side is the social side, where we come together and share work as human beings. We feel that we are part of something bigger,” explaining: “We need that to make our lives meaningful.”

Some say that this need is becoming more important day by day, including Christine Sandaker, who reviewed the volunteer activities in which she has participated over the years, as she remembers that she took 24,000 steps in a flea market to support a local youth “orchestra,” simply by carrying items from one place to another.

“I can say that was one of the best walks of the year,” she smiles.

Sandaker explains, “(The Dognad) acts as a counterweight. There is a spirit of brotherhood that arises from walking 24,000 steps, or standing in ankle-deep mud with another person.”

She adds: “The most obvious evidence of this is that we can do things together, but in light of the current situation, this becomes more important with people coming together in this way.”

About “Christian Science Monitor”

. “Dugnad” means volunteer work with a social dimension and for specific goals, and it is not just an activity, but the mentality behind what volunteers do.

. The roots of the “Dugnad” tradition go back to Norway’s history as a poor country of small farmers and fishermen, where everyone gathered to help each other.

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Feeling anxious

Volunteer Kristen Sandaker expressed her concern about the growing forces that could divide Norway, noting that political polarization, which makes up a large part of European politics, has a foothold in Norway as well.

She added that migration could unintentionally increase the risk of separation and separation of different societies from each other.

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Various activities contribute to saving expenses

During the organization of one of the “Dugnad” camps. Archive

Today, the term “dugnad” refers to unpaid volunteer work undertaken collectively for local, national or international causes.

This term has become so entrenched in contemporary Norway that it was chosen as “Word of the Year” in Norway in 2004.

One of the volunteers, Hanne Hof, says: “I participated in four different (Dugnad) activities during the past week, including participating in soccer teams that my children belong to.” She adds: “Next week, we will do (Dugnad) in the work park.”

Hof does not see any problem with working without pay, explaining: “This brings us parents closer together, and it is wonderful that we can do something together for our children.”

In urban Norway, “dugnad” is generally associated with outdoor spring cleaning and garden work in apartment complexes.

Dognad is also a popular activity in kindergartens and primary schools to complete different types of maintenance work. In rural areas, neighbors sometimes help each other repair houses or garages, but when it comes to sports, almost all parents in the country come to support their children’s activities.

These sports-related group activities can help small teams save on expenses that members would otherwise have to bear on their own, such as the cost of transportation and drinks at half-time or the cost of officials, such as referees and first-aiders at fieldside.

This means that “dognad” has become a vital resource for sports teams, and due to its social, recreational and voluntary nature, it is seen as a factor that enhances the community spirit within the team.

Although Norway’s population does not exceed 5.3 million people, Norwegians take great pride in achieving world records. Capitalizing on the “Dugnad” spirit was an integral part of both the largest youth football tournament in the world and the largest charitable donation campaign on television in the world.

The head of the charitable television campaign, Vibeke Ostby, says: “(Dugnad) makes you feel like a good person, and makes the world a better place,” adding: “Of course the amount raised is important, but the most important thing is to involve Norwegians and work together for a cause greater than themselves.”

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Collaborative genius

Norway had a completely unexpected experience, when the newly appointed CEO of Innovation Norway, Anita Krohn-Traseth, used the concept of “dognad” to bring new energy to this government institution that was suffering from some stagnation.

The Foundation’s staff worked with everyone who wanted to participate, on projects related to how Norway could prepare for a “post-oil” country, and this was a good example of the power of the “Dugnad Spirit”, where people work together to create collaborative genius, and achieve breakthroughs when it comes to developing new ideas, encouraging entrepreneurship, and at the same time promoting a more optimistic view of the future.

Another initiative emerged from the Hurtigruten Foundation, and its goal is to raise funds, raise awareness, and contribute to protecting the fragile nature and unique culture in the areas visited by the Foundation’s volunteers. These areas include the Arctic, Antarctica, and the Norwegian coast. The Foundation has launched several protection initiatives around the world, and the plan is to motivate and inform guests in sensitive natural areas in Norway, and ultimately transform them into environmental ambassadors.

Hurtigruten CEO, Daniel Skildham, said: “Now guests, employees and Hurtigruten owners are uniting to start a global campaign for the environment.”

. “Dugnad” helped institutions that were suffering from stagnation.