Viking Economics Read Online Free Page B

then-newspaper
Aftenposten
: “[Employers] demand that we speak Norwegian and they only take on those who have worked for them before.”
    Still, Norway is ranked number one among the twenty-seven richest countries for its policies on migration: acceptance of asylum-seekers and refugees, open borders to immigrants and students from developing countries, and friendly integration practices. 6
FOREIGN AID
    Denmark, Sweden, and Norway ranked first, second, and third in the Commitment to Development index in 2015. A lot of their aid goes into multilateral programs. They do not require recipient countries to buy goods and services from the donor. They set the standard for the amount of their economy that is given to poor countries at about 1 percent. 7
    Norway’s aid budget has doubled in nine years, to the level of 30 billion kroner, and a lot of that goes into multilateral programs. Along with Sweden, Norway is also one of the largest contributors to the United Nations.
    Norwegians like to target their unilateral aid to reflect their values: assisting the poor, empowering women, and reducing climate change. Three of the countries that get consistent attention are Sri Lanka, Chile, and Cambodia. Norway tries to improve those countries’ access to trade so they can in turn earn more capital for development. Recognizing that some governments hinder development due to their own corruption and incompetency, Norwegians target some aid to try to solve those problems, such as unsound taxation systems and illicit money flows.
    In many cases, Norwegian aid is directed to women, as with access to contraception. This is based on the notion that promoting the agency of women gives a head start to any country trying to climb out of poverty.
    Norwegian aid is also heavily invested in environmental issues, such as green energy initiatives. The country also prioritizes programs to combat deforestation, especially in Brazil, Indonesia, Guyana, and Tanzania.
    But to some internationalists, the Norwegian aid program is best known for its emphasis on conflict resolution. Through training and hands-on mediation, Norwegians have for many years worked in areas of bloody conflict to increase the chance for peace with justice.
NORWAY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION—A SURPRISE
    When a new European vision came along in the 1950s, proposing a degree of economic integration, Norway looked at it with interest. Norway prided itself on its internationalist tradition and the contribution of Norwegian Trygve Lie, the labor leader who in 1946 became the UN’s first-ever Secretary-General.
    Norway applied for membership in the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1962, along with the United Kingdom and others, but the UK was rebuffed and instead set up a parallel group, the European Free Trade Area. Norway joined its “big brother” in EFTA.
    Norway did not expect EFTA to be a permanent arrangement; its main trading partners, after all, were members of the EEC. For the next ten years, Norway negotiated with the EEC and prepared itself for membership. All of the major political parties agreed with this. Only the tiny Communist Party dissented.
    In January 1972, the Storting—Norway’s parliament—voted to join the EEC. Members of parliament were then stunned by an enormous protest at the grassroots level. The Labor government was forced to agree to a referendum. That fall, 53.5 percent of the popular votes were against membership.
    The Labor Party was shocked. Because the nature of the issue went to the heart of Norway’s future direction, the party regarded the referendum as a vote of no-confidence and resigned. The resignation, however, led to chaos because no major party could step into its place. All had supported membership in the EEC.
    Finally a governing coalition was patched together and an interim agreement was signed with the EEC, in lieu of membership, that supported a strong trading relationship for Norway. That relationship continued when the EEC