Dugnadseksperten

More About Dugnadseksperten

https://www.dugnadseksperten.no/

Dugnadseksperten helps sporting teams and schools throughout Norway with organizing fundraising activities. This concept is called Dugnad. We have actually written an extensive article with all you require to know.

The Norwegian Dugnad-- What is this vital communal event?

Spend time checking into and reading about any type of culture, and there will always be oddities that turn up from time to time. Every nation has its own culture and history, and this will involve many moments where things, frankly, seem a little strange. To an outsider, these cultural events can seem out of place or ill-fitting due to not fitting in with their own national structure.

If you want to find an example of a nationwide communal event that really helps to describe the national spirit, though, you should look no further than the Dugnad. For Norwegians, this community event is an incredible example of their spirit and their community.

What is Dugnad?

Dugnad is a term made use of in Norway to describe a period of voluntary job that is carried out alongside others. It is a vital type of community work and togetherness, bringing people together to help make things much better in their own constituency. For many Norwegians, this is a core part of their identity; the Dugnad is something to be celebrated, to be excited for.

Indeed, it was voted the Norwegian word of the year as far back as 2004 by popular Norwegian television platform Typisk Norsk. Those that take part in Dugnad are helping to make their own community, and by extension the wider nation, a better place. Essentially, it is the bringing together of the community to work together for the betterment of all.

At the end of Dugnad, it is common for those who take part to enjoy a meal together. The meal is often made-up of dishes that are brought to the event by the various Dugnad participants. As such, the meal itself fits the communal message and theme of the event itself.

How did Dugnad come to be?

The event itself can be traced back all the way back to the era of the Vikings. Being a seafaring group, the Vikings would return home in embattled ships and communities would work together to correct issues. The communities knew that without the ships they might not enjoy the plenty that they had. Therefore, everyone worked together to ensure that ships were strong and capable of withstanding the elements further.

The same effort was put into building homes for each Viking, building the Great Halls of the era, and for building other parts of the community. The tradition, after that, grew from that right into the centuries to come. The tough winters and harsh weather of Norway additionally play a part, with communities needing to work together to ensure that all might survive the harsh weather conditions.

Today, the event still holds the same spirit and ethics of its past. Community-led activities and working together for the betterment of the whole community have stayed a key part of Norwegian life since.

When does Dugnad take place?

Most of the time, Dugnad will be something that happens during the changing of the season. This is most common as we move from autumn to prepare for winter, and as we prepare to move from spring to summer. Winter is a time when Norwegians need to ensure their homes and communities are ready to face off against the winter. By contrast, though, the summer is a time when people spend missed time outdoors and thus want to spend time in vibrant, fresh, and clean communities.

The most common time for Dugnad to take place would certainly be May 17th, which is the National Day of Norway itself. This is the anniversary of the signing of the Norwegian constitution, which took place in 1814. Various other days in the autumn, though, do tend to pop up though there is most likely a less uniform agreement as to when it should take place.

As we move from one key season to the next, it makes sense to take pride in our community and plan for the months in advance. The truth that Dugnad is a communal event means that it can take place on a smaller scale throughout the year, though; if something needs to be done, that community spirit will often see that it is taken care of as soon as is possible.

Lot of times, a Dugnad event will take place twice per year. This can help to maintain the place fresh, and there will often be a planning board that wants to try and prepare a list of priorities for each and every community. For example, it could be something as simple as getting the bushes trimmed and the leaves removed after a busy autumn. Or maybe painting the winter-impacted properties and community areas in fresh, summer-suitable color schemes.

Does everyone take part in Dugnad?

More or less! If you are a Norwegian or a resident of Norway, you will be expected to chip in and do your component. This is a time of year when everyone lifts a little of the load to ensure that a community can make huge changes. It really is about making sure that you can be familiar with those around you, and that you can do your little bit to make the nation a much more appealing place.

People who live in Norway take immense pride in the quality of the nation. Therefore, everyone who exists will take part in this event. Even the rich and the famous will, when in Norway, take part in these events. This is an event where everyone is happy to oblige and assist, from star soccer players to the average person on the street. It is a humbling experience, and given everyone's benefits, it would certainly be hard to refuse time and effort to take part in the Dugnad.

There is one way to sum up Dugnad that makes sense: duty. Norway is a nation that has seen considerable immigration in recent years. This is a net positive for the nation, bringing new concepts and cultures to the nation. That being said, there are parts of Norwegian social living that everyone, regardless of nationality, is expected to take part in. For many, the symbol of a true Norwegian-- ethnic or otherwise-- is their commitment to taking part in Dugnad.

There is a "community contract" within Norway which the Dugnad epitomizes in the most effective way.

Are you spent for Dugnad?

No, there is no financial benefit to taking part in Dugnad. However, there is something even more important than cash in your pocket: pride. Pride in where you live, and pride in individuals whom you live there alongside. Pride in the wish and the ability to assist where you can. Pride in making sure that the community you reside in is taken care of, and remains in a good enough problem for future generations.

By working together, we can overcome the need to spend for everything. In many other countries, there is a culture of merely buying what we require. This produces an extra individualistic approach, though, which is often a negative for communities in the long term. Though only a bi-annual event most years, the Dugnad does a fine job of making sure that people offset 'losing' time without being paid by getting a community.

You will meet people, you will improve where you live, and you will see first-hand the really immense power of a community collaborating as one. In the long-term, that is far more beneficial than any type of sum of cash that you could be given.

Earning money is something, but the whole concept of Dugnad has to do with earning greater than on your own. You are gaining for the community, for the right to live in a safe place where there is treatment and consideration for all. Many nations have actually lost the importance of knowing each other and being part of a wider community, such is the rapid pace and the transitional nature of modern living. For many, though, the Dugnad is the excellent antidote to this.

In many nations, the activities and events carried out during Dugnad are left to council employees and state-sponsored programs. Instead of awaiting somebody else to do the job, though, Dugnad just asks: why can't we solve the problem as a community instead?

Do you need to be a specialist to take part in Dugnad?

Considered that most of the tasks that take part in Dugnad are manual work jobs, some worry they could not be cut out for the task. Physical fitness, disabilities, and the like make it hard for everyone to seem like they can contribute. Yet, all you need to do is get a paintbrush, tidy up some litter, remove some graffiti, trim some bushes, etc-- there is absolutely nothing that you will be doing that would be expected to be of a professional standard.

Really, Dugnad is built around the sort of tasks that we would have no qualms regarding performing in our own homes. We do not constantly expect a professional painter to help us paint our homes. Neither do we employ a landscape gardener whenever we require to trim some bushes or take care of a bush. Therefore, many people see Dugnad as an opportunity to just do their ideal. If you try your hardest and you put in an effort as much as you can, nobody expects perfection!

The charm of Dugnad is likewise that if you do make a mistake, someone will be along to help. You all work together to handle each task as a wider whole; you are not expected to hit a job-level contentment with every task you embark on. You are, though, expected to do as high as you can to make your community a better place.

Does Dugnad differ in city areas?

You may not be shocked to find out that the way that Dugnad works in rural and metropolitan areas can differ somewhat. In the much more metropolitan parts of Norway, Dugnad often consists of people working together in a little spring cleaning. This can include things like managing the local area, helping to beautify the local area, and removing things like debris, graffiti, and other eye sores.

It is common for maintenance and painting to take place throughout this period too, cheering up everything from community areas and facilities to people's homes and gardens. In even more rural areas, though, the Dugnad tends to be built around the concept of working together on their homes. Many will help with things like building or improving homes and garages.

Typically, schools additionally have a common yearly dugnader event whereby they function to make the school and its surrounding areas also nicer. This prevails, and many Dugnad events are really arranged and organized by a school or local community.

So, while there are some distinctions in what will be done relying on geography, the spirit of Dugnad lives on regardless of whether you live in a major city or a rural small town.

Dugnad in the era of COVID

Naturally, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (and beyond) had a huge effect on communities. Many people brought themselves together to better comprehend the importance of keeping an eye out for those around us whatsoever times. Because of that, it should come as no surprise that the Dugnad became a lot more important during the COVID pandemic.

It was in fact made use of differently, though; Dugnad was used to help unite people and maintain morale and spirits from afar. However, it was in fact primarily made use of to shut down activities and to stop events taking place that can possibly trigger a spike in COVID infections. While many associate Dugnad with productivity and community-led improvement, this was an additional example of a community watching out for itself. It may not have consisted of the very same togetherness of productivity, but there was a clear spirit of looking out for each other and keeping infection prices as low as could be.

The Dugnad spirit played a huge role in helping communities to come together and watch out for each other without having to be straight existing. Because of that, Dugnad was vital to Norwegians seeing out the pandemic.

So, throughout the centuries, Norway has actually maintained the idea of making sure that everyone works together for the betterment of society. There is no 'I' throughout Dugnad; there is only 'we.' Whether you are from Norway, you get on holiday there, or you have moved there as a naturalized citizen, you will take part in Dugnad. And while it may sound like busywork, the experience is something that, once you take part, you will be unlikely to forget anytime soon!