First thing we did today was head into town to the outdoor Nobel Peace Prize Concert for Children, put on by Save the Children. This concert is put on the docks just outside the Nobel Institute. The weather continues to be very cold, so we along with hundreds of Norwegian school children were bundled up in layers of clothing, long underwear, boots, hats, scarves, mittens. It is so cold.

Children were the MC’s and there were a number of speeches, by children and adults. We could not understand any of the speeches as they were all in Norwegian. We could however, understand the music. A number of very popular teen idols were in attendance performing for these young people. What were these performers thinking? As we stood jumping and clapping on demand to the music. (a great way to keep warm) I was astonished by the repeated theme of the music, on the perils of falling in love. One song repeated the line, “I’m in love and I hate it, hate it, hate it. I’m in love and I hate it, hate it,” over and over again. Everytime they said the word love, they said the word hate 3 times…at a peace concert?

I was incredibly frustrated by the inconsistancy of messaging and the lost opportuntity to build on the theme of peace. Here these pop icons were with hndreds of school children on Nobel Peace Day. What an opportunity for them to inspire these young children, to build on their hopes for peace. Instead they were singing one song after another about sex and confusion and pain in relationships. UGH! Our young people desearve so much more. They deserve to be encouraged to believe in themselves, to be challenged to see beyond their small world, and to be inspired to move forward in their deepest dream for themselves, there communities and their world. These young pop artists missed an opporotunity to encourage peace in the hearts of these young people and to inspire peace in the world.