Welcome to ICORN, Tokke!

The picturesque Municipality of Tokke is located in Vestfold and Telemark County, right at the end of the Telemark Canal. It is comprised of four small towns Dalen, Høydalsmo, Lårdal, and Åmdals Verk, characterised by a quintessentially Norwegian cultural scene. The ceremony itself was held in Dalen, the administrative centre of Tokke Municipality.

The official signing was the culmination of a more extensive programme which included welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Tokke and Maja Foss Five, the Committee Leader of Vestfold and Telemark County Municipality. Benedikte Nes, Deputy Mayor of Tokke, Library Director, and the new ICORN coordinator in Tokke expressed her hopes for the successful partnership between Tokke and ICORN as well her plans for future ICORN residencies.

Helge Lunde, ICORN’s Executive Director, highlighted the importance of Tokke’s decision to join ICORN by saying:

Especially in trying times like ours, it is important that cities and local authorities step up to become active ambassadors for human rights and freedom of expression. Tokke has made such a choice and commitment today, Færder Municipality (also in Vestfold and Telemark County) will do so too tomorrow, and following recent municipal decisions to join ICORN in the cities of Bratislava, Strasbourg and Rosario (Argentina), we expect to sign agreements with them soon.

Today’s ICORN membership signing ceremony was also attended by numerous local cultural, political, and administrative officials including Tone Lunde Skaalen, Tokke’s Head of Education and Culture and Gerd Kari Skaalen, the Head of NAV in Vest-Telemark, amongst others.

The ICORN Secretariat looks forward to the collaboration with all the professional and committed actors in Tokke City of Refuge. We feel confident that their first ICORN resident will get a very warm and hospitable welcome.

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