Changemaker is an international non-governmental youth movement that was initiated by Norwegian Church Aid in Norway.
What is Changemaker?
Changemaker aims to attack the fundamental causes of the unequal distribution of resources between rich northern countries and the poor South.
One of our mottos is that knowledge without action is cowardice. But action without knowledge is stupidity.
Therefore, we try to focus on the connections within the North-South relationship, some of which are extremely complex. We must seek out knowledge in order to know where to make changes. Only once we know both about where injustice exists, and which aspects we would like to change, can we go to action.
What have we achieved?
Peace: Changemaker secured the historic decision that Norway will not take part in preventative warfare (e.g. further warfare in Iraq). This was passed by Norwegian Parliament in Spring 2004.
Third world debt: Changemaker was one of the groups to collect the most signatures for the Jubilee2000 campaign. In 2003 we lobbied the Norwegian Minister for Development to meet our demands to cancel the debt left behind by former dictators.
HIV and AIDS: Changemaker’s fight against the stigmatisation of those living with HIV and AIDS, and our related “POSITIVE-CAMPAIGN”, attracted the attention of the UN and the support of a broad alliance of organisations, churches and politicians.
World Trade: Changemaker ensured that the Church of Norway runs its unit trust fund in accordance with ethical guidelines.
Climate: Changemaker has set the standard by placing a more global focus on the consequences of the release of greenhouse gases.
Facts about Changemaker Norway:
The Norwegian Changemaker movement is growing rapidly. We are at the moment 2500 young people between the ages of 13 and 30. Changemaker is a part of Norwegian Church Aid, and shares their vision: "to expose and fight oppression, to save lives, and to create a basis for decent living conditions."
As societies are very different in different parts of the world, it is not necessarily easy to transfer the way the Norwegian Changemaker movement works to all other countries. If you are interested in starting a Changemaker-movement in your country or your city, we recommend that you look at this site and perhaps get ideas on how a Changemaker movement can be started in your country. Please e-mail us for more information: 