Never been to the Nordic Bahá’í Youth Conference before?
Welcome!
Been to the Nordic Bahá’í Youth Conference before?
Welcome back!
Don’t know what a Nordic Bahá’í Youth Conference is?
Hello!
Let us explain...
The Nordic Bahá’í Youth Conference (or “Viking’s Conference”) has been running successfully now for many years, and has drawn participants from not just the Nordic regions, but from all over Europe, and beyond! It is organised and run each year by the Bahá’ís of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, or Finland, who have consistently provided an environment in which youth can meet, learn, discuss, socialise, and make new friends!
As always, there will be talks from a variety of interesting speakers, discussion groups in which to share ideas and experiences, artistic workshops to help release our creative sides, and plenty of time to socialise, play sports, and otherwise hang out!
All we ask is that you bring with you a positive attitude, an open mind, and a desire to learn! (And the registration fee, but it’s not that much!)
Also, new to Viking’s 2011, there will be a water park and a casino!
No, that’s not true. But it will still be awesome!
We hope to see you all in the spring!
The Vikings Conference has a long tradition in the Nordic Bahá'í community. Every year youth from Northern Europe gather to study topics related to the Bahá’í faith and to socialize.
As a parent you may have some questions. Here is some information that may affect your decision to let your young one come:
- Youth under 18 must have a guardian.
- The programme will be in English. There will not be any translations, but this conference is a good opportunity to improve language skills.
- This conference is for youth aged 15 - 25 years. Children turning 15 in during the conference can come. No exceptions will be made.
- There will be made some arrangements for transportation.
- The participants will sleep in dormitories. Boys and girls sleep in separate sections of the school, and early-sleepers will have their own dormitory.
- This conference is for youth from 15 and up to around 25 years. Children turning 15 in during the conference can come, but no younger ones. No exceptions will be made.
- The participants are expected to follow a set of simple rules. If they fail to do so, they risk being sent home at their own expense (very rare).
If you have general questions, you can use the [contact form]. During the conference the organizers can be reached on phone (will be published later), but please use this number only if it is necessary.
Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ)
Every year a number of questions are repeated. Here we've gathered the answers of many of them, as they apply to the 2011 conference. The FAQ will be continually updated, so make sure to drop in here every now and then.
Q: When is the conference?
A: It begins on 21st April at 13:00 with lunch and ends on 25th April at 14:00 with lunch. Sandwiched between these two lunches is a very cool programme.
Age
Q: What’s the age limit?
A: 15 years. If you're under 18 you must bring a signed parental consent form.
Q: I’m 14 years and 361 days old – Can I participate?
A: Barely. If you turn 15 during the conference (by the 25th April), the answer is yes.
Q: I’m 14 years and 359 days old – Can I participate?
A: Sorry, no. The conference is for those who have turned 15.
Registration
Q: I changed my mind about the programme. Can I change?
A: Why? Why do you do this to us? Use our contact form and say which programme you want to have now. In the subject line, write “Switch programme”. We will fix it manually. Please do not register twice. If you register twice you’ll have to pay the price twice (hey, that rhymes!).
Q: I think I registered, but I never got a confirmation.
A: We look at each registration individually to weed out double registrations and other errors. If you haven’t received anything in one week… just wait a little bit longer. Two weeks and no confirmation, register again and write in the comments that you didn’t receive the confirmation.
Q: I am a scammer. I registered and didn’t get a confirmation. What’s wrong?
A: We don’t send confirmation e-mails to scammers.
Q: When will the registration open?
A: It opened on 10th January. You can register until 21st March. You can still register after that but it will cost you more.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: We will come back to the exact fee later, but around 80-100 Euros is a good guess. This will cover everything.
Location
Q: Where is the conference?
A: At Lillehammer Upper Secondary School in Lillehammer, Norway.
Q: Where will I sleep?
A: Classrooms will be accommodated to dormitories. We separate boys from girls, and early-sleepers from late-sleepers.
Q: Can I come one day early/leave one day later?
A: Yes, you can. But you’ve got to find an accommodation on your own.
The Viking’s Dictionary of Exemplary Behaviour
Alcohol noun see drugs
Badge noun insignia, identity card worn visibly at all times to distinguish between friend and
foe.
Cleanliness noun diligence in keeping oneself and one’s property clean, including dust, stains,
smells and garbage. Related expressions: hygiene, tidiness, orderliness. Cleanliness is next to
godliness (proverb).
Desertion noun the act of leaving the premises. Usually punished with death penalty, but
allowed in Lillehammer 2011. Because of fire safety we’re keeping a log (a book made of paper)
of who is inside. If you leave the premises, log out, and when you return, remember to log in.
Dormitory noun (plural dormitories) sleeping quarters [from Latin: dormitorium "sleeping
place", from dormire "to sleep"]. Dormitories are for sleeping only.
Usage: Do not confuse with socialization.
Drugs noun illegal substance that deranges the mind. Strictly forbidden. Possession will result in
immediate deportation.
Lost adjective describing presence in another gender’s dormitory. If you are lost, please ask a
member of the O-Team for directions.
Manners noun etiquette, the treatment of others with courtesy and politeness. A necessity for
making a good impression on others. Related expressions: good manner, bad manner, ill-
mannered. In most countries, it is considered to be good manners to offer your seat to an elderly
person on crowded public transport.
Socialization noun (socializing verb) the act of meeting for social purposes. Socialization is
allowed anywhere except in dormitories. Synonyms: having fun, chatting. Antonym: sleeping,
bad manners.
Sleeping see dormitory.
Smoking 1. verb the act of fumigation. Only allowed in a designated area outside. 2. smoking
noun wedding suit [from Norwegian: smoking "tuxedo", from ekstrafindressforuvanlighøy-
tideliganledning "suit"]. Wedding suits are allowed anywhere.
Timeliness noun being on time. Please attend all sessions and be on time. If you are unsure
whether you can enter, follow the traffic lights outside each room.
Program Description NBYC 2011
The programme this year will be related to the new 5 Year Plan which will come out just before the conference. We don’t know every detail of the programme, but we’ve got a few speakers already who will talk about the following topics:
- * Fundamental Principles of the Bahá’í Faith
- * Reasoning, Ethics and Faith
- * Institute Training
Aside from these sessions there will be artistic workshops workshops, sports and games.
Program with details:
Download the program as a PDF-file.
Download the calendar for your mobile phone or PC (ICS-file).
Download the program as a PDF-file.
Download the calendar for your mobile phone or PC (ICS-file).
Conference calendar
