A couple of days ago, Norway was attacked. A powerful explosion hit downtown Oslo and a massacre took place at Utøya island. People have died and sustained injuries. Families and friends have lost their loved ones, and our country is in a state of grief and shock. My thoughts and feelings are with everyone affected. Despite these tragedies, people are joining hands and comforting each other – not just in Norway, but around the world. The support from our neighbors abroad have given us strength and confidence, and we are determined to get through this. I believe our best days are still ahead. This is our moment to tackle challenges and become an even stronger, more integrated society.

I am not a voice of warranted authority or credibility, but I want to share a few, brief thoughts about our humanity in the light of these events.

First, all of us must realize and honor the fact that we are bound together. Our needs and aspirations in life are not so different. Each of us was born into this world – innocent, helpless, unrealized. Human beings are are not alone on this planet – we belong to it, and it belongs to us. We are all endowed with a worldview, of hopes and dreams, of personality and opinion. We may not always judge equally, but we have to remember that we are – above all else – equal humans beings, fragile and precious.

Our challenges are deep and they are wide. They are subjective and they are objective. Let us become a bit more attentive, compassionate, and thoughtful. The world is not as big as we think. The distances we may feel in each other are not as great as we assume. Beneath the surface we will find a common humanity. Our world and future is our responsibility. The potential and promise is in our hands, now…