More about Connect
The program
Connect is a development program facilitating for mutual exchange of youth between 4 organizations: NMS (Det Norske Misjonsselskap), Movimento Encontrão (Brazil), FLM (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy) and ELCHK (The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong).
The exchange program started in 2000 with NMS sending Norwegians abroad. One year after, Movimento Encontrão joined it and sent for the first time participants to Norway. In 2003 FLM joined and in 2019 ELCHK became the newest member of the program. From the beginning it was called Team Nettverk. The name was changed to Connect in 2009 because it communicates better, especially in English. It means different sort of connections that the program focus on (connect upwards, inwards and outwards, and making connections between individuals as well as organizations).
The Connect program’s main goal is to raise young leaders that are influencing their societies in a positive way and that are working for a world without injustice and poverty. Important elements to reach this goal is to work for increased youth participation in the organizations, training of young leaders and work for an increased awareness of global challenges.
We believe that this is achieved by challenging youth to use their talents, by sharing experiences, knowledge and ideas among young people from different countries, and by people living in the local community of another culture than their own.
The program lasts for around a year. It includes teaching and training at Hald internajonale skole (Hald international school), six to seven months internship in Norway, Brazil, Madagascar and Hong Kong, and finally a period of work in the sending organization. The participants have their internship in one of the other partner organizations.
Partner
Organizations
Our Partners

Hald internajonale skole
Hald internasjonale skole (Hald international school) is a vocational school situated in the southernmost city of Norway, Mandal. The participants in the Connect program are also students at this school and are studying “cross-cultural understanding and international work” during their exchange. They have six different subjects in this study:
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Culture and intercultural communication
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Christian faith and ethics
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Bible, mission and diakonia
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Sustainable development
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Communication and advocacy
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Leadership and personal growth

Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation
The Connect program is supported by Norec. Norec stands for “the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation” (Norec) and is a government agency in Norway under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norec was established in 1963, modelled on the American Peace Corps. The idea behind it was solidarity with the world's poor and the belief in internationalization and mutual understanding as the path to peace. The agency was called Fredskorpset (“the Peace Corps”) until 2018 when it changed its name to Norec.
Norec works with international partners who want to use the exchange model to learn from each other and develop. Norec's ides is to create development by bringing people together to learn, share and understand. To create engagement for human rights and international development issues, with young people as a special target group, is an important mission for Norec. Norec is also a competence centre for international exchange in Norway.
Connect is one of the youth exchange programs for volunteers that Norec supports. We receive most of our funding for the exchange program from Norec and the exchange program wouldn’t be possible without our cooperation with and support from Norec.