Operation Dagsværk 2023

Operation Dagsværk
Operation Dagsværk (OD) is an organization whose purpose is to raise funds for projects that support young people around the world. The organization is behind the annual Dagsværk Day, which falls on November 15th this year. On Dagsværk Day, thousands of Danish high-school students give a day of their education in order to support the annual OD-project by donating their wages - in other words, the students give a day of their education for a good cause!

This year's Operation Dagsværk project is called 'Young People Save Lives in Lebanon’. The project is done in collaboration with Røde kors and Ungdommens Røde Kors and supports young people who volunteer as ambulance rescuers in Lebanon.
Lebanon has been hit by many crises in recent years, which has led to a financial collapse of historic proportions. The International Monetary Fund considers Lebanon to be in one of the three worst economic crises on a global scale since 1850. Through the annual project selection process, it has been decided that this year's project should focus on young ambulance rescuers in Lebanon, as 80% of ambulance rescuers in Lebanon are young volunteers who work as rescuers alongside their jobs or studies.

On November 1st, two dedicated campaign volunteers from Operation Dagsværk visited Nørre G and informed the students about the project by showing videos and interviews with some of the Lebanese ambulance rescuers. Additionally, Nørre's OD group sat in the foyer and assisted students with signing up for the day. The group also started the 'OD barometer,' which measures the sign-ups for each class and is used as part of a competition to see which class can get the most registrations as quickly as possible.

On top of that, there was a Dagsværk café at the school last Friday with homemade baked goods and cakes from Lagkagehuset Bagsværd. An auction was held, and afterwards, two campaign volunteers instructed the students in Lebanese dabke dance, which the students became very good at.

Nørre and OD
Nørre G cherishes OD's values, and there is always significant support for Operation Dagsværk among Nørre's students. This is also reflected in Nørre's tradition of ranking at the top among other high schools in terms of the amount of funds raised. The students have the day off to work and earn money for the annual charity project. The work can involve tasks such as cleaning or gardening at home or for grandparents, but it can also extend to larger companies hiring a couple of 'day laborers' for a few hours of work. Each student earns 350 DKK, which goes directly to the project. It is off course voluntary to participate in the Operation Dagsværk Day and it is therefore only students who wish to support the project who do so.

Through the annual projects that Operation Dagsværk oversees, students can gain a broader perspective on the world and learn how to help one another across international borders. Operation Dagsværk has previously supported the climate activism of young indigenous people in Thailand and Malaysia, promoted social change among young people in Greenland, and fought against discrimination of LGBTQIA+ individuals in Kenya.

Impression from the assembly that focused on this year's OD project:

OD fællestimen