The impact of my moving to Norway
In 1987 my education and career interests were directed toward working at the United Nations in NYC. At the time, Americans were over-represented, and I moved instead to Norway, where I started the Blått Paradis theatre-dance company together with a Norwegian dancer and choreographer who studied with Merce Cunningham in NYC. In time I worked my way into Norwegian and international politics in several areas.
In my years here (since 1987) I worked in several major areas of importance to the United Nations’ organizations and to the international community at large, including: measures aimed at protecting and establishing the rights of refugees and immigrants, LGBTQ persons and ethnic minorities, artists, writers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, and actors who immigrated to Norway, persons with HIV/AIDS, and unemployed immigrants in Norway etc. I started several organizations supporting these groups and issues, worked both together with and in opposition to the government and politicians, and I represented Norway and the Norwegian government abroad and at the United Nations conference on HIV/AIDS in NYC, on TV, radio, and newspapers, in public debates with government ministers and more. I was a celebrity in Norway for several years. As regards HIV/AIDS, I classified it as another one of several diseases that I called a “dis — ease of consciousness”; in both cause and effect. They are caused and maintained by self-loathing and shame. These “dirty and shameful” diseases are, like AIDS, Cancer, Leprosy, Covid, and others, ones that one has trouble admitting to having, also diseases that society somehow manages to blame the afflicted for getting. It takes time and several courageous persons stepping forward for the consciousness and normalization to change and occur, and for serious research for “cures” to be prioritized. Many of these diseases often affect the oldest generation, which has the lowest priority and perhaps the most shameful stereotypes as well. These dis-eases are also related to carrying self-guilt, shame, and self-loathing for a long time — often since childhood — which further weakens our immune system. And by the way, I delivered those comments about HIV/AIDS at an international conference funded largely by the Norwegian Health Ministry. When some of the organizers protested against the proposed speech the Health Ministry made it quite clear that it supported the message about acceptance of Self and of others with the disease; and said that there will be no funding if Adam does not hold that particular speech, word for word. I got a standing ovation at the international conference. I changed the debate away from victimhood to self-respect. I also started an organization called Artists in Motion which established rights enabling immigrant artists of all genres to compete for work, cultural stipends, and my work with the national TV station helped pave the way for non-white faces in Norwegian television.
I also established myself as a published international author and as a painter.
So yes, this was a good move and a move of fate.
— Adam Donaldson Powell
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