Elisabeth Appa Beveney, died April 19, aged 74 years.
We have not only lost a committed person, we have also lost someone who has contributed more than most to Oslo becoming a vibrant place. In 1988, Elisabeth became director of the Grünerløkka district. She became a central and important piece in Løkka's design of herself.
There were two key factors in particular that became important in Elisabeth's work: One was that the district's administration should reflect the district's demographics and represent the diversity of people who lived there. The other was her focus on a positive youth culture.
In the early 90's, young people wanted a place to develop their artistic interests. With good support from Elisabeth, the X-ray youth culture house became a reality in 1994. It is a house where many artists and dancers have started their careers. The offer has been important for thousands of young people.
In an interview with Samora Forum in 2000, she said: "In our district, we have in recent years gained a strong international culture, which in a completely different way than the traditional way of thinking about multiculturalism, puts diversity on the agenda."
Elisabeth Appa saw young people, she saw them in a new and different way than what was common in Oslo municipality at the time. She set a standard for posterity, and many have learned from her way of seeing, listening and supporting ideas and projects initiated by young people. From England, she brought with her ideas such as that the city employees should match those who live there. As early as 1990, she made sure that the district got a cultural director with an African background. As city director, she was innovative and concerned with action-oriented cultural, youth and local environment policy.
Oslo would not have been the same without Elisabeth Appa.
Khalid Salimi, Cliff Mustache, Inger Aguilar and Farooq Farooqi.
The obituary was in print in Aftenposten 19.05.2020