“All children deserve to win,” wrote Roy Jacobsen in one of his short stories.

They deserve to feel the deep satisfaction of succeeding.

At the threshold of a new year, children aren’t the only ones who dream of being a princess, a star or – perhaps this year in particular – an Olympic champion.

All of us have the opportunity to experience major and minor victories when our efforts are seen and recognised.

It is possible for all of us to overcome both internal and external obstacles –

­at school and at the workplace.

This year tens of thousands will leave the ranks of the unemployed to take up jobs.

Additional tens of thousands will change jobs. For many of them this will be a victory.

Returning to work after an illness can also be a victory.

Or working your way out of financial difficulties.

Coming to grips with grief.

Succeeding means so many different things.

Everyone has aspirations.

And everyone deserves to succeed in something they want to do.

This can also mean succeeding in close personal relationships.

It was not until I became a father myself that I realised how important it is to feel that someone needs you.

Having responsibility for a young child made me feel more worthwhile.

And feeling more worthwhile made me happy.

Knowing that a friend or loved one needs you can also make you feel this way.

There’s nothing better than knowing that someone needs you.

Many people are dreaming and making plans during this holiday season.

And the chances of realising these dreams may be greater in Norway than in any other country.

Our strong sense of community gives each and every one of us more opportunities to seek our fortune.

This is the Norwegian dream – more opportunities for more people.

I believe that this dream can only be realised together with others.

This could be in small groups, in the neighbourhood, the sports club or at work.

Or it could be in society as a whole, where all of us take part.

In the nation. And in the international community.

In recent years there has been a debate about whether society has grown colder, whether the workplace is tougher than before.

Whether the dark side of society has grown darker.

Some people probably think so.

We must do something about this.

All of us have rights.

All of us have obligations.

All of us can help.

We want to create a society where as many of us as possible can have our dreams – and have a chance of realising them.

This is what it’s all about.

Making room for our dreams and providing opportunities for us to realise them.

We have come a long way towards this in Norway, and we will come further year by year.

As many people as possible will have a chance to live out their dreams and aspirations.

To realise their abilities and potential. This will give us a society with greater diversity.

This is the purpose of society.

Providing more room and opportunities for growth for all of us.

We must do more to help those who come to live in our country to learn the language and understand the Norwegian way of life.

This applies particularly to the women.

We see many signs that second-generation Norwegians of foreign origin in particular are making their mark as leaders and setting an example in our society.

The two students who graduated at the top of their class at Lørenskog Upper Secondary School last year have immigrant backgrounds.

Both of them – Farianne Rochan, of Iranian background, and Zaheer Ahmad, of Pakistani background – are studying medicine in Oslo today.

They got there through their own effort and will power – and the platform society provided for them.

They, too, are a testimony to the Norwegian dream.

The dream is also about giving people a chance to make a new start in life.

Ensuring that the dark side of society doesn’t get darker, but disappears altogether in the warmth and light.

Many have already made an important contribution in building bridges into Norwegian society, such as Blue Cross, which offers job training.

The Church City Mission with its “Light in the Darkness” campaign. And Holmestrand municipality, which is inviting all newly arrived refugee children to join its sports club.

Tens of thousands of people are helping through voluntary work.

Last year Oslo’s homeless started the magazine called =Oslo.

It is sold on the street by the homeless. It costs 40 kroner, and the seller gets to keep half of the money.

The first issue of the magazine sold 70 000 copies.

Many people are needed to produce the magazine and to sell it.

It has provided many people with an income.

Talk about succeeding.

Theodor Kittelsen brought our dreams and aspirations to life in the painting Soria Moria Castle.

I see the boy in the painting as Norway, and the castle as the dreams.

And remember: the boy made it to Soria Moria Castle.

His dream came true.

We have been fortunate and resourceful in Norway.

Nature has given us great wealth.

There is a great deal of knowledge in our country.

We have good neighbours in a prosperous, stable and well organised Europe.

This gives us the opportunity to realise our dreams.

We can allow ourselves to think big.

We may be about to open a rich chapter in our nation’s development.

We can create one of the most inclusive societies the world has ever seen.

This is a big project and we must all pull together.

It is vital that we succeed in this.

The whole country will have to take part.

If we make better use of everyone’s abilities, we will be able to do more in Norway, and we will become a warmer society.

Many people who are excluded today will see that society has use for them.

As the poet Jan Magnus Bruheim put it:

“The man who has nothing to carry

Is bearing the heaviest burden.”

Norway is well placed for promoting peace and justice and alleviating want.

During a recent visit to Asia, I saw several aspects of our international involvement that we have reason to be proud of – where we are succeeding.

In Pakistan we visited the earthquake victims in the mountains.

More than 70 000 people died when the earthquake struck that morning in October.

Several million were made homeless.

I met a mother way up there in the mountains.

When the earthquake struck and the house caved in on her family, she faced the impossible task of choosing which of her children she should save.

She managed to save her baby.

Her two-year old was left behind.

Life can be very brutal.

In a refugee camp I heard eager children’s voices coming from a tent.

It was a school.

In the midst of the devastation the children were learning English.

The children were full of life. They had started building their future.

Norway has strong, experienced aid organisations and skilful field teams that are providing assistance to these people.

Many of you contributed substantially to these organisations last year so that they were able to help these people.

Last year many Norwegians were also struck by a disaster. This brings home to us how important it is to help.

During a meeting in India in December, we presented Norway’s plan for vaccinating all the world’s children.

It is a plan that will save the lives of millions of young children.

Norway is already at the forefront in this field.

By 2015 we will have saved as many children as there are people in Norway – because they were vaccinated with Norway’s help.

Every day Norwegian men and women in uniform make heroic efforts to provide security, for example in Afghanistan.

Women and children in particular are safer on the streets of Kabul because the Norwegian troops are looking out for them.

One of the things that gives me pride and pleasure is when other countries’ leaders praise Norwegian soldiers. And they do so often.

This evening I want to send a greeting to all Norwegians abroad.

And to offer a special thanks to the many who are working for the cause of peace and solidarity.

In the year that has just ended, we celebrated the 100 ^th> anniversary of the dissolution of the union with Sweden and the recognition of Norway as a fully independent State.

We celebrated the 100 ^th> anniversary of our own Royal Family.

This evening I would like to express my gratitude to the Royal Family for more than 100 years of faithful service to our people and our country.

The Royal Family is growing in numbers.

We, too, are delighted by this.

We wish them all the best in the new year.

2006 can be a good year for Norway.

It is an Olympic year, and the eyes of much of the world will be on Norway.

In 2006 we will also be celebrating the 100 ^th> anniversary of the death of the playwright Henrik Ibsen.

This will be celebrated not only in Norway, but in many other countries as well.

This great playwright took up many controversial issues that are still relevant to us today.

As a country we can succeed at so many different levels.

Each and every one of us has a victory awaiting us.

There will be even more room for our dreams.

Happy New Year.