Definition
Dugnad is a Norwegian tradition with roots going back to agrarian society, in which neighbours helped each other with large tasks - slaughtering, harvesting, building - and reciprocated that help in kind when the need arose. The word 'dugnad' does not exist with an equivalent meaning in other languages; it is one of those words that Norwegians struggle to explain to foreigners because the concept itself is genuinely Norwegian. Dugnad is neither voluntary work (which is organised) nor unpaid overtime (which is one-sided); it is a community pulling together because it is what we do here. The spirit of dugnad - the willingness to contribute to the collective - is a deeply ingrained Norwegian value: in housing cooperatives, sports clubs, workplaces, and the nation as a whole. Norway's response to major challenges (the Korona-dugnad in 2020, the Nansen-dugnad for refugees) shows that dugnad functions as a national mobilisation tool. In the TvimenningOld Norse meaning 'two bound together' - one who solves a task shoulder to shoulder with another. context, the spirit of dugnad is visible in a culture of sharing: sharing knowledge openly (this glossary), mentoring others, and contributing to the industry community without expecting anything in return.