Arendal acting mayor to dine with Malala Yousafzai

Arendal acting mayor Inger Brokka de Ruiter will miss Thursday evening’s party leaders’ debate to have dinner with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, NRK Sørlandet reports.

“I am looking forward to it like a child, and I almost start crying just thinking about it,” Brokka de Ruiter told NRK.

She described Yousafzai as “a fantastic role model” and said she was the reason Arendalsuka, a democracy week in the city, exists and enables people to campaign for democracy, freedom of expression and human rights.

Brokka de Ruiter declined to say how many hours of sleep she was getting during the event.

She acknowledged that the week was hectic for a mayor, with many assignments and activities, but said the staff running Arendalsuka were doing the main work.

“We are lucky to be able to act as figureheads, but it is the employees who do the main job this week, so there is no need to feel sorry for the rest of us,” she said.