The Norwegian human rights environment is gaining strenght. On Thursday, 26th of August at 05.00 PM, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik will attend the official opening of the new Human Rights House, now including more organisations and also co-locating with the Norwegian Chapter of Amnesty International. The move also marks the 15th anniversary of the first Human Rights House ever to be established, in the East End of Oslo, back in 1989. (25-AUG-04)
Norwegian version
The organisations now located under the same roof are:
· Amnesty International, Norway
· The Norwegian Burma Committee
· The Norwegian Helsinki Committee
· The Norwegian Tibet Committee
· Human Rights House Foundation
· Nansen Dialogue Project
· The Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds
· Health and Human Rights Info
· The Norwegian Chapter of P.E.N. International
More powerful
-This house is not just a house, but a vision, states Bjørn Engesland, the newly elected leader of the whole Human Rights House and also the Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. -The vision is that by joining forces, we will be able to put human rights on the agenda in an even more powerful way, both at home and abroad.
Joint capacity
-In this house, human rights activism will be given first priority, supplies Petter Eide, Director Secretary General of Amnesty International, Norway. -The accumulated expertise available in this house will be used to prevent and protect people against human rights violations. Our joint capacity is irrelevant unless we use it to lobby for improvements of the human rights situation globally.
Makes a huge difference
-This community illustrates the concept of our organisation, says Maria Dahle, Executive Director of the Human Rights House Foundation. –From the Human Rights House in Oslo, we have worked now for fifteen years to bring together human rights organisations in similar Human Rights Houses in a number of cities throughout the world. Our experience is that these communities makes a huge difference in terms of both strengthening and making more visible the work done, not only by the organisations within the house, but by the whole human rights environment. This is true towards authorities, human rights violators and the people at large, and it gives both the human rights activists and their clients better security and protection.
Synergy effects
The idea behind the co-location of nine key human rights organisations has always been to generate synergy effects and thus make better use of all the knowledge and creativity that are to be found within each organisation. As part of a week dedicated to human rights education, the close to 500 pupils at Kastellet primary school in Oslo has also produced a 50 meter long banner that will decorate the new Human Right House in Oslo for the opening event.
The new address is: The Norwegian Human Rights House, Tordenskioldsgate 6b, 0160 Oslo, Norway. Tel: +47 22 47 92 00. Fax: +47 22 47 92 01.
