International Week in Bergen, to be held on September 18-24, will focus on the UN millennium goals for poverty reduction, aimed to be achieved within 2015. International Week is arranged and supported by The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the City of Bergen, the UN-Association – Western Norway in cooperation with several organizations and institutions, like the Rafto House. The Rafto House will especially emphasize the right to education as described in Art. 26 in the UN Declaration for Human Rights. (09-SEP-2004)


Iran exhibition
The photo artists, Thor Brødreskift and Olaf Knarvik, will display their photos taken in Iran in October and November 2003 in the Seminar room. The photos show individuals and their daily life in Iran, in contrast to the stereotype version of the country presented in mass media. The opening ceremony will take place on 20  September. On this occasion the Rafto book, ”Democracy, Human Rights and Islam in Modern Iran”, will be presented. One of its editors, Shirin Ebadi, is both a Raftoprize and Nobel Peace Price laureate, and co-editor, Henriette Sinding Aasen, will give a lecture about Shirin Ebadis work.

Educational programs
In cooperation with Amnesty International Norway, the Egil Rafto House Foundation has made a short educational film focusing on the right to education. Foreign students talk about their experience with the educational system in their respective narrative countries, compared to their experiences with the Norwegian educational system. During International Week, the film will be used in connection with human rights workshops, targeting secondary school students. Amnesty Norway and the Rafto House Foundation will discuss education as a basic human right in itself, as well as an important factor in the realization of other basic human rights.

The Raftoprize 2004
The annual Raftoprize laureate for 2004 will be announced on a press conference at the Rafto House, the 23rd of September 2004. The nominee criteria’s are that the person/group receiving the prize must have fought for fundamental ideals and principles for Human Rights, alternatively stand as a symbol for the struggle for human Rights and fundamental freedoms.

Human Rights House Network exhibition
The Rafto House is a member of an international network of Human Rights Houses (HRHN). This network, established in 1994 by the Human Rights House Foundation in Oslo, consists of member houses and partners in Moscow, Warsaw, Sarajevo, Minsk, Tirana, Baku, Istanbul, Nairobi, among others.
This year, the Human Rights House Network celebrates its 10th Anniversary. An international conference on the protection of human rights defenders will be hosted by the Secretariat of the Human Rights House Network on 13-14 October 2004. The title of the conference is “Activists under Attack. Defending the Right to be a Human Rights Defender”.

Trade and industry seminar on ethical dilemmas in international trade
The essential question here is: How to make the right decisions? It is of crucial importance that Norwegian industries and companies strengthen their competence on human rights, poverty and environment. These perspectives are also important in order to gain better recognition within the global marked. The seminar will take place at Grand Selskapslokaler in Bergen on 22 September at 11.00-16.00.