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Minister of International Development, Hilde Frafjord Johnson will hold the annual Chr. Michelsen lecture on the prospets of peace in the Republic of the Sudan. A panel debate with renown international experts on Republic of the Sudan, including CMI director Gunnar M. Sørbø and Iqbal Jhazbhay, will follow. CMI, an important co-operation partner for the Rafto House, is an independent, non-profit research institution and a major international centre in policy-oriented and applied development research. The Rafto Human Rights House congratulates CMI with the celebration of its 75th anniversary. (15-MAR-2005)

March 16th is the 17th anniversary of the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in South-Kurdistan. Systematically terrorizing the Kurdish population, Saddam Hussein attempted to silence his critics and at the same time test his chemical and biological weapons. On March 15 th, the Kurdish Cultural Forum arranges a memorial day for Halabja at the Rafto Human Rights House (15-Mar-2005)

Federation of Women Lawyer Republic of Kenya (FIDA), one of the organisations in the Human Rights House Project in Nairobi, is pressing for a reviewed ruling in a case where a man who raped an 11 year old girl was placed on a three year probation. The Chairperson of FIDA, Joyce Majiwa (picture) said such lenient sentences would not deter rapists. (15-MAR-05) 
 

Already the eighth manifestation Manifa – meaning a peaceful demonstration on the occasion of the International Women’s Day – took place on Sunday 6 March. The organizers were The Women on the 8 March Agreement and the Lesbians’ Agreement. A colorful parade passed through the main streets of Warsaw, accompanied by essential speeches and happenings. (12-MAR-05)

Maskhadov’s death could lead to an escalation of the conflict in the Chechen Republic and spread the military actions, said Liubov Vinogradova (picture) from the Russian Research Center for Human Rights in Moscow. The Soldiers Mothers´ Committee hopes to continue negotiations once a new Chechen leader appears. (10-MAR-05)
 

Maskhadov’s death could lead to an escalation of the conflict in the Chechen Republic and spread the military actions, said Liubov Vinogradova (picture) from the Russian Research Center for Human Rights in Moscow. The Soldiers Mothers´ Committee hopes to continue negotiations once a new Chechen leader appears. (10-MAR-05)

Russia’s Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov has said that the registered number of crimes in the country underestimated the real number by three times. Speaking at a State Duma session on Wednesday, he said that there were not the 2.9 million crimes in the Russian Federation, but something more like 9-12 million. (10-MAR-2005)
 

The George Elser award 2005 is granted  to the Union of committees of soldier´s mothers of the Russian Federation. Jury decision is noted that the Russian public organization is awarded for the efforts directed on the war termination  in Chechen Republic. (10-MAR-05)
 

The Tibetan people have been facing suspicions and growing restrictions, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said today at the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan People’s Uprising. – The lack of true ethnic equality and harmony based on trust, and the absence of genuine stability in Tibet clearly shows that things are not well in Tibet, the Dalai Lama stated. (10-MAR-05)