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Professor of political science Bernt Hagtvet, right, a long-standing member of the HRH Foundation’s board, has been awarded the prestigeous Humanist prize. The prize is awarded by the Norwegian Humanist Association, who says that Hagtvet was selected for his clear and public humanist stance in questions to do with democracy, human rights, freedom of belief and expression, and equality between people of different religious and cultural origin. (24-SEP-06)
 

The Norwegian tabloid daily Dagbladet writes today that it will no longer cooperate with the Salvation Army. Dagbladet has been the Salvation Army´s key partner for the very popular and profitable Christmas concerts, but since the story broke of the Army´s blatantly discriminating employment policies, openly targeting and victimising gays for their sexual orientation, so many artists have withdrawn from further participation in these concerts that the whole event has become more of an embarrassment to everyone involved. (20-SEP-06)
 

An official Chinese delegation spoke on Saturday about Panchen Lama´s, right, whereabouts. This is the first time anything has been said – true or untrue – about the second highest religious leader of Tibet since he was kidnapped in 1995. Panchen Lama was then only six years old. He has not been seen since. (18-SEP-06)
 

The US House of Representatives today passed a bill to award the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled leader, the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.  The award is in recognition of the Dalai Lama’s advocacy of religious harmony, non-violence, and human rights throughout the world and for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue though dialogue with the Chinese leadership. Right, Dalai Lama at his visit to the Human Rights House in Oslo last year.(13-SEP-06)
 

According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a lone 23-year-old Tibetan monk staged a short demonstration calling for freedom in Tibet on 3 September 2006 at the busy Barkhor street in Lhasa, right, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”). Within minutes, the Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials and security personnels deployed by the Lhasa Neighbourhood Committee hastily moved him away from the area. (06-SEP-06)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation has appealed to the authorities of Georgia to restart proceedings in a case against 5 members of the Georgian NGO the Equality Institute and reverse a previous verdict that was executed on 29 June. The five were sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment for protesting in front of a court building in the capital Tbilisi during a lawsuit. The Human Rights House Foundation considers the ruling to be unlawful and not complying with the conditions of a fair trial. (06-JUL-06)
 

Last month Archbishop Desmond Tutu accepted the International Campaign for Tibet’s Light of Truth award from His Holiness the Dalai Lama “on behalf of the heroes and heroines who often do not get mentioned.” In his acceptance speech Tutu drew comparisons between the fight to end apartheid and the Tibetan struggle. The Light of Truth award was also granted to the Herge Foundation, named after the creator of comic character Tintin. (04-JUL-06)
 

Tibetans and their supporters will hold protests worldwide tomorrow, 1 July, to denounce the launch of the railway that will connect Beijing and Lhasa, Tibet’s capital. The “Reject the Railway” campaign will see protests at Chinese embassies and consulates in major cities around the world, including Ottawa, New York, London, and Dharamsala, India. The Norwegian Tibet Committee is following the developments closely. (30-JUN-06)
 

The Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) asks Norwegian mayors to sign an appeal to support 56 Kurdish mayors in the Republic of Turkey. They are all charged to up till 10 years’ imprisonment for having written a letter to Denmark’s Prime-Minister Fogh Rasmussen asking him not to close down the Kurdish satellite channel Roj-TV which today broadcasts from Denmark in the Kurdish language. The Turkish Prosecutor- General considers this to be an expression of supporting the PKK-movement, which is forbidden in the Republic of Turkey.  (29-JUN-06)