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Tuesday 17 January, the Norwegian Council for Africa and HRH co-hosted a seminar called ?Aid and the troubled democracies of East Africa?. The four speakers coming from Republic of Kenya and Republic of Uganda, including the well-known human rights defender Beatrice Kamau and the former editor at the Monitor, Republic of Uganda, Charles Onyango-Obbo all agreed upon the importance of a strong civil society for the functioning of a democracy (18-JAN-06)
 

Turkish authorities have done little or nothing to inform the Kurdish population about the bird flu disease, currently spreading across the country. When bird flew was detected in the non-Kurdish western Republic of Turkey last year, however, the authorities instantly presented information on how life stocks were to be killed. Follow-up guidance on possibly infected people was also given. (12-JAN-06)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation is deeply concerned about the condition of the 6 students that are in hunger strike in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. Therefore a letter was sent to both the Minister of Education and the Ombudsman, asking for the immediate restoration of their rights to education. After 15 days without food some of the strikers are at the end of their reserves. There are strong indications that their expulsion from university was politically motivated. Read the letters here. (11-JAN-06)
 

Kjell Magne Bondevik, (right, pictured at the opening of the Norwegian Human Rights House, August 2004), until last September Prime Minister of Norway, launched his plans today for an independent centre for peace, reconciliation in conflict-ridden areas and international human rights. (09-JAN-05)
 

The Norwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurdish People (RKR) has now published its first magazine with a thematic focus. As an ethnic minority the Kurds has been oppressed and harassed, both politically and militarily for decades. Women are especially endangered by violence and harassment in time of war and conflict. This together with the fear for new assaults affects Kurdish women in a special way and this makes out the thematic focus addressed in this new Norwegian publication. The magazine costs NOK 50,- and orders can be placed at www.kurdistan.no. (09-JAN-06)
 

The Ossietzky Prize; Norwegian PEN´s award for outstanding contributions to freedom of expression, will be awared Monday 19 December to Fakhra Salimi. This years laureate has been living in Norway since she was 20 – more than half her life – and has always represented a different voice in Norway´s otherwise rather homogenous and unisone public debate. (17-DEC-05)
 

Nansen Dialogue started its work in 1995, following a spontaneous idea of Inge Eidsvaag, tells Ingrid Vik, right, the network’s current Director. -Visiting Sarajevo, an Olympic city like Lillehammer – but under siege ten years after it hosted the Olympics – he came to the idea of organising courses in democracy, human rights and peaceful conflict resolution for participants from the former Yugoslavia with different backgrounds, in neutral surroundings at the Nansen Academy. (16-DEC-05)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation and the Swedish Helsinki Committee have urged the Nakhchivanian authorities in a letter to recall all charges against the secretary of the election commission, Nushabe Gafarly. Gafarly, arrested after refusing to sign protocols on the parliamentary elections, which were marked by numerous irregularities. After being pressured she eventually did sign the protocols. In spite of this she is being prosecuted now. Read the protest letter here. (16-DEC-05)
 

Selling ‘=Oslo,’ the still very new magazine whose revenue goes half-n-half to the vendors and back into production of more issues, has changed the lives of the vendors. It has given me a reason to get up, said vendor 018 Dagfrid Fosen, normally to be found outside the shopping mall CCVest, in honour of Vibeke Omberg, the initiator and editor, on the event of Omberg receiving the Norwegian Amnesty Award 2005 earlier this week. (16-NOV-05)