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Marking the 10th anniversary of the work of the Nansen Dialogue project, one of the in-house organisations of the Human Rights House in Oslo, the network that has emerged throughout the last decade hosted a seminar yesterday entitled ‘Dialogue – more than words’. The seminar also saw the official launch of a book, bearing the same title as the seminar, about the network’s history and activities. (14-DEC-05)
 

The Human Rights House Foundation and Norwegian P.E.N. have requested minister of foreign affairs to protest against the bill to tighten control on Russia’s civil society. In another letter the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Bellona have asked for the same. The law would dramatically restrain Russia’s civil society. They fear the law is aimed at human rights NGOs that are criticizing the government policy in the Chechen Republic. (07-DEC-05)
 

-Why is Republic of Azerbaijan still invited to meetings of the Council of Europe and the UN, while Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe is being banned from international podia? This was one of the central questions during the seminar ‘Azerbaijan after November 6th elections: Still in the Aliev regime’s strong grip’ on November 29 in the Human Rights House in Oslo with Natig Alaskarov, Azerbaijani opposition member in exile, right, and Tural Sardar, son of son of opposition leader Sardar Jalaoglu, left. (07-DEC-05)
 

This year has seen the real breakthrough also in Norway of ‘the human library,’ the Norwegian People’s Aid’s initiative to combat prejudice through making representatives of groups often subjected to this available to the public, for instance in schools. Among those ‘borrowed’ to answer questions so far are homosexuals, moslems, hiv-positive, people with eating disorders, blind, wheelchair users and refugees. (04-DEC-05)
 

Ikram Jilani, Imam in World Islamic Mission, right, one of the biggest moslem parishes in Norway, made it clear last month that even if violence against women is incompatible with Islam, certain circumstances permits a man to punish his wife, also through beating. In an interview with the national daily Aftenposten 9 November, Jilani exemplified with a situation where a woman leaves the home to meet other men. (04-DEC-05)
 

The Norwegian Salvation Army may well be licking its wounds, but it’s all too late now. The damage is done, and the list of artists joining the boycott of the previously so popular organisation is growing by the day after the news broke that the organisation removes gay and lesbian officers from official duties, on the grounds that they are unsuited to wear the uniform and represent the organisation. (02-DEC-05)
 

Nora Sveaas, right, leader of the International Society for Health and Human Rights (ISHHR), one of the in-house member organisations of the Norwegian Human Rights House, was yesterday elected one of five new members of the United nations? Committee on Torturethe Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has lobbied for Sveaas?s candidature, announces. (01-DEC-05)
 

-The Norwegian Tibet Committee is seriously concerned about the curfew imposed on the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, says Chungdak Koren, right, Secretary general of the Norwegian Tibet Committee. The curfew was declared by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and the People’s Armed Police (PAP) of the government of the “Tibet Autononomous Region” in the aftermath of the protest from the monks of the monastery on 25 November 2005. (30-NOV-05)
 

Today, Amnesty International Norway protested against United States, where one will soon reach the 1,000th execution since 1976, with 42 executions so far this year. Right, Secretary General Petter Eide in front of some of the thousand crosses. See the pictures from the demonstration at the Univeristy square in the centre of Oslo below. (30-NOV-05)