Corrected version: Last week I announced the 3 laureates of the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent [see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/05/15/2019-laureates-of-the-vaclac-havel-prize-for-creative-dissent-announced/] and one of them is Rap Against Dictatorship, which was threatened with legal action for their 2018 hit ‘My Country’s Got’, a viral rap video lambasting Thailand’s junta and justice system. Rap Against Dictatorship said two of its rappers are flying to Norway to attend the award ceremony, which will be held at the Oslo Freedom Forum – the same event which invited junta critic and Khaosod English writer Pravit Rojanaphruk to speak in 2015. “Liberate P and Jacoboi are our representatives to receive the prize. Please keep supporting us,” the group said.
“My country preaches morals but has a crime rate higher than the Eiffel Tower. My country’s parliament house is a soldiers’ playground. My country points a gun at your throat,” read some of the lyrics.
Police officials considered filing sedition charges against the rappers, to much ridicule on social media, but no legal action was taken.
This video is published in the context of the Norwegian Human Rights Fund’s(NHRF) 30 years anniversary on 13 November 2018. A well-deserved celebration for 30 years service to the worldwide human rights community and especially the human rights defenders.
Support to human rights in a context of shrinking space, rise of populist regimes and hostile environment lie as a backdrop in the year we celebrate both the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights Defenders and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What are the consequences for the movement and what are the ground realities for human rights work and defenders working in the frontline in these changing realities? What strategies are used to support and respond to juridical harassment, restriction in freedom of association and expression, threats, criminalization and killings of human rights defenders? What new tools can be used in our work and what kind of support and strategies are needed looking ahead? This conference gathers international experts and human rights defenders from a variety of local, national and international contexts, to give us their advice and reflections on how to continue and improve support to human rights work in changing and challenging times. The conference seeks to highlight and celebrate the indispensable work that human rights defenders – individuals, groups and organizations – do every day to promote equality, dignity, justice, peace, sustainable development and freedom in their local communities as well as across the world.
The 2018 Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) marks the 10th anniversary of the annual gathering of human rights defenders with creative entrepreneurs, courageous reporters, technologists, and artists, united by their commitment to making today’s world more peaceful, prosperous, and free.
The 2018 Oslo Freedom Forum will feature powerful stories of courage, struggle, perseverance, and resilience in the face of tyranny. It celebrates the real-life heroes who have become an essential global human rights community that has broken barriers between nations and united activists in the struggle for freedom.
The Oslo Freedom Forum is open only to registered participants. Events will be live-streamed at oslofreedomforum.com and you can follow along on social media for on-the-ground coverage.
The New York based Human Rights Foundation has announced the initial speaker lineup for its 2017 Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF), taking place 22-24 May 2017 in Oslo. It includes quite a few well-known human rights defenders [the names are linked to short CVs]: Read the rest of this entry »
The 2015 Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) will be streamed live in high-definition at oslofreedomforum.com on both Tuesday, 26 May and Wednesday, 27 May, beginning at 9:30 CET (3:30am EST, 12:30am PST). The full program can be viewed here.
This year’s theme is “Living in Truth,” in honor of Václav Havel, the great Czech playwright, dissident, and president. “In Oslo, we are honoring the spirit behind Václav Havel’s life and memorializing how he inspired millions to live in truth,” said Human Rights Foundation chairman Garry Kasparov. “Havel demonstrated that peaceful resistance and creative dissent could prevail over dictatorship and violence. We will study and celebrate his achievements in Norway over the next two days.”
Speakers, performers, and artists from 35 countries, including Afghanistan, Chile, Gabon, Malaysia, Mexico, North Korea, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, and Ukraine, are uniting in Oslo to share stories of how they are taking action to make the world a more free and open place.
October is awards season, so you should know that the 2014 Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award recognizes 98 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. [Note : there is also the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize – of more info please go to: http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards]
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee’s Secretary General, Bjørn Engesland, announced the award in Oslo on 6 October, noting the sad fact that Azerbaijan’s political prisoners “are too numerous to all be mentioned here.” The Committee has documented 98 political prisoners, among them 13 journalists and bloggers. In addition, the prisoners include 10 human rights defenders and civil society activists, nine youth activists, a prominent opposition leader, “and many other opposing voices and religious activists.” The Committee noted that Azerbaijan assumed the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers this year.“Just weeks after Azerbaijan took over the chairmanship in May 2014, a new wave of detention of activists started. In what appears as a sign of contempt against the Council of Europe institutions, this wave in particular hit human rights defenders who have worked hard with the Council for the recognition and release of Azerbaijani political prisoners.
The Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) in Oslo seeks a Regional Officer for South Caucasus at the Human Rights House Foundation. Deadline Tuesday, 20 May 2014. Location: South Caucasus (majority of work in Armenia during the first 6 months). The position requires frequent travels within South Caucasus region. The position demands, inter alia, excellent English and good Russian and working experience (minimum 2 years) in the human rights field, preferably from a non-governmental or international organization.
