Following the Oslo Coalition conference on Politicisation of Freedom of Religion and Belief 26-27 October, there will be a Forum at the Nobel Peace Center with the same title, arranged by The Nobel Peace Center, the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities (STL) and the Oslo Coalition.
The Forum will consist of an international panel, where the newly drafted “Principles on Promotion of Freedom and Religion or Belief” will be presented and discussed.
Discussion on Upcoming White Paper
This will be followed by a Norwegian panel where prominent Norwegians in the field will be invited to discuss the Norwegian case at the Forum. In Norway there is an increasing awareness of the need to develop a holistic policy on religion in response to an increasingly pluralistic society, as reflected in the discussions around the coming renewal of the Norwegian legislation on the relation between the state and the different religious communities.
We invite you to a discussion on what to expect from the Norwegian Government’s coming White Paper:
- on Policies for Religion and Lifestance
- from the social science point of view
- from the public communicated through media
Programme
Welcome to Open Forum: Politicisation of Freedom of Religion and Belief for Better and for Worse - Priorities for the Future.
10.00 -10.15 Welcome by Liv Tørres Nobel Peace Centre and Inga Bostad, Director of the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
10.15 -10.30 Introductory remarks by Bishop Emeritus Gunnar Stålsett: From the Oslo Declaration on Freedom of Religion or Belief to the Current Guidelines
10.30–11.40 Presentation of Guideline for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief v. Lena Larsen, Director of the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Ethical principles based on lessons learnt from the work carried out as a result of the Oslo Declaration.
Comments by Nazila Ghanea, University of Oxford (tbc) and Mark Latimer Director for International Minority Rights Group (tbc)
Questions and answers
11.40-11.55 Coffee break
11.55 –12.05 Introduction by the Canadian Ambassador, Artur Wilczysky
12.05 –13.00 Panel: The Norwegian Government will present a White Paper on policies for religion and belief next year. Panel with Norwegian Stakeholders: What do we expect from the Norwegian Government’s coming White Paper on Policies for Religion and Lifestance?
Panel:
- Guri Hestflått Gabrielsen, Head of Monitoring Departement and Lawyer, Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud
- Marta Bivand Erdal, Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
- Rita Helgesen, Leader of the Norwegian Association of Graduate Teachers
- Majoran Vivekananthan, editor of the first and only Norwegian multicultural
- newspaper and TV
Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, Executive Chair of STL (The Council of Religious and Lifestace Communities in Norway) will moderate the panel and close the conference.
The conference is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Fritt Ord Foundation