In a rapidly evolving global landscape, the intersection of religion and human rights presents both profound challenges and opportunities. The conference is dedicated to exploring the complex dynamics of the right to freedom of religion or belief (FORB), the nuanced interplay between religion and gender, and future perspectives and challenges in the field of religion and human rights.
The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief
The Oslo Coalition was established in 1999, following the Oslo Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (1998). Aligned with the Oslo Declaration and Oslo Principles, which underscore the universal acceptance and implementation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Oslo Coalition plays an important role in fostering dialogue and facilitating international collaboration.
The Oslo Coalition aims at promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief as a common good for everyone in every society through; facilitating a discursive space in which actors involved can explore themes within religion and human rights; teaching and building competence in cooperation with partners; and, publishing scientific research and resource materials for those working to advance FORB.
'Which freedom, Whose belief?' Oslo Coalition Anniversary Conference
Does the right to FORB protect religions or the human being? How does a UN Special Rapporteur on FORB think? Is freedom of religion or belief and human rights of women incompatible? What challenges can we expect from the growing influence of technology in the field of religion and human rights? Join us for this exciting conference celebrating 25 years of groundbreaking work, where we will be exploring these questions together with experts from around the world.
From the left: Jeroen Temperman (photocredits: Strasbourg Consortium), Lies Marcoes-Natsir (photocredits: kompas.id), Brett Scharffs (photocredits: iclrs.org)., and Nazila Ghanea (photocredits: panos photos)
Conference Program:
- 09:00 Welcome by Ragnhild Hennum (Dean, Faculty of Law, UiO), Nina Reiners (Acting Director, NCHR, UiO) & Lena Larsen (Director, the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief, UiO)
Session 1: "How to Grapple with the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief"
- 09:15 Keynote: by Nazila Ghanea (UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief)
- 09:45 Commentary by Helge Årsheim (Associate Professor, NCHR, UiO)
10:00 - 10:15 Break
Session 2: "Competence Building on FORB - How and Why?"
- 10:15 Panel, moderated by Babs Sivertsen
- Zainal Abidin Bagir (Director, Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada)
- Thiago Alves Pinto (Director, Studies in Religion and Theology, University of Oxford)
- Mariam Gavtadze (Founder and Co-director, Tolerance and Diversity Institute, Georgia)
- Brett Scharffs (Director, International Center for Religion and Law Studies, Brigham Young University)
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch
Session 3: "Freedom of Religion or Belief and Gender"
- 12:45 Introductory remarks by Vibeke Blaker Strand (Professor of Law, Institute for Public International Law, UiO)
- 13:05 Panel, moderated by Lena Larsen (Director, the Oslo Coalition, NCHR, UiO)
- Ziba Mir Hosseini (Anthropologist, Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law, University of London)
- Lies Marcoes-Natsir (Senior researcher, Puan Amal Hayati Foundation )
- Thomas Arntzen (Research Fellow, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University)
- 14:05 Commentary by Liv Kvanvig (Policy Director on Human Rights, NORAD)
- 14:20 Q&A
14:30-14:45 Break
Session 4: "Looking into the Glass Bowl: Religion, Technology and Human Rights"
- 14:45 Keynote: by Jeroen Temperman (Professor of Public International Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam)
15:15-15:30 Concluding remarks
*The conference program might be subject to change.
