Interview:

Maria Dahle, Executive Director of the Human Rights House Foundation from Oslo, Norway

 

Ms Maria Dahle visited Macedonia on the occasion of promoting the idea for “Human Rights House Foundation” in Skopje. We used this occasion to talk to her about the concept of such institutions, their role in the societies they are established, about respecting human rights in the regions where they operate and, certainly, about her expectations from the Macedonian “House”
 

The control over civil society organizations by the authorities is a trend

 

When and how did the work of the first “Human Rights House” start?
We started in 1989. You know, in the ‘80s, there were a few small human rights civil society organizations. The idea was to join them, to help them in their work on human rights, to help them become visible, to share resources. That was the primary idea, simple and nice. We had a free house so we could place the civil society organizations under the same roof and after a few years to see the results of our work. The civil society organizations started growing, they became efficient and professional, visible, and their voice became important in the society. They made it together. After that their colleagues from Warsaw and Moscow heard about the House and they liked the idea. In 1992/93 they asked for help to establish the institution over there. That is how we realized that in such way we could help the human rights movement in other countries, too. That’s how we started.
 

How does the first “Human Rights House” function?
In Oslo we started with five organizations and 10-15 people and today there are eight organizations and more than 30 people (employed full-time) in the House, excluding the volunteers. It functions very well. We have seen that The Human Rights House in Oslo can contribute towards professionalism of the civil society organizations, to strengthen their work and to increase the range of issues and, what is also very important, to strengthen our voice in the society. With the state institutions we have established a formal dialogue, a platform. We have established a network of civil society organizations and it has regular meetings with the state institutions, discussing some specific issues. Establishing this institution, we have actually institutionalized the dialogue, cooperation and coordination within the organizations that work on the human rights issue, but also the cooperation and coordination with the state institutions. The awareness of human rights has risen. The House in Norway is not oriented only towards the citizens (as clients) and thus we are different from the other human rights “houses”. We are more focused on helping the organizations that work on human rights in the other countries. However, we can see the effects from working with individuals. Above all, in the human rights education, in increasing the free legal assistance to people, in increasing and strengthening the national coalitions, in improving the cooperation and networking among organizations.

The House in Oslo, the foundation, implements a few programs: establishing houses in other countries; networking (international, regional and national); exchange of knowledge between experts and colleagues from different houses; information that we share through the web-site and electronic bulletin; lobbying for political support and human rights protection and representation; and, the latest program is funds mobilization and we are doing it through private foundations, internationally and nationally. The international trend is to give more money to international organizations, such as the UN bodies, and less to the civil society organizations. 

 
Most of the Houses are in Eastern Europe. Does it mean anything?
When we started, in 1989, the organizations that were involved in The Human Rights House had partners that were working or were focused on the former Soviet Union. Thus there was networking with these organizations and therefore the first houses were opened in Moscow and Warsaw. After that, as a result of the Balkans war, we wanted to support the human rights movement there. After the war we wanted to see how we could create support to the organizations and to take part in strengthening their work. We opened the first house in Sarajevo (1998). Zagreb also wanted a house, but they were not prepared. One should be prepared for opening such a delicate institution. Then, in 2001 they came back and said they were prepared. That is how they started the process of opening the Human Rights House. 5-6 years ago we also started with Eastern Africa and we have been involved in the Tibet-China issue for a long time. 10 years ago our foundation started with the radio “Voice of Tibet”. Our primary focus is to establish “human rights houses” and develop an international network. We think that the human rights houses are necessary in all countries, in spite of the fact that their establishment in some regions is difficult. We will make efforts in Kavkas and the Eastern Asia region.

 

You said that in Macedonia it would probably be different from Norway. Here the citizens will be involved as clients. Do you have any other experience with that concept?
We have an organization that gives services to the citizens, but it is not in the House, they are out of it, unfortunately. I would like them to be in the House, but we have no room.

Such is the experience in Sarajevo. The House was established in 1998. In the first year they had more than 20.000 cases. The people offered citizens assistance every day. Then the institution ombudsman was developed and after a few years the cases were reduced from 20.000 in 1998 to 6.000 in 2000.

 

Does it mean that the human rights situation improved?
It means that institutions have been established. In 1998 we had 20.000 because the people had nowhere to go to. But later they had an ombudsman who started taking care of these issues, not enough; however…There are still a lot of people who come to the Human Rights House in Sarajevo, but not as in 1998. In Russia, for example, you can always visit the human rights house. There is a long waiting list. They have free legal assistance; they take the cases to court. They cover various issues. One of them is the soldiers’ issue. In Russia there was a high rate of murders in the military forces; young boys at the age of 18-19 were dying during the service. There was a high rate of violence in the military forces. The parents came to the “House” to ask for help. In many cases they were informed that their children had committed a suicide during their engagement in the military forces but they did not believe it and they wanted an investigation. As they were poor and had no money for lawyers, the House provided legal help, took the case to court and provided a medical expert to examine the bodies and provide a psychological and mental therapy for the parents and others who needed it. This is an example of the help we give to people.

 

How do authorities treat the human rights houses?
There is a change in trends. In the ‘90s some of the organizations in Russia and Poland were involved in state institutions’ commissions and committees, there was a dialogue. What can now be seen, especially in Kavkaz and the eastern European countries is the trend the authorities to control civil society organizations, more and more. They are trying to narrow the space for the civil society. In Russia they are doing it through the new Law on civil society organizations. Organizations should reregister according to the new law, civil society organizations should submit a report to the authorities, the authorities control donations, and they decide which civil society organizations donations will go to. As it can be seen, it is an increase of control over the civil society organizations and increase of the legal system’s authorities to close civil society organizations. Belarus is the worst case. Since 2003 most of the free media and human rights organizations have been closed by the court, so they work illegally. This year the activists have also been criminalized. They are not allowed to share information with international bodies, to be involved in activities against the state (without defining what the activities are), they have a lot of arrests, control them, they decrease the activities space, the situation in Belarus is very serious. The Belarusian House was established in Vilnus, in Lithuania, as it was impossible to establish it in Minsk. The activists cross the border to carry out activities as in Belarus they are not allowed to organize conferences, seminars, programs for raising the public awareness. What we can see, unfortunately, is that Russia is beginning to use the Belarus methods. And it worries us a lot. In Kavkaz we are involved in Azerbaijan and the human rights situation is very bad. A lot of actors started accusing the activists of being terrorists and spies who work for other countries.

 

What do you expect from the Human Rights House in Macedonia?
Well, first I expect to that they will be supported by the state, the authorities and that both sides will provide donations for the House, but initiatives are also welcomed in terms of helping the work for democratic human rights. A dialogue platform could be established between the human rights organizations and the state. A dialogue requires two parties, they have different roles in the society and the society needs a strong community and strong civil society organizations. I hope, in fact I know, that it will be of use to the human rights protection and citizens in general. I know that the help for the citizens in the part of free legal help will be increased; I know that the services offered by the civil society organizations will increase, too, I know that the education on human rights, training and awareness will increase. Networking will improve the coordination in Macedonia and the region. The House will be open and it will support some other organizations. In order to realize it, it is necessary to make a big house, with premises for meetings, which the community could use. In Croatia the state donates an old house for the Human Rights House. It will be nice if the same can be done in Macedonia.

 

Are you going to support the House?
What we are going to do first is big moral support; I am really impressed by what these organizations have done so far. They are going to be partners in the international network and involved in some of the international activities. From Oslo we are going to give them advice in the process and financial assistance for the office where they will function from until the house is ready, we are going to support them with information and coordination and knowledge about funds mobilization. Now we are partners.