Kjell Magne Bondevik was one of 18 panelists in the UNESCO High Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures, the 18th of February in Paris. The panel launched 2010 as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. "Cultural and religious tensions are abused by political leaders to reinforce the conflict. Enemy images and stereotypes are created and reinforced through the media. Therefore it is important to facilitate dialogue across religious and cultural divides. In this context, UNESCO can play an important role", says the President of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, Kjell Magne Bondevik.

The Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights defender, Shirin Ebadi, gave the keynote speech at the Oslo Center’s annual seminar on Tuesday. Ebadi gave an open and personal lecture on the Iranian regime’s systematic persecution of the democratic opposition in the country. She told appalling stories of human rights violations in a country in crisis. “How long can one ask young people to remain peaceful when they on a daily basis are met with extreme violence”, asked the Peace Prize Laureate.