(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
What does a Norwegian non-profit organization like the Human Rights House (HRH) in Ukraine do? Ny Tid meets their person in charge of the area Ane Tusvik Bonde in Kiev.
“We work a lot to get the organizations to work together, to make impact work together, both with the UN and with the authorities. We can address criticism of the government, which some people find it difficult to deal with in the situation in the country, ”says Bonde.
- Does that mean international law matters?
“The strength of our network is that we try to get experts from other countries. For example, we are submitting an expert on war crimes from HRH in Zagreb now. We have had experts from Georgia, Poland and Azerbaijan. Here people work up to 20 hours a day, and especially the women. There are more and more female leaders for human rights houses. They are visionaries, they go in and want things, and were the ones who actually managed to organize themselves on Maidan. ”(See interview with Matviichuk above.)
- You work with the old human rights, but are there any of them that can be modernized?
“Many people might say that there is inflation in rights. I think the way you have to convey it is new, but what lies at the bottom is the important thing. We work with freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and the right to be human rights defenders. For example, one can talk about the right to water. Or if one is to work for women's rights, it is a condition that one has the right to demonstrate. Standing up for the rights of others is important for change. If you put the Azerbaijani journalists in prison, you will not be examined whether the water is contaminated or whether medicines are being extracted. To overcome corruption, one has to rely on a critical press to see the authorities in the cards. ”
- How does HRH relate to violence, as during the demonstrations here in Kiev?
"In the revolution and regime change on the Maidan, we did not defend the violence, but we understand why people needed to defend themselves. It was the violence from the authorities, the way they pressured peaceful protesters, that made it necessary for the protesters to defend themselves. Norwegian politicians were early in recognizing people's right to demonstrate. Our job is to make them remember that it is important to continue the support. But violence breeds violence, and war is not the way to go. Civil society on both sides are just ordinary people – it is their lives that are at stake. "
- Do you think that Eastern Ukraine and parts of Crimea can become Russian?
"I do not know what Russia wants, but there is no doubt that they are in eastern Ukraine with soldiers and have sent in weapons. The UN has also documented this. I think there is a danger that people in Crimea will accept the situation as it is now. The situation now is in many ways reminiscent of elsewhere in Russia, it is only worse. There is more lawlessness. President Putin has benefited from the fact that the situation is frozen, in order to prevent a further integration process with Europe. But Ukraine must find its way, and it is neither against the EU nor Russia. Maidan was not just about the EU, but about overcoming mismanagement and corruption. That is what will be the test of how society will be. It is important that the war does not become the excuse for not achieving this. "
"Everyone knows the right to be treated equally."
- What significance did the social media, internet and mobile phones have for the uprising?
"The Maidan shows that people took to the streets – it is not certain that you would have gotten a change if you launched a signature campaign on Facebook. It is the physical meetings that are important. Talking together and having time. A conference we held between lawyers from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Belarus recently showed the importance of meeting – how skepticism was turned to interest. That could not have been done on Skype. "
"We should also not be a small club that talks about human rights – but one that goes out and helps others. A human rights house that is now being formed here in Kiev – a house consisting of several organizations – allows people to come to a place, get help and learn about human rights. We also challenge human rights organizations when it comes to organizing and tolerating each other. Although we work to bring people together, to enter into dialogues, it can take time. It can take a couple of years before you see results.
- But can the values from the West have a too liberal slant that does not fit here in Ukraine?
"Individual rights are completely inviolable, they are not Western values. If you say that, you are downgrading the countries in the east, and you do not respect those who have fought here or in the Middle East. Everyone knows the right to be treated equally. For example, in Chechnya, which has a judicial system that does not work, but lets the family decide – where the murder of husbands has increased the most. When no one is cracking down on domestic violence, men are protected. In the end, women see no other way than to kill their men. This says something about the idea of protecting the family is not necessarily about protecting individuals. "
- But if one with the secular as a goal deprives religious people of their piety and traditional values?
"It is important to recognize and respect what they have, what should be taken care of and what is nice. And when it comes to the absence of religion, nationalism grows. "
also read substantially about Ukraine.
og Norway's Ambassador on Ukraine
See humanrightshouse.org
