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The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights - US Foundation is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation established to support the ideals and goals of The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, in Oslo, Norway. The mission of the Foundation is to promote peace and human rights through support of particular projects and programs initiated by the Foundation, the Oslo Center, or other organizations or individuals.

Discussed democratic development in Egypt
Monday, 17 November 2008
Discussed democratic development in Egypt Kjell Magne Bondevik and two other members of Club of Madrid met with Egyptian state and non-state actors late October to discuss democratic dialogue, freedom of association and ongoing regional challenges and successes. This was the second dialogue mission to Egypt. The missions to Egypt are parts of a two-year initiative to promote democratic values and freedom of association in Middle-East and North Africa.

“The Egyptian government imposes severe restrictions on the civil society in the country. NGOs have very difficult working conditions, and the state denies opposition parties any real foothold. This is very damaging for the democratic development in the country. We hope that this project can contribute to making a basis for change”, says Kjell Magne Bondevik, president of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights.

Shared experiences
He attended this mission together with Valdis Birkavs, former prime minister of Latvia, and Rodriguez Eduardo Veltzè, former president of Bolivia. The mission included one day of panel discussions and debate held at the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, covering topics linked to democratic transitional processes the Club of Madrid Members, all former Heads of State, led in their own countries. Egyptian political analysts and academics drew regional and local parallels.
During this visit, Club of Madrid Members also held individual meetings with high level government and civil society leaders, including the Minister for International Cooperation, the Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Presidents of the Democratic Front Party and the Wafd Political Party, leading political analysts, journalists and activists.

Two-year initiative
The Club of Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 70 democratic former heads of state and government.
Funded by the European Commission and the United Nations Democracy Fund, and collaborating with Madrid based think tank FRIDE, this mission is part of Club of Madrid’s Democratic Dialogue and Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa Project, a regional two-year initiative also working in Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
In Egypt, the Club of Madrid is working in partnership with the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.