Background: Point of Peace Foundation

History

Point of Peace (PoP) is a continuation of the work and projects of the organisation Worldview Rights (WR). Worldview Rights was established in 1993 and became later – and still has – the status as an autonom unit within the Norwegian Church Aid (Kirkens Nødhjelp). Point of Peace was established in July 2005. Below we present the projects that Point of Peace and its predesesor have been involved in:

MEDIA CHANNELS

• Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)

WR facilitated, funded and co-founded the radio and TV station Democratic Voice of Burma, established in 1993, in support of the imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Democratic Voice of Burma, a non-profit organization based in Norway that was founded by Burmese pro-democracy student activists in Europe. The station received funding from Worldview Rights in Norway, National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, and the Soros Foundation's Open Society Institute (as part of The Burma Project). The station transmitted from the start from Kvitsoe, Stavanger and later from commercial transmitters in Juelich, Germany, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Madagascar, and New Zealand.

• Voice of Tibet (VOT)

WR founded and funded the radio station Voice of Tibet, established in 1996, in support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Voice of Tibet broadcasts news and cultural programs daily in Tibetan language. The purpose of the station is to relay reliable news and to boost Tibetan culture in the face of Chinese repression. The signals can be picked up in Tibet, Nepal, Northern India, and Bhutan. Studios are found in Dharamsala, Kathmandu and there is an office in Oslo.

In 1999 reports indicated a significant increase in listening inside Tibet. Also the introduction of the station to Real Audio on the Internet made the station available to many Tibetans in exile around the world.

• Radio Kudirat

WR founded and funded the Radio Kudirat for Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka together with United Democratic Front of Nigeria (UDFN). It was established in 1996 and ran up to the election in 1999. An editorial team operated in Stavanger and broadcasted via BBC link in London to South Africa. Based on the permission of Nelson Mandela. It was broadcasted from South Africa to Nigeria. It broadcasted on 12 dialects 1 hour pr. day.

CONCERTS

• Pyongyang, North Korea 2001

Facilitated a live broadcast concert with artists from South and North Korea in co-operation with KBC.

• Korea 2000

Produced and co-arranged a Peace Concert in the Olympic Stadium in Seuol in cooperation with Kim Dae Jung and his foundation. 45 000 were present and the concert was transmitted to several Asian countries through KBS. The concert was directed by the director of KKV, Erik Hillestad.

• Tibet 1996

Initiated and produced a Tibet Concert in support of Dalai Lama in Daharamsala in North India in 1996. Dalai Lama and 6 000 Tibetans were present. Artists from all continents were present at the concert. From Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

• Manapla, Burma 1994

Arranged a concert inside Burma with Sigvart Dagsland, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Bård Breivik, Karoline Kruger and Erik Hillestad.

• Voice of the Voiceless, Lillehammer Olympic Games, 1994

International

Nobel Peace Laureate Concert

• Co-organisers of the 2001 Nobel Centennial Concert

Organising an event during the Nobel centennial at the Norwegian Nobel Summit in 2001 on request from the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The live broadcast and web cast of the Nobel centennial event in support of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi with all present Nobel Laureates (28) plus personal contributions from Desmond Tutu, Jose Ramos Horta and Bono among others.

• Nobel Peace Prize Concert

WR initiated and co-produced the first Nobel Peace Concert in 1994 in co-operation with the Nobel Institute.

CONFERENCES

• Arranged conferences in support of Ang San Suu Kyi every year since 1993.

• Arranged conference on Human rights and the oil industry together with ONS in 1998 – 2000 – 2002 – 2004. The last year in co-operation with Amnesty.

Current Projects

Point of Peace Summit

Open Port – Songs Across Walls of Separation

Peace Channel

Galtung Dialogues

Path of Peace

Syntegration

Administration

• Secretary General – Knut Holm
• Head of Administration and Project Manager Open Port – Synøve Faldalen
• Project Manager Summit – Madel Rosland
• Project Co-ordinator, Summit – Cristina Cort
• Intern, Vågen - Karoline Birkeli Jakobsen
• Intern, Summit - Stig Beite Løken
• Web site and Communication - Ingrid Østerhaug

The Advisory Board

• Gunnar Berge
• Thor Bjarne Bore

The Board

• Chair - Bjørn Kvernber, Lawyer
• Ståle Melvær
• Jan Bøe