{{Short description|Norwegian human rights organization}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}} '''Forum 18''' is a Norwegian human rights organization that promotes religious freedom. The organization's name is based on Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Forum 18 summarizes the article as:
*The right to believe, to worship and witness *The right to change one's belief or religion *The right to join together and express one's belief<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forum18.org/Forum18.php |title=About Forum 18 |publisher=Forum 18 |accessdate=8 February 2022 |archivedate=January 27, 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127180740/https://www.forum18.org/forum18.php |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>
The ''Forum 18 News Service'', established by Forum 18 on March 12, 2003, is a web and e-mail initiative to report on threats and actions against the religious freedom of all people, whatever their religious affiliation, in an objective, truthful and timely manner. The first three reporters to lead this project were Felix Corley, Geraldine Fagan, and Igor Rotar. They had previously done similar reporting for the UK-based Keston News Service<ref>{{Cite web |title=Another great resource |url=https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/another-great-resource/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=www.catholicculture.org}}</ref> and continued this work at Forum 18<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forum 18 News Service replaces Keston to cover persecution in Eastern Europe {{!}} Baptist Press |url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/forum-18-news-service-replaces-keston-to-cover-persecution-in-eastern-europe/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Baptist Press |date=March 20, 2003 |language=en-US}}</ref> after Keston Institute closed its news service.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religious Freedom Monitory Group Closes Over Policy Dispute|url=https://religionnews.com/2003/01/01/news-story-religious-freedom-monitory-group-closes-over-policy-dispute/|access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Religion News Service|date=January 1, 2003|language=en-US}}</ref>
The news service concentrates on the states of Eastern Europe, including Belarus and Russia, the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Central Asia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-02-08 |title=Religious Freedom in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Georgia |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2004/02/08/religious-freedom-uzbekistan-turkmenistan-and-georgia |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}</ref> including Tajikistan,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Tajikistan: Top Islamic Body Bans Women From Attending Mosque Services |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1055440.html |access-date=2022-12-01 |newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=April 8, 2008 |language=en}}</ref> Turkmenistan,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Гундогар :: Harsh new religion law |url=http://www.gundogar.org/?022003509000000000000011000000 |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.gundogar.org}}</ref> and Uzbekistan,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Uzbekistan: Tabligh Jamaat Group Added To Uzbek Government's Blacklist |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1056505.html |access-date=2022-12-22 |newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=April 8, 2008 |language=en |last1=Saidazimova |first1=Gulnoza }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Turkmenistan: Former Chief Mufti Sentenced To Prison For Reasons That Remain Unclear |language=en |work=Eurasianet |url=https://eurasianet.org/turkmenistan-former-chief-mufti-sentenced-to-prison-for-reasons-that-remain-unclear |access-date=2023-02-03}}</ref>.
It earlier published reports on Kosovo,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kosovo: nobody charged for the destruction of Orthodox churches and monasteries |url=https://english.religion.info/2004/05/07/kosovo-nobody-charged-for-the-destruction-of-orthodox-churches-and-monasteries/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=english.religion.info}}</ref> Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Burma, China<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2011 |title=Country Advice China |url=https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1176469/2107_1314257468_chn38072.pdf |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=ecoi.net}}</ref> (including Xinjiang), Laos, Mongolia, North Korea,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=A Russian Orthodox church goes up in Pyongyang |url=https://www.asianews.it/news-en/A-Russian-Orthodox-church-goes-up-in-Pyongyang-1608.html |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=www.asianews.it |language=en}}</ref> and Vietnam.
The news service is published in two editions: a weekly news summary each Friday; and an almost daily edition published on weekdays. There is a searchable archive of reports, including religious freedom surveys of countries and regions, and personal commentaries on religious freedom issues.
In August 2005 one of the organisation's reporters was detained and deported by the authorities at Tashkent airport in Uzbekistan,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav081605.shtml|title=Uzbekistan Draws Curtain of Secrecy Tighter|accessdate=October 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611190948/http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav081605.shtml|archive-date=June 11, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> but it carries on covering that country.
Forum 18 News Service's reports on religious freedom are widely used by international organizations like Amnesty International,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/ai_search?keywords=%22Forum+18%22&op=Search&form_id=search_theme_form&form_token=bf71dde59bdf0c7e059316410e97136b|title=Search for 'Forum 18' on www.amnesty.org|accessdate=October 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611184223/http://www.amnesty.org/en/ai_search?keywords=%22Forum+18%22&op=Search&form_id=search_theme_form&form_token=bf71dde59bdf0c7e059316410e97136b|archive-date=June 11, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Human Rights Watch,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/sitesearch?search=%22Forum+18%22&sort_by=created|title=Search for 'Forum 18' on www.hrw.org|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref> and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.osce.org/gsearch?qr=%22Forum%2018%22|title=Search for 'Forum 18' on www.osce.org|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref> as well as numerous news sites with different religious affiliation (i.e. Muslim,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=14722|title=The Muslim News website|accessdate=October 24, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802160859/http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=14722|archivedate=August 2, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Christian,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://baptist.org.ru/news/english/1840/|title=The Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists of Russia website|accessdate=October 24, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726060034/http://baptist.org.ru/news/english/1840/|archivedate=July 26, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Bahá'í,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bahaindex.com/en/news/human-rights/3069-central-asia-interview-with-felix-corley-religious-rights-activis|title=The Bahá'í Faith Index website|accessdate=October 24, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707232029/http://www.bahaindex.com/en/news/human-rights/3069-central-asia-interview-with-felix-corley-religious-rights-activis|archivedate=July 7, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and Buddhist<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,1527,0,0,1,0|title=The Buddhist Channel website|accessdate=October 24, 2010}}</ref>).
== Notes == {{Reflist|colwidth=40em}}
==External links== *{{Official website|https://www.forum18.org/}}
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Category:International organisations based in Norway Category:Human rights organisations based in Norway Category:Religion and politics Category:Religious persecution Category:Christian advocacy groups Category:Freedom of expression organizations