View source for Forum 18

{{Short description|Norwegian human rights organization}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
'''Forum 18''' is a Norwegian human rights organization that promotes [[Freedom of religion|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 13, 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 after [[Keston Institute]] closed its news service due to financial difficulties and staff changes.<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> 

The news service mainly concentrates on the states of the former [[Soviet Union]], including [[Belarus]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]],<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> [[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> [[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> [[Central Asia]], and [[Eastern Europe]], but has also 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> [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]], [[Serbia]], [[Turkey]], [[Myanmar|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 [[reporter]]s 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.

The reports on religious freedom from Forum 18 News Service 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. [[Muslims|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> [[Christians|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> [[Baháʼí Faith|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 [[Buddhism|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 ==
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==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.forum18.org/}}

{{Authority control}}

[[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]]