In 2006, Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister of Norway, and Einar Steensnæs, former member of the Norwegian Parliament founded the Oslo Center as a small and flexible center to promote peace and human rights using dialogue and bridge-building.
After 2010 the Oslo Center made a strategic shift from human rights to democracy assistance and institution building.The actual Executive Chairman of The Oslo Center, Finn-Jarle Rode explains the development of The Oslo Center:
Today, the Oslo Center has evolved into a dynamic organization with international partners and an ever-growing interest in our activity. The positive impact of our support in democratization encourages us to set new higher objectives to enlarge our reach, help more partners in their democratization path while promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and fostering strong, transparent, and accountable institutions.
We are passionate about democratic values that contribute to strong and stable societies. We share the belief in an inclusive and representative democracy where people are at the center, with the rights and capability to influence their own communities.
Developing democracies is a long-lasting and meaningful journey, and we are honored to continuously support people working to make their own country more democratic.
Over the last 15 years, the Oslo Center successfully implemented a variety of projects and became a forum for dialogue between peer democracy assistance organizations, policy decision-makers, and political thinkers.
More information: www.oslocenter.no