Justine has posted a second update from the Oslo Freedom Forum where influential dissidents, journalists, philanthropists, and policymakers are exploring how best to challenge authoritarianism

Wednesday 15th May – Day Two

There is a silent contract between those who speak from the stage, and the audience here in Oslo. In the case of the former there are some whose physical presence here alone incites the wrath of the regimes in the countries from which they come. The spokesmen of those regimes brand the activists as ‘enemies of the people’ and threaten them, either very directly, or more subtly, about what may or may not happen to them when they try and get home from Norway. As soon as these activists step onto the stage they expose themselves by telling their stories of oppression, torture, and violence, and they expose their families too, risking the safety of those they love, as well as the future of the work that they are doing.

They come to Oslo, often psychologically exhausted from the isolation of working alone and on lunatic schedules. Their very modus operandi of working on their own is often their only safety net, allowing them to dodge detection, most of the time. When they come here they open themselves up, buoyed by the energy of being amongst fellow-activists from around the world. Between the sessions they huddle in corners, sharing the stories that they cannot tell on any stage, or in front of any audience, whispering with their comrades-in-isolated-arms about the graphic horrors they are trying to live with.

The unspoken and unwritten contract between these people and the audience could be put this way: ‘I am one person alone on this stage now, and often alone in my work. Please bear witness to my story, and please understand that human rights activism is only effective if it is sustainable. Help me to identify and nurture those who will come next.’

It could be added to the Third Article of the Declaration of Human Rights: ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.’ With the addition, ‘And no individual can stand alone in defending this right.’