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International work

The National Support Group after July 22 collaborates with various international organizations to encourage governments in different countries to prevent hate speach, and to care for and include those affected by terrorism. Individuals affected by terrorist acts are a valuable resource that must be recognized and whose expertise must be utilized.
Representatives from the Support Group's national board participate in various international work. We are invited to share our experiences, be a part of panel discussions or working groups, and establish international contacts to further develop our role as a competence center.

Every year the EU commemorates the "European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism." The Support Group is represented and holds various prominent roles. Chair Lisbeth Røyneland has given presentations in the EU Parliament as part of the official commemoration. In 2024, the commemoration was held in Madrid, Spain.
Bilde av Lisbeth Røyneland som taler
The Support Group has a close collaboration with the Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN), which is supported by the EU. The group is divided into nine working groups, and we actively participate in the group called "Victims/survivors of terrorism" (VoT). In addition to participating in the planning of the European Remembrance Day for victims of terrorism and conveying how important our voices are in the fight against violent extremism, the Support Group takes part in annual interdisciplinary meetings with RAN held in various European cities.

A collaboration with the UN is under development. In 2022, the UN organized the first UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism at the UN headquarters in New York. Representatives from the Support Group were specially invited to attend and speak. Following the first conference in 2022, efforts have continued to facilitate new types of meetings. The National Support Group is actively involved in this work.

In August 2023, the Support Group received an invitation to participate and contribute at The Eradicate Hate Global Summit, an annual conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Eradicate Hate Global Summit was established after the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018. The attack, motivated by antisemitic and anti-immigrant hate, resulted in the tragic murder of 11 people, becoming the deadliest antisemitic incident on US soil. The Support Group participated with two representatives and was represented in two working groups, which will also work towards the 2024 conference. Over 1,500 people registered for the three-day conference in 2023. This work is planned to be developed further.

From 2019 to 2023, the Support Group collaborated with the Central European Forum, a Slovak organization that works against right-wing extremism and social inequality. In April 2023, two survivors from Utøya spent a week in Slovakia, participating in witness conversations at various schools.
The experiences from the collaboration with the Central European Forum were followed up by an evaluation in the Support Group. As a result, a meeting was requested with the EEA section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore opportunities for collaboration with other organizations related to the Norwegian EEA funds allocated to European organizations. The Support Group also aims to share its involuntary expertise as a resource in international democracy discussions, potentially as a resource for Norwegian embassies.

The Support Group was referred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Helsinki Committee, which coordinates the work and partnerships of voluntary organizations related to EEA funds. The Support Group is now officially registered and approved as a partner.
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