The Kristiansand Interfaith Dialogue

Alexandre Guessel was appointed to the post of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes since 1 January 2023.

He started working in the Council of Europe in 2000 in the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner first as adviser, then as Deputy to the Director of the Commissioner’s Office.

From 2008 to 2010, Alexandre Guessel served as the CoE’s Anti-terrorist coordinator. This activity was closely linked to the protection of human rights while fighting terrorism.

After having served as adviser in the Private Office of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General from 2010 to 2012, Alexandre Guessel was appointed as Head of the Organisation’s Directorate of Political Affairs. He served as Director of Political Affairs of the Council of Europe for 11 years before being recently appointed as SRSG.

Mr Guessel graduated from Paris II Assas Law University and has been a member of the Paris Bar Association before joining the Council of Europe.

Hon. Taufik Basari is a Member of the Indonesian Parliament for the 2019-2024 period from the National Democratic Party (NasDem) faction, representing the Lampung I electoral district. Currently, he serves as Deputy Chair of the MPR RI Socialization Agency, Member of the Legislative Body of the DPR RI, and a Member of Commission III of the DPR RI in charge of human rights and security matters. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Law and Philosophy at the University of Indonesia and obtained a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law at Northwestern University, USA.

Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Taufik was also known as a politician, human rights activist, founder and leader of several legal aid organizations, and a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, University of Indonesia. He is also known to be active as an advocate specializing in the Constitution, who often takes proceedings at the Constitutional Court in many cases of judicial review such as the Constitutional Court Law, the Pornography Law, the Advocates Law, the MD3 Law, as well as handling disputes over the Regional Head Elections representing the City of Jayapura, Kab. Merauke, Padang City, etc.

He also joined the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Analysis and Advocacy Team in 2011, the Defender Team for the KPK Leader Bibit-Chandra in 2010, and even served on the Lapindo Mud Victims Advocacy Team until 2008. Taufik is also one of the parliament's champions of the landmark Anti-Sexual Violence Law.

Fernanda E. San Martín Carrasco is the Director of IPPFORB. She is a lawyer, Universidad Complutense, Madrid and Panthéon Sorbonne Paris, Master in Management and Public Policy, Universidad Catolica Boliviana in agreement with Harvard, Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Universidad Real de la Camara de Comercio, La Paz. She is a specialist in issues of substantive equality, democracy, human rights, women's rights, political participation of women, violence and political harassment against women, and freedom of religion and beliefs.

Her professional experience  includes advising and consulting for various political parties, foundations, World Bank, among others.

She is also a guest lecturer in various international forums and universities. Fellow Vital Voices Foundation, United States. Former National Congresswoman, promoter, and author of the bill for a parity presidential binomial, amendments to the Law on Violence and Political Harassment, amendments to the Integral Law to guarantee women a life free of violence, among other issues related to equality, non-discrimination, human rights and Freedom of religion or Belief.

She is the founder of the political party Movimiento Demócrata Social and Director of the Political School of the same party.

She is also the promoter of the Girl2Leader leadership program for girls and adolescents in Bolivia. Program Manager for Latin America of the Parliamentarians' Network for Freedom of Religion and Belief (IPPFORB). First Bolivian Fellowship Vital Voices.

Dr. Gule is former Secretary General of Norwegian Humanist Association (2000-2006). He is now retired Associate Professor from Oslo Metropolitan University (2006-2022), where he taught and researched the Middle East, Islam, human rights and extremism. His doctorate in philosophy is from the University of Bergen (2003), where he investigated the concept of development in Western and Arab-Muslim thinking. He emphasizes the importance of human rights in a humanist conception of development. Gule has published a number of books and academic articles within these topics. He is also a committed social debater where he often defends freedom of religion as well as freedom of speech.

Claudia Lenz ia a social studies professor specialized in the prevention of racism and antisemitism at MF Vitenskapelig høyskole, and a researcher for The Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies. 

She has contributed to establishing Dembra (Democracy against prejudice and exclusion) and have been in charge of Dembra for teacher education since 2018. She was a member of the government's extremism commission from 2022-2024.