Interactive Programming at OFF 2026
Discover the dynamic tracks, thought-provoking panels, and immersive workshops featured at the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum.
Debate
Is It Ethical To Cooperate With Chinese State Institutions To Secure Incremental Change?
Jun 1, 2026
16:30-17:30
- Main Theatre
Moderated by
As democratic governments, universities, and civil society organizations grapple with how to engage China, a central ethical question persists: should cooperation with Chinese state institutions, which tightly control everything from education to commerce, be pursued as a pathway to incremental change, or does such engagement ultimately legitimize repression and undermine fundamental freedoms? This debate, hosted in partnership with Open to Debate, brings together leading voices to examine the moral and strategic tradeoffs of engagement versus principled distance. Can working within constrained systems create meaningful progress, or are some compromises too costly to justify?
Panel
Protecting the Lawyers Who Defend Democracy
Jun 1, 2026
16:30-17:30
- Lille Sal
Moderated by
Lawyers in authoritarian regimes face a growing trend of targeted attacks, as political prosecution and professional sanctions are weaponized to stifle legal advocacy. Attacks on lawyers undermine the rule of law, endangering those who do vital work to represent dissenters, vulnerable populations, and opposition groups in closed societies. Panelists will highlight personal stories of brave legal advocacy and emerging strategies for protecting at-risk lawyers, strengthening international accountability, and reinforcing global support networks.
As turmoil in Iran enters its seventh month, questions about the country’s future have taken on new urgency: Could decades of theocratic rule be approaching a turning point? Is democratic change finally possible? And when will the millions of Iranians forced into exile be able to return home? In this timely conversation, Iranian human rights advocates from across disciplines will share firsthand experiences and reflections on the movement for freedom in Iran. Together, they will explore the obstacles to unity, the challenges facing Iranians both inside and outside the country, and what it will take to build a more democratic future.
Panel
Iran's Prospects for Change: Challenges and Opportunities
Jun 1, 2026
16:00-16:15
- Main Theater
Join us for a conversation on the path forward for Iran’s democratic movement, featuring James Kirchick, journalist and New York Times bestselling author, and Cameron Khansarinia, chief of staff to Reza Pahlavi.
Panel
Standing up to Rising Autocrats in Georgia, Serbia, and Beyond
Jun 3, 2026
15:30-16:30
- Libertadores Loft
Moderated by
Countries across Europe and the Caucasus are experiencing and growing authoritarianism, prompting mass protests, mobilization of civic engagement, and the rise of pro-democracy movements. From Serbia to Hungary and from Georgia to Armenia, these movements face the same set of challenges: democratic backsliding, escalating repression, and the emergence of populist parties. This panel provides a platform for cross-border dialogue among democracy advocates and human rights defenders. The goal is to share best practices, expertise, and strategies to counter the ongoing democratic erosion and entrenchment of authoritarianism.
Panel
The Middle East in Turmoil: Geopolitical Wars and the Future of Democratic Governance
Jun 3, 2026
10:30-11:30
- Berlin Hall
Moderated by
The Middle East and North Africa region has long been shaped by geopolitical rivalries, proxy wars, and sudden political upheavals. Time and again, the fall — or weakening — of entrenched regimes has raised hopes for democratic change. Yet the region’s recent history shows a more complicated reality: moments of upheaval often give way not to democracy, but to new forms of authoritarian rule, fragile states, or prolonged instability. Drawing on developments in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and beyond, this panel discussion will examine whether the region is witnessing the opening of new political possibilities, or the consolidation of familiar patterns under new circumstances.
Panel
Persecuted for Belief
Jun 3, 2026
10:30-11:30
- Ayittey Auditorium
Moderated by
Globally, religious believers face censorship, harassment, surveillance, and imprisonment under the banner of combating extremism or maintaining national security and public order. This discussion unpacks the legal tools and political systems used to control religious life and highlights the resilience of communities advocating for their right to believe.
Panel
How Dictators Use Corruption To Destroy Democracy (and Get Insanely Rich in the Process)
Jun 3, 2026
14:15-15:15
- Berlin Hall
Moderated by
This panel will expose the global architecture of corruption, discussing how autocrats hide their wealth and who is helping them along the way. Featuring leading researchers, journalists, and experts, this panel will reveal the latest from the frontlines of the struggle to end modern kleptocracy.
Panel
Ending Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains
Jun 3, 2026
10:30-11:30
- Libertadores Loft
Moderated by
Modern slavery persists in every region of the world, yet the laws meant to prevent it vary widely in strength, scope, and enforcement. Progress in supply chain due diligence legislation has been uneven — and often symbolic. This panel will include legal experts, advocates, and policymakers to unpack what’s working, what isn’t, and where global modern slavery laws must go next. Panelists will explore enforcement gaps, corporate accountability, and emerging models that have the potential to drive real protections for vulnerable workers.
Panel
Maduro's Fall and the Future of Authoritarians in Latin America
Jun 3, 2026
11:45-12:45
- Berlin Hall
Moderated by
The capture of Nicolás Maduro has jolted the authoritarian landscape of the Americas — but it has not ended it. This panel brings together leading democratic voices from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba to assess what this moment means for entrenched dictatorships, hybrid authoritarian regimes like El Salvador, and countries potentially transitioning out of authoritarianism such as Bolivia and Honduras.
Panel
Beautiful Game, Ugly Politics: Is the World Cup Good for Democracy?
Jun 3, 2026
15:30-16:30
- Berlin Hall
Moderated by
This panel explores the complex political ramifications of the world’s biggest sporting event, examining whether hosting or participating in the World Cup strengthens democratic institutions by promoting civic pride, global visibility, and public engagement, or whether it instead enables authoritarian image-laundering, restricts civil liberties, and invites corruption.
Panel
Building New Audiences to Implement Freedom in Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey
Jun 3, 2026
14:15-15:15
- Ayittey Assembly
Moderated by
Across the Middle East, the work of advancing freedom requires both resisting authoritarianism and building credible alternatives. This session features three Reynolds Freedom Fellows at Atlas Network from Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey who are expanding the audience for liberal ideas in highly constrained environments. They will discuss how civil society leaders can cultivate new constituencies for economic and personal freedom, develop locally-rooted policy solutions, and strengthen institutions capable of sustaining reform. Their experiences illustrate how principled, strategic engagement can lay the groundwork for durable change even in politically fragile societies.
Less than 1% of philanthropic dollars worldwide go toward human rights — and only a fraction reaches those confronting authoritarian regimes. But the problem is not just how little is given. It is how it is given. One-time donations get spent. Grant cycles end. Movements built on fragile funding cannot outlast the regimes they oppose. This workshop, explores a fundamentally different model: converting philanthropic capital into a hard asset reserve that generates recurring grants — permanently. What would the freedom movement look like if its financial foundations were as durable as the threats it faces? Whether you are a funder, advocate, or movement leader, this session will challenge assumptions, spark new partnerships, and redefine what philanthropy can achieve in the fight for freedom.
Panel
Reporting Against Authoritarianism
Jun 3, 2026
11:45-12:45
- Berlin Hall
Moderated by
Journalists are often the first to document the abuses of authoritarian regimes — and among the first to be targeted for doing so. From censorship and surveillance to imprisonment, exile, and violence, reporters working under repressive regimes face extraordinary risks in their efforts to tell the truth without fear or favor. This panel will explore how journalists continue to investigate state abuse, verify information when access is restricted, and cover resistance movements, even as regimes shut down communications and restrict independent media in their bids for narrative control.
Workshop
Dismantling Dictatorship: What Do YOU Think it Takes?
Jun 1, 2026
15:00-17:30
- Workshop 1
Roughly 76% of the world’s population lives under an authoritarian regime. Democracy and freedom stand in principled opposition to authoritarianism, but how do you think our shared struggle should proceed? Stop by our workshop to use interactive digital tools to sort and rank the strategies you believe matter most for dismantling dictatorship: mass mobilization or patient institution-building? Sanctions or solidarity? Technology or transitional justice? Your responses will be used in research to help map the strategic diversity of the global freedom movement — and reveal where it converges.
Workshop
Supporting Political Prisoners Through Advocacy and Reintegration
Jun 1, 2026
15:00-16:00
- Workshop 2
Lilian Tintori, co-founder of the Political Prisoners Support Team (PPST) at the World Liberty Congress, will present two practical manuals to support political prisoners, their families, and former detainees. This interactive session equips participants with tools to identify politically motivated detentions, build effective release strategies, support families, develop advocacy campaigns, navigate legal systems, and engage international mechanisms. It also addresses reintegration with a focus on mental health, emotional well-being, and recovery after release.
Workshop
The Democracy Experiment
Jun 1, 2026
16:30-17:30
- Workshop 2
You walk in as an attendee. You leave as a leader. This isn’t a panel, a keynote, or another framework lecture. For 60 minutes, this room becomes a live experiment in democratic leadership, where you will make real decisions with real strangers, discover how you actually behave when power and uncertainty are in play, and learn something about yourself that no book or assessment will ever tell you. You will walk out with the Democratic Leadership Framework in hand, along with one practice you can try tomorrow.
Workshop
Engaging Meta's Oversight Board
Jun 3, 2026
15:30-16:30
- Ayittey Assembly
The workshop will be an opportunity for the OFF community to learn more about Meta’s Oversight Board and how they can interact with it in their own work. It will explore how the Board can be a useful tool for advocacy and campaigning, and bring in actors who have done so successfully to offer their own views.
Workshop
Psychological First Aid for Activists with Dr. Elissa Epel & Annette Knopp
Jun 3, 2026
15:30-16:30
- Resilience Lounge Tent
A collaborative session introducing core principles of psychological first aid tailored for high-stress environments. Participants will learn how to recognize signs of distress in themselves and others, offer immediate support, and respond with care in moments of emotional activation. Grounded in trauma-informed and science-based approaches, this session strengthens peer support capacity and reinforces resilience as a shared, collective practice.
Workshop
Beyond Captivity: Supporting Survivors of Wrongful Detention and Isolation
Jun 3, 2026
14:15-15:15
- Libertadores Loft
When an individual is released from an unjust detention, the world celebrates. But release is often only the first step toward recovery for these individuals. In this workshop, Dr. Young Hoang will share his expertise as a psychologist at the U.S. Department of State specializing in care for individuals who have experienced detention and isolation. He will share strategies for supporting survivors through the process of reentry after detention along with insights for family members and other loved ones.
Workshop
Leading Under Pressure: Leadership Lessons for Human Rights CEOs
Jun 3, 2026
14:15-15:15
- Resilience Lounge Tent
Running a human rights organization is one of the hardest leadership jobs there is. CEOs are challenging entrenched power, often at personal risk, while holding together teams under sustained strain and managing boards which may or may not have their back. Drawing on two decades of nonprofit leadership and his book “How to Lead Nonprofits,” Nick Grono will share hard-won lessons on building strong organizational culture, leading high-performing teams, and managing board and funder relationships. Participants will leave with practical frameworks they can apply immediately to strengthen their own leadership and build organizations that endure.
Workshop
How Meditation Strengthens Resilience
Jun 3, 2026
10:30-11:30
- Resilience Tent
Join international experts, Dr.’s Trudy Goodman, master meditation teacher, and Elissa Epel, reknowned stress and resilience scientist, for discussion and deep practice.
Freedom Tech Academy
Freedom AI 101
Jun 1, 2026
14:00-14:30
- AI Lounge (Room 2)
AI is changing the way we learn, organize, communicate, and build. But it can also expose human rights defenders to surveillance and targeting by authoritarian regimes. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI in ways that protect privacy and support human rights work. We’ll explore open-source tools, privacy-preserving AI options, and practical ways to apply them in real-world freedom efforts.
Freedom Tech Academy
Inside the Most Closed Country on Earth: North Korea and The Case for Freedom Tech
Jun 1, 2026
14:00–14:25
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
North Korea is the world’s most closed society, where the regime controls information, money, movement, and communication. This workshop explores how that control works, what it means for ordinary people, and why freedom tech matters in such extreme conditions. Examine how tools for private communication, access to outside information, and censorship-resistant money can help support North Koreans.
Freedom Tech Academy
Vibe Coding Lounge
Jun 1, 2026
14:30–17:00
- AI Lounge (Room 2)
Vibe coding lets human rights defenders turn plain language into working software for freedom. In this open lounge, Justin Moon will guide participants through how AI can help them prototype tools, automate tasks, and build faster without needing a deep coding background. Drop in to experiment, ask questions, and see how AI-assisted coding can support freedom movements, civil society organizations, and activists working under authoritarian rule.
Freedom Tech Academy
Bitcoin for Nonprofits 101
Jun 1, 2026
14:30–14:55
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
Nonprofits often face frozen bank accounts, blocked donations, foreign agent laws, and financial surveillance under authoritarian regimes. Bitcoin provides an alternative way to transact money without needing permission from dictators. This workshop introduces civil society organizations to using Bitcoin in their work. It covers how to raise donations with bitcoin, privately transact, and implement best practices. Organizations will walk away with a basic understanding of Bitcoin.
Freedom Tech Academy
Financial Privacy
Jun 1, 2026
15:00–15:25
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
Bitcoin is a global, neutral currency that is not owned or controlled by any government, which can help individuals avoid financial repression by dictators. But Bitcoin is not private by default. Used carelessly, it can expose human rights defenders and their networks to surveillance and punishment. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to buy, sell, and transact with Bitcoin using private, peer-to-peer platforms to better protect yourself.
Freedom Tech Academy
Making Freedom Tech Beautiful
Jun 1, 2026
15:30–15:55
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
Freedom Tech can enable freedom, but only if people can actually use it. Even the most powerful applications fall short if they feel confusing or too technical. This workshop explains how design and user experience make Freedom Tech accessible and usable by all. You’ll learn the key fundamentals to build tools that individuals all over the world can understand, adopt, and rely on.
Freedom Tech Academy
How to Use Nostr: The Social Network YOU Control
Jun 1, 2026
16:00–16:25
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
Nostr is a decentralized social network protocol that lets anyone publish information without relying on a central platform. No company owns user accounts, and no single app controls the network, making it harder for regimes to deplatform users. In this workshop, you’ll learn how Nostr works in practice: creating an identity, using different apps that connect to Nostr, sending and receiving bitcoin tips, and understanding why Nostr matters for free speech and human rights.
Freedom Tech Academy
How to Use Bitchat: Talk with Friends Even When the Internet is Down
Jun 1, 2026
16:30-17:00
- Freedom Tech Academy (Room 1)
Bitchat is an offline messaging tool that lets individuals communicate over Bluetooth without internet access. When regimes shut down the internet, tools like this become critical for staying connected. This workshop introduces how Bitchat works and how to use it with others nearby. We’ll also explore why private, offline communication matters during protests, emergencies, and humanitarian crises for the 6.2 billion people living under authoritarian rule.
Fireside Chat
What Does Justice Look Like for Survivors of Sexual Torture?
Jun 1, 2026
16:30-17:30
- Library Lounge
As conflict escalates across the globe, wartime sexual- and gender-based violence — including sexual torture — is rising with it. Too often, international law leaves survivors without meaningful recourse and fails to hold perpetrators accountable. In this fireside chat, international human rights lawyer Kate Gibson interviews UN Special Rapporteur on torture Dr. Alice Jill Edwards and Sudanese activist Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif to explore what real justice for survivors looks like, the legal frameworks needed to deliver it, and the need to update our approach in order to achieve it.
Creative Dissent
Comedy Show: Stand-Up Stands Up
Jun 3, 2026
16:45-17:15
- Berlin Hall
Stand-Up Stands Up is the comedy show you were never supposed to see.
Stand-up comedy is one of the purest, most unfiltered expressions of free speech. It’s a space where truth is told through laughter, where societal norms are questioned, and where power is held to account. But in authoritarian regimes, this freedom is not just discouraged. It is punished.
Featuring three fearless stand-up comedians from countries where speaking freely can come at an extraordinary cost, Stand-Up Stands Up is more than a comedy show — it is a bold statement that comedy can be a defense against repression, a light in darkness, and a universal language of nonviolent resistance.
Resilience
Resilience Lounge: Rest & Recharge
Jun 1, 2026
8:30-17:30
Jun 2, 2026
13:00-18:00
Jun 3, 2026
10:30-17:30
- Resilience Lounge
At the Human Rights Foundation, we believe that supporting mental health and emotional resilience is essential to sustaining movements for freedom. Hearing first-person accounts of tyranny and persecution on the OFF stage can be overwhelming for both the dissidents describing their experiences and the allies who support them.
Our Resilience Lounge is a dedicated space for those seeking a quiet moment during the Forum, featuring mindfulness activities, opportunities for creative stress relief, and drop-in office hours with experts in the field of mental health who are kindly donating their time to our community.
Resilience
OFF Medical Clinic | OFFICE HOURS
Jun 1, 2026
15:00-17:30
Jun 3, 2026
14:15-16:30
- OFF Clinic
Activists sometimes lack time to manage their personal health, which is vital to sustaining their work. We are delighted to have C. Michael Wright, MD, and Tabita A. Wright, MD, accompanied by Norwegian doctor Erik Engebretsen, to offer medical checks for OFF attendees, including physical examinations and laboratory tests.
Book Signing
Jacob Mchangama: “The Future of Free Speech”
Jun 1, 2026
15:00-16:00
- Library Lounge
Join us for a timely and thought-provoking book signing session with Jacob Mchangama, founder and executive director of The Future of Free Speech, research professor at Vanderbilt University, and senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights Expression (FIRE). In his latest work, “The Future of Free Speech,” Mchangama delivers a sharp analysis of the mounting pressure on free expression worldwide. From liberal democracies to authoritarian regimes, he reveals how censorship, speech controls, misinformation debates, and rapidly changing digital platforms are reshaping the boundaries of the right to speak freely. His book offers a compelling call to defend open dialogue to meet modern challenges and uphold democratic values.
Lightning Talks
Ignite Talks
Jun 1, 2026
15:00-16:00
- Lille Sal
HRF’s Freedom Fellows are dissidents from authoritarian regimes worldwide who receive a year of hands-on mentorship from leading experts in nonviolent movement building. Fellows will deliver five-minute Ignite Talks — fast-paced presentations that combine concise storytelling with timed slides — to share their stories of activism and their visions for a freer future.
