OFF 2026 Agenda

Explore the heartbeat of the Oslo Freedom Forum, a roadmap to human solidarity and hope.

Agenda

Panel

Protecting the Lawyers Who Defend Democracy

Sophie de Graaf

Executive Director of Lawyers for Lawyers

Santiago Canton

Secretary General, International Commission of Jurists

Brandon Silver

International Human Rights Lawyer

Roberto González

Chief Advocacy Officer, Human Rights Foundation

Tanele Maseko

Swazi Human Rights Activist and CEO of the Thulani Maseko Foundation

Book Signing

Jacob Mchangama: “The Future of Free Speech”

Jacob Mchangama

Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech

Lightning Talks

Ignite Talks

Bertin Bandiangou

Togolese pro-democracy activist and human rights defender

Bol Deng Bol Arok

South Sudanese Civil Society Leader and Executive Director of INTREPID-South Sudan

Saiful Islam

Bangladeshi Pro-Democracy Activist and Program Officer at the Human Rights Support Society

Tsela Zoksang

Tibetan Student Activist and Campaigns Director at Students for a Free Tibet

Zumretay Arkin

Uyghur Human Rights Activist and Vice President of World Uyghur Congress

Kawsar Yasin

Uyghur Pro-Democracy Activist and Co-Founder of the Coalition of Students Resisting the CCP

Ilia Gantvarg

Russian Pro-Democracy Activist, Blogger, and Program Officer at the Anti-Corruption Foundation

Evgeniia Belkina

Belarusian Human Rights Defender and Head of Volunteer Service at Viasna Human Rights Center

Alexa Zamora

Nicaraguan Pro-Democracy Activist

David Aragort

Venezuelan Digital Rights Advocate and Technologist

Ana Corina Sosa

Venezuelan Pro-Democracy Activist and Global Representative of María Corina Machado

Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif

Sudanese women’s rights activist

Panel

The Middle East in Turmoil: Geopolitical Wars and the Future of Democratic Governance

Lynn Harfoush

Executive Committee Member of Lebanese National Bloc Party

Mohammad Al Abdallah

Director of Syria Justice and Accountability Center

Gissou Nia

Human Rights Lawyer

Melissa Mahtani

International Journalist, Anchor & Moderator with a focus on Emerging Technology, Human Rights and Equality

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar

Founder of Ideas Beyond Borders & Middle East Uncovered

Resilience

OFF Medical Clinic | OFFICE HOURS

C. Michael Wright

MD

Tabita A. Wright

MD

Fireside Chat

What Does Justice Look Like for Survivors of Sexual Torture?

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards

UN Special rapporteur on torture

Kate Gibson

International Human Rights Lawyer, Doughty Street Chambers

Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif

Sudanese women’s rights activist

Workshop

Dismantling Dictatorship: What Do YOU Think it Takes?

Tina Nabatchi

Director, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, Syracuse University

Theater talks to be announced

Interactive programming to be announced

Panel

Standing up to Rising Autocrats in Georgia, Serbia, and Beyond

Olesya Vartanyan

South Caucasus Conflict Analyst

Nikola Ilić

Co-Founder, ChangeLab & LeadUp AI, Georgetown Democratic Leadership Professor

Workshop

Engaging Meta's Oversight Board

Tracy Manners

Director of Global Affairs at Oversight Board of Meta

Panel

Maduro's Fall and the Future of Authoritarians in Latin America

Fernando Aramayo

Foreign Minister of Bolivia

Pedro Urruchurtu

Director of International Affairs for María Corina Machado

Félix Maradiaga

President, World Liberty Congress

Javier El-Hage

Chief legal and policy officer, Human Rights Foundation

Rosa María Payá

Founder, Cuba Decide; Executive Director, Fundación para la Democracia Panamericana

Panel

Ending Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains

Saunoamaalii Karanina Sumeo

Former Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission

Sarah Woodcock

CEO, The Anti-Slavery Collective

Mahendra Pandey

Forced Labor and Human Trafficking portfolio at Humanity United

Grace Forrest

Founding Director, Walk Free

Benjamin Skinner

Founder and Principal, Transparentem

Panel

Persecuted for Belief

Katrina Lantos Swett

President, Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice; Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Summit

Dr. Matthew Gillett

Chair Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Rushan Abbas

Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs

Panel

How Dictators Use Corruption To Destroy Democracy (and Get Insanely Rich in the Process)

Ishaan Tharoor

Global Affairs Journalist, Former Columnist Washington Post

David Szakonyi

Co-Founder, Anti-Corruption Data Collective; Associate Professor, George Washington University

Vadim Kleiner

Director of Research, Hermitage Capital; Chief Investigator, Magnitsky Justice Campaign

Panel

Beautiful Game, Ugly Politics: Is the World Cup Good for Democracy?

Dr. Janie Frampton

Former referee and FIFA instructor

Philippe Auclair

Investigative Reporter, Josimar/The Guardian

Jonathan Wilson

Guardian columnist and author of The Power and the Glory

Abdullah Ibhais

Media Strategy Expert & FIFA World Cup Qatar Whistleblower

Karim Zidan

Sports & Dictators Program Lead, Human Rights Foundation

Panel

Building New Audiences to Implement Freedom in Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey

Husain Maschinetchian

Organizer, translator, advancing civic dialogue and intellectual resistance in Iran

Brad Lips

Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Network

Medeni Sungur

President, Digimar Institute / Kuest Media, Liberal Content Strategist

Creative Dissent

StandUp StandsUp - Comedy Show

Blank Peng

Comedian

Ali Sultan

Yemeni-Ethiopian Comedian

Pandji Pragiwaksono

Indonesian Stand-Up Comedian, CEO Comika Company

Resilience

OFF Medical Clinic | OFFICE HOURS

C. Michael Wright

MD

Tabita A. Wright

MD

Workshop

Psychological First Aid for Activists with Dr. Elissa Epel & Annette Knopp

Dr. Elissa Epel

Director of AME Center, UCSF

Annette Knopp

Co-founder of the Blue Spirit retreat center in Nosara, Costa Rica

Workshop

The Future of Philanthropy - Hosted by EverGive

Breza Race

Program Director, Center for Nonviolent Actions and Strategies (CANVAS)

Workshop

Beyond Captivity: Supporting Survivors of Wrongful Detention and Isolation

Dr. Young Hoang

Senior Advisor for Reintegration and Survival-Evasion-Resistance-Escape (SERE) Psychologist

Panel

Reporting Against Authoritarianism

Oksana Romaniuk

Director of the Institute of Mass Information, Ukraine

Irma Dimitradze

Journalist and Communications Manager, Gazeti Batumelebi

Szabolcs Panyi

Hungarian Investigative Journalist at VSquare.org

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