About the Speaker
Bjørn
Ihler
Norwegian activist, writer, designer, and filmmaker
Bjørn Ihler is a Norwegian activist, writer, designer, and filmmaker working across mediums to promote peace and human rights in defiance of violent extremism. A survivor of the 2011 attack on Utøya Island in Norway, Ihler works to promote an understanding of the influence design, narratives, and storytelling have on culture and how narratives can be transformed to build more peaceful societies. Ihler graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in 2013 and is pursuing a master’s in peace and conflict studies at Hacettepe University in 2016. Ihler is a part of the 2022 Obama Foundation Leaders Europe programme and is the founder of the Khalifa Ihler Institute, an international hub working to build healthier and more peaceful communities. He works as the co-founder and CEO of Glitterpill, which provides actionable data, analysis, and consulting services to companies and communities grappling with the issue of violent extremism and terrorism.