From May 26 to 28, the Human Rights Foundation’s (HRF) community will gather once again in Oslo, Norway, for the 17th annual Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF). Since its start in 2009, OFF has sought to highlight freedom and democracy causes, inspire action, and mobilize support from a global audience.
Over three days, attendees will hear from renowned human rights and pro-democracy advocates and thought leaders challenging injustice and advancing freedom across the world, including:
Kim Yumi
North Korean defector and YouTube content creator
Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector, was born and raised in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, a coastal military area. Growing up near a naval base, she was able to secretly watch South Korean news programs and TV shows, thereby uncovering the vibrant, democratic society of South Korea. Yumi and her husband made the brave decision to escape North Korea and seek a better future. Now in Seoul, she is actively involved in raising awareness about the realities of life in North Korea, especially on her YouTube channel, “@김이혁TV-r5u김유미.”
Maria Sarungi Tsehai
Tanzanian human rights activist and journalist
Maria Sarungi Tsehai is a prominent Tanzanian human rights activist and journalist. She is the founder of pro-democracy movements Change Tanzania and Shangazi Power and the director of independent Mwanzo TV. She has faced threats, physical intimidation, and censorship for exposing and campaigning against the authoritarianism of Tanzania’s regime.
Nyrola Elimä
Independent Uyghur journalist
Nyrola Elimä is an independent journalist and researcher specializing in human rights and supply chains. She has written about the plight of the Uyghur people for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Spectator, and her work has also appeared on the BBC and CNN. A native of the Uyghur Region, she lived in China for 25 years. Her reporting has earned her an Emmy nomination.
Parit Wacharasindhu
Thai democratic opposition leader
Parit Wacharasindhu is the spokesperson of Thailand’s leading opposition party, the People’s Party, and a member of Parliament. He also serves as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Political Development, leading political reform initiatives, including the push for a new constitution, decentralization, as well as a revision of laws on political parties, local elections, and human rights issues.
Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif
Sudanese women’s rights activist
Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif documents the sexual violence crimes committed by both warring parties in the Sudanese conflict. She participated in the 2019 protest movement that ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir and survived the June 2019 massacre of peaceful protesters at the army headquarters. A psychologist and trauma specialist, she leads the Combating Violence Against Women Unit at the Sudanese Ministry of Social Development. In 2022, she was detained for exposing security forces’ involvement in rape after the 2021 coup.
Find regular updates about the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum at oslofreedomforum.com and on social media.
If you are interested in sponsoring the Oslo Freedom Forum, please contact [email protected]. If you are interested in attending as a member of the media, please contact [email protected].
