Over the past 17 years, the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) has given life to new strategies, partnerships, and support for human rights advocates and civil society organizations across the globe.
Next month, as our OFF community gathers once again in Oslo, Norway, we expect the impact to only grow stronger. Through timely panel discussions, informative workshops, and more, attendees will explore practical, innovative solutions to expose tyranny and imagine a better future.
Today, we’re excited to announce some of this year’s interactive programming.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS & FIRESIDE CHATS
Leading technologists, philanthropists, business leaders, and activists will discuss and debate today’s most pressing human rights issues. Some of this year’s panels and fireside chats include:
After Dictatorship: Will Syrians Embrace a Free, Democratic, and Prosperous Future?
China and Russia’s Influence in Africa
Dark Waters: Combating Human Rights Abuses at Sea
Dictators and Dirty Money Live Podcast: Examining the Case of Bashar al-Assad
Engaging UN Bodies to Free Prisoners of Conscience
From Hub to Crisis: Hong Kong’s Shift
In the Shadows: Gendered Violence Under Authoritarian Rule
Sports & Dictators: Gulf Monarchies, Rwanda’s Reputation, and the Global Game
The Path Forward in the Middle East: Democracy or Dictatorship?
Venezuela: A Challenge for Democratic Solidarity in Latin America
WORKSHOPS & OFFICE HOURS
Industry professionals will offer strategies and tips in hands-on, interactive workshops to better equip those in the struggle for freedom and democracy. Some of this year’s workshops include:
Bearing Witness and Finding Peace: A Workshop on Community Trauma and Healing
Becoming a Democratic Leader
Bringing a Case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Resilience Lounge: Office Hours with Mental Health & Wellness Professionals
Sneak Peek: HRF’s Tyranny Tracker Index
Spyware Surveillance Check with The Citizen Lab
BOOK SIGNINGS
Engage with renowned authors as they sign their latest books and share powerful narratives of justice, resistance, and human rights. This year’s signings include:
Lilian Tintori’s “Camino a la libertad: Manual para la liberación de presos políticos”
(“Path to Freedom: A Manual for the Liberation of Political Prisoners”)
Miguel Delaney’s “States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football”
Song Byeok’s “Escaping North Korea: The Journey of a Propaganda Painter to the Free World”
AI AND FREEDOM TECH TRACK
The AI Track will mark the official launch of HRF’s new AI for Individual Rights program, where we will challenge how dictators are using AI to repress, and support software developers and activists as they use new tools to liberate.
The Freedom Tech Track explores how digital tools are weaponized by authoritarian regimes and how they’re also harnessed by human rights defenders operating under dictatorships. From Bitcoin to end-to-end encryption, and from decentralized media like nostr to privacy tools like more robust VPNs, this program will spotlight the technologies and builders advancing unstoppable, censorship-resistant tools for digital freedom. We’ll also examine real-world, on-the-ground challenges — from Africa, to Latin America, Asia and beyond — and hear from activists using freedom tech to resist control and reclaim their civil liberties.
Apply today to attend the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum from May 26-28 in Oslo, Norway. You can find additional details about the event and participating speakers 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].
