Next month, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) will be heading to Austin, Texas, for the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference.
Each year, SXSW brings together creatives and industry leaders for 10 days of discovery, innovation, and connection across music, film, interactive media, and more. This year, HRF is excited to elevate human rights at SXSW with two dynamic panels and two interactive booths.
Join us to explore how art fuels activism and the evolving threats of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and visit our booths to uncover how dictators whitewash their reputations and the dangers CBDCs pose to civil liberties.
Art has the power to inspire change and illuminate democratic pathways. Join a diverse panel of artists and activists at the frontlines of democracy-building in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This conversation will explore how different artistic modalities тАФ from performance art to music and visual media тАФ can serve as potent tools for peaceful, creative dissent.
HRFтАЩs panel, Art in Protest: Fostering Democracy Through Creative Dissent, will offer powerful insights into how creative expression can challenge authoritarian regimes, uplift marginalized voices, and reimagine societies built on justice and freedom.
March 12, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Austin Convention Center, Room 8ABC
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are expanding rapidly worldwide, but what are the human rights implications? Hear from experts who will provide a global overview of CBDCs, focusing on China and Nigeria, and explore the existential risks they pose to civil liberties and financial freedom.
HRFтАЩs panel, The Human Rights Risk of Central Bank Digital Currencies, will dive into the darker side of CBDCs, revealing how they can be weaponized to surveil citizens, restrict financial independence, and stifle dissent.
March 9, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon K
Step into The DictatorтАЩs Laundromat, an interactive experience where youтАЩll learn how dictators use shell companies, lobbyists, and even the sports industry to launder money and whitewash their reputations. Watch as these тАЬdirty deedsтАЭ are exposed through video screens embedded inside washing machines and discover how you can help hold corrupt regimes accountable.
HRFтАЩs immersive installation invites participants to experience how seemingly harmless activities can be part of a global web of corruption.
March 9-12 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Social Impact Pavilion
Visit our booth to explore HRFтАЩs CBDC tracker, which highlights how authoritarian governments worldwide are engaging with CBDCs and whatтАЩs at stake for civil liberties. Engage with our Financial Freedom team and learn how you can take action to protect financial privacy.
Visitors will navigate HRFтАЩs CBDC tracker, gaining a deeper understanding of how these currencies could impact everyday freedoms.
March 9-12 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Innovation Pavilion
We look forward to seeing you at SXSW 2025!
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies.
For interview requests or media inquiries, please email [email protected].
