WEXFO 2025

Program

Hosts: Jette F. Christensen (Altinget) and Kadafi Zaman (TV 2)

The Year of Resistance

Session

Redesigning Democracy in the Digital Age

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
09:30-10:45
Security and Regulations in the EU – Countering Russia’s Propaganda

Agnese Lace

Keynote speech by Agnese Lāce, Minister of Culture in Latvia
The Ongoing Fight between Big Tech and the Regulators – How to Secure the Democracy?

Adele Matheson Mestad, Richard Gingras, Agnese Lace, Erlend Kaldestad Hanstveit

Panel discussion with lawyer Adele Matheson Mestad, tech specialist Richard Gingras, Minister of.....
Governance Challenges in the Information Ecosystem During the AI Revolution

Ana Cristina Ruelas

Keynote speech by UNESCO senior program specialist at the section of Freedom of Expression and.....
Press Freedom vs. Freedom of Speech – Are We Fighting the Same Battle?

Branko Brkic, Kadafi Zaman, Joan Barata

Meta drops fact-checking, X sharpens its algorithms – are they destroying the legacy media, or.....
Session

Breakout Sessions: Free Speech Insights

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
11:15 - 12:00
How to Protect Freedom of Speech in Times of Conflict in the Middle East?

Laurent Richard, Celine Kasem, Jakob Nielsen, Razan Abou-Watfa, Khaled Emam

Keynote by journalist and filmmaker from The Gaza Project Laurent Richard on the importance and.....
11:15 - 12:00
Legal Frameworks and Challenges for Free Speech in Professional Environments

Adele Matheson Mestad, Sarah McLaughlin, Saurav Das, Denise Roche, Ingrid Sandberg

This session will explore the legal frameworks and challenges surrounding freedom of expression for.....

Lunch

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
12:00-13:00
Session

Accessibility: Who Has the Freedom to Speak?

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
13:00-14:15
Words of Warriors: Letters from Women’s Rights Activists and Feminists

A short film reading letters and words from women’s rights activists and feminists inside.....
Fighting Erasure, Fighting Silence: The Right to Speak, and the Right to Be Heard in Trump’s America

Jennifer Boylan

Keynote speech by author, professor and President of PEN America, Jennifer Boylan.
De-Polarization – The Value of Diverse Perspectives

Deeyah Khan

Pre-recorded keynote address by the award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights activist.....
Is Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Out of the Agenda?

Gulnaz Ratu, Samira Mohyeddin, Omer Malikyar, Vebjørn Selbekk

Where to go from here? A discussion on misogynistic and violent content being promoted by.....
No One on the Sidelines: Freedom of Expression for All!

Oscar Anderson

What must society do to include all voices? Keynote speech by award-winning disability activist.....
Session

Shaping the Future of Free Speech

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
14:45-16:15
Artistic Performance

Carlos Egaña

Performance by writer Carlos Egaña.
Where to Find Strength and Hope for the Fight Forward?

Oleksandra Matviichuk

Keynote speech by Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of the Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine) and.....
Literacy Is Not a Luxury – The Challenge and How to Cope

Mihael Kovač

Introduction by professor at the University of Ljubljana Mihael Kovač.
Democracies Depend on Literacy

Mihael Kovač, Louis Hall, Gvantsa Jobava, Lubna Jaffery

Panel discussion with University of Ljubljana professor Mihael Kovač, IPA president Gvantsa Jobava,.....
Still Fighting for the Right to Insult the Powerful

Seyran Ates, Gérard Biard

10 years after the attack on Charlie Hebdo – a conversation between the Editor-in-Chief.....
Where to Draw the Line for Satire?

Gérard Biard, May Linn Clement

Audience involvement with Charlie Hebdo editor Gérard Biard.
Your Legacy – Our Future

Imaan Mazari-Hazir, Razan Abou-Watfa, Samuel Rechek

Message from the young generation – with speeches by WEXFO young experts Imaan Mazari-Hazir,.....
Session

Public Meeting for Freedom of Expression

Scandic Lillehammer Hotel
17:00-17:50
Public Meeting on Freedom of Expression

Nina Jankowicz

Once again, we invite you to the Public Meeting for Freedom of Expression, with Lillehammer Director.....