WEXFO
Program committee
Program committee
Veslemøy Østrem
Chair
Managing editor in the Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land and head of the Media Network in Norway. She has held various leadership roles in the media industry, and has led Aftenposten’s policy and finance department, as well as the newspaper’s work to develop new business areas within editorial conferences.
Aleksander Verkhovsky
Director of the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, a Moscow-based Russian non-profit organization. He is a member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Interior and author or co-author of a number of books on the issues of political extremism, nationalism and xenophobia in contemporary Russia.
Felicia Anthonio
#KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now, an international not-for-profit organization with a mission to extend and defend digital rights of users at risk.
Joakim Lie
Project manager Fritt Ord Foundation. Project leader for national initiative reaching out to students in order to highlight issues of freed speech and democracy. Executive MBA, Copenhagen Business School.
Jakob Mchangama
Danish lawyer, human-rights advocate, and social commentator. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law.
Kristenn Einarsson
Managing director WEXFO.
Leandro Demori
Executive Editor of The Intercept Brasil, and is a board member of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji). He is the author of “Cossa Nostra in Brazil: The History of the Mafioso Who Took Down the Empire” (Companhia das Letras, 2016).
Parmider Parbha
Human rights researcher/campaigner with over 25 years of experience and the Head of International Programs in PEN International.
Farzana Elham Kochai
Politician, Parliament of Afghanistan
Silje Riise Næss
Film commissioner at The Danish Film Institute and national representative to Eurimages, The Council of Europe’s film fund. Previous Head of Programming at the Oslo House of Literature, Head of Communication at the International Ibsen Centennary Ibsen 2006, and Information and Marketing Manager in Arthaus – the Art film Foundation. Silje has served as President of the Films from the South Festival and Executive board member of the Norwegian Humanist Association, and is the current chair of The Bergman Estate on Fårö Foundation.
Aage Borchgrevink
Head of Center for International Justice at The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Oslo. Chair of the Board of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers’ and Translators’ Association (NFFO). Member of the board of Truth Hounds (Ukraine). Freelance journalist and columnist. Writer of fiction and non-fiction. Received the Norwegian PENs Ossietzky Prize for defending freedom of expression (2004), and The Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Non-Fiction for En norsk tragedie/A Norwegian Tragedy; Anders Behring Breivik and the Massacre on Utøya (Gyldendal 2012; English edition, Polity 2013).
Celina Jerman Bright-Taylor
Background in international relations and international law. She has studied and worked with human rights issues in several countries, but has in the last years been working in civil society organizations in Norway like NOAS, FIVAS and the Norwegian Council for Africa. She has been especially involved in the work with corporate social responsibility. She currently works as an advisor at Safemuse- Safe Havens for Artists and is the leader of the human rights organization FIVAS.
Laila Bokhari
Academic, diplomat and politician. Former deputy minister/state secretary with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. Research field: Terrorism and violent extremism. Member of the 22 July Commission / Breivik inquiry. Published author. Board member. Chair of the Board of Lillehammer Museums.