The fight for democracy and freedom of speech after the Fall of the Berlin Wall will frame this open conference, “The Power of the Powerless Today".
It is 25 years since the wall fell, but in this conference we will highlight the existing “walls” of today’s societies.
Tuesday: Four speakers will talk about their experiences and views on the fight for democracy and freedom of speech. At the end there will be a panel discussion.
Wednesday: We invite the audience to join us in a brainstorming with the following topic: The Power of the Powerless: What Can be Done? The audience, key note speakers, experts such as Lars Gule, Farhat Taj, Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, journalists and foreign aid organisations will join this workshop. At 09:00: Welcome by Ole Petter Ottersen, Rector at UiO.
Program
Tuesday 4 November
Venue: Fritt Ord, Uranienborgveien 2
10.00-13.00: Nina Witoszek/Erik Rudeng, Introduction
- Oksana Forostyna, leading Ukrainian writer, the editor of Krytyka journal.The Powerless in Power: 25 Years of the Ukrainian Journey
- Masih Alinejad, eminent Iranian journalist, blogger and dissident, the author of the (in)famous anti-hijab campaign on the social media, now in exile in the US. “Iranian Women’s Stealthy Freedoms”
- Walid al Kubaisi, Norwegian-Iraqi poet, writer and journalist. The Fairy Tale of the Arab Spring: Is there Anything to Learn?
13:00-15:30 Lunch break
15.30 Key address:
- Jung Chang, British-Chinese writer, the author of the acclaimed Wild Swans. How to Resist Brainwashing?: Personal Reflections
16:00 Panel discussion: Jung Chang, Oxana Forostyna, Masih Alinejad, Unni Wikan, Bernt Hagtvet, Øystein Sørensen.
17:00 Questions and comments
18:00 End
Wednesday 5 November
Venue: Professorboligen, Karl Johans gate 47, University of Oslo
The Power of the Powerless: What Can be Done? Round table brainstorming workshop with specially invited audience including all key note speakers and experts such as Lars Gule, Farhat Taj, Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, and representatives of the media, civil society, foreign aid organisations.
09.00: Welcome by Ole Petter Ottersen, rector of the University of Oslo.
09:10 Short introductions by Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Farhat Taj, Lars Gule, Masoumeh Alinejad, Jung Chang and others.
10:10 Nina Witoszek: Introduction to panel discussion
10:15 Coffee break
10:30 Discussion
11:30 Questions and comments
12:00 End