OsloFreedomForum

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The Oslo Freedom Forum, staged May 18-20 in Oslo, Norway, brought together some of the world’s leading minds to honor heroic survivors of political oppression and persecution.

The conference showcased the testimonies of these men and women who risked their lives for freedom. With a guiding focus on civil and political rights, we revisited the memoirs they wrote about their harrowing experiences. This literature of survival served to galvanize human rights movements across the globe and bears witness to the resilience of the human spirit. Those who testified include Elie Wiesel, Vladimir Bukovsky, Harry Wu, Palden Gyatso, Leyla Zana, Ramón José Velásquez, Armando Valladares, Elena Bonner, and Václav Havel.

They presented before an audience of human rights advocates, social and business entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide spectrum of disciplines. The following individuals also took the stage to share their own perspectives and experiences at Oslo:

Fabian Stang
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Edward Lucas
Birgitta Ohlsson
Kristin Clemet
Tammy Bruce
Thor Halvorssen
Jung Chang
John Peder Egenæs
Tatiana Yankelevich
Peter Berkowitz
Jan Erik Helgesen
Maria Dahle
Aidan McQuade
Jacqueline Moudeina
Abdel Nasser Ould Ethmane
Aliaksandr Bialiatski
Mutabar Tadjibayeva
Ladan Boroumand
Vo Van Ai
Park Sang Hak
Tom Palmer
Emil Constantinescu
Diego Scharifker
Leopoldo López
David Satter
Vytautas Landsbergis
Victor Hugo Cárdenas
Ivar Amundsen
Akhmed Zakayev
Marc Wachtenheim
Olaf Halvorssen
L. Craig Johnstone
Peder Lunde
Arne Liljedahl Lynngård (on behalf of Rebiya Kadeer)
H.E. Benson Whitney
Greg Mortenson
John Fund
Roar Hagen
Chandler Tuttle
Hans Rosling
Richard Miniter
Amy Poncher
Jack Healey
AND Friederike Krum.

Our mission was to celebrate all that these remarkable individuals did for humanity, inspire leaders from all walks of life with their narratives, and add valuable insight to the human rights movement. We are confident that we achieved this mission, as the testimonies witnessed and the relationships built at Oslo will undoubtedly benefit the global struggle for human rights.