DEMO: a conference on freedom of speech and democratic resilience (for students)

Welcome to a brand-new conference on September 16 in Stavanger. Through exciting lectures and discussions, we provide you with knowledge about the state of freedom of speech here in Norway and how we can build a robust and resilient society that withstands today's democratic challenges.

The program for DEMO on September 16 is designed for students (3rd grade high school) and university students. We believe it is particularly suitable for teacher education students. There is a limited number of places.

What and who are on the program?
- Opening by Klaus Mohn, Rector of UiS
- What is the state of freedom of speech and democracy today?
A status update on the state of the world and how this affects Norway, with a special focus on our digital infrastructure for expression. Cecilie Hellestveit, special advisor NIM and researcher at NTNU.
- Source awareness.
In a daily life where we are flooded with news and information through both social and more traditional media, how can one be source-aware? What can you trust? How can you check if it's true? With Faktisk.no.
- It has never been easier to express oneself ...but?
Many have opinions about the freedom of speech of the youth - about the expression culture, news habits, and climate of expression among young and young adults. But what are the actual challenges for the freedom of speech of the youth in Norway today? How can we promote the value of free expression and debate among tomorrow's adults, and what is needed to strengthen the youth's place in an increasingly complicated public sphere? Ammal Ahmed Maj Mohamed, Norwegian PEN, brings exciting guests who discuss and take questions from the audience.
- How to participate in the public debate?
How can editor-driven media reach the youth, encourage them to participate in the public debate, and help set the agenda? Pernille Filippa Pettersen, Stavanger Aftenblad.
- Book club for people who don't read
In 2021, Kriticos started "The Book Club" which is a book club for people who don't read books. He shares how one can inspire important conversations through literature. The event is in English. Kriticos Mwansa, activist and speaker.
- Youth culture, gender, and democracy
How is today's youth culture affected by society's expectations of gender? Many believe that the role of men is changing – how does this manifest among the youth? And how can we address such questions in the classroom? In this session, the Wergeland Centre explores trends in youth culture concerning gender and democracy. The session also includes a practical exercise that can be used in the classroom or in other work with youth. Ida Berge, Wergeland Centre

The program will be released continuously!

DEMO is organized by the City of Free Speech Stavanger, Sølvberget, and the University of Stavanger. A big thank you to our supporters and partners: Stavanger 2025, Stavanger Municipality, Rogaland County Council, Sparebankstiftelsen SR-bank, The Cultural Council, UNESCO, Fritt Ord, Kapittel Stavanger International Festival for Literature and Freedom of Speech, Norwegian PEN, The European Wergeland Centre, ICORN, and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.