In a consequential year for peacebuilding and conflict across the world, Words Matter! 2025 will convene politicians, business leaders, religious leaders and policy analysts in an historic centre of diplomacy and dialogue to examine our collective responsibility to challenge disinformation.

This year, panel discussions and keynotes will tackle the most timely, complex and important issues facing the world and their role in protecting democracy and democratic values.

The program will continue to be updated.

Words Matter! 2025 program

Program

09.00 – 09.30: Welcome

  • Finn-Jarle Rode, Executive Chairman of The Oslo Center
  • Kamzy Gunaratnam, Former Deputy Mayor of Oslo and Member of Parliament

09.30 – 10.30: The threat of disinformation in 2025

Global leaders explore how disinformation is used to erode democratic values and fuels extremism, and how to rebuild trust.

  • Helle Thorning Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark and Co-Chair of Meta oversight board 
  • Finn-Jarle Rode, Executive Chairman of The Oslo Center
  • Additionals speakers TBA

10.30 – 11.00: Coffee Break

11.00 – 12.00: Existential threats and the future of disinformation

Experts discuss the future of disinformation, AI, and existential threats to democracy.

  • Jessica Cecil, Founder of the Trusted News Initiative and Council member at Chatham House.
  • Inga Strümke, Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
  • Additionals speakers TBA

12.00 – 13.00: Lunch

13.00 – 14.00: Religion and technology

Religious leaders and tech and business leaders discuss how disinformation can fuel conflict between communities and explore how religious institutions and social media platforms can work together to foster dialogue and reconciliation to ultimately rebuild trust

  • The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis KBE
  • Sir Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; former President, Global Affairs at Meta.
  • Bishop Kari Alvsvåg, Bishop of Borg Diocese in the Church of Norway; President of ECRL (European Council of Religious Leaders), Religions for Peace (RfP).
  • Additionals speakers TBA

14.00 – 14.30: Coffee break

14.30 – 15.30: The Next Generation

Youth representatives from charitable organisations discuss their hope for the future and talk about solutions in tackling the spread of misinformation in the future.

  • Edin Hussein, Evaluation and Reporting Officer, The Oslo Center
  • Ammal Ahmed Haj Mohamed, PEN Norway Project Manager
    Norwegian NGO/youth representative 
  • Additionals speakers TBA

15.30 – 16.00: Closing Remarks

  • Finn-Jarle Rode, Executive Chairman of The Oslo Center

Registration is free but seats are limited.

Don’t miss out. Words Matter! 2025 will commence in:

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds