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.
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: