World Expression Forum announces more speakers

Freedom of speech is more important than ever. War and growing authoritarian tendencies, new technologies and cancel culture affect the status of free speech in different ways. From May 30-31, 2022, the World Expression Forum (WEXFO) will gather some of the brightest minds globally, nationally and locally, to consider freedom of speech in the current context and ask “what can we do?” It will take place in Lillehammer, Norway, in connection with the Norwegian Festival of Literature.

WEXFO embrace a local, national and global issues around freedom of expression, and has invited speakers from both Norway and abroad. They include:Irene Khan, UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression; Agnes Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International; Christo Grozev, CEO of Bellingcat; Adam Bodnar, former Ombudsman of Poland and recipient of the Rafto Prize; Sebastian Lai, son of Apple News (Hong Kong) Jimmy Lai, who, along with The Apple Newsroom in Hong Kong, received The Golden Pen Award last year; Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark, member of Meta’s Oversight Board; V?ra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission and Head of the Commission’s work on values and transparency; Victor Picard, professor of media policy and political economy at the Annenberg School for Communication; Felicia Anthonio, Campaigner, Access Now; and Anette Trettebergstuen, Minister of Culture and Equality, Norway.

These are in addition to the previously announced Nobel Laureates Dmitry Muratov and Maria Ressa, and last year’s recipient of the Prix Voltaire, Rasha Al Ameer, who are each fighting courageous battles for freedom of expression.