Oslo Freedom Forum

10/26/2026

In June, María Corina Machado finally made it in person to the 2026 after years of attending virtually. On stage, she shared her hopes for Venezuela and her plan to return and build a democratic future hand in hand with its people. Machado faced repeated obstacles in her attempts to return home. This September, she was denied entry into Venezuela three times in just 24 hours. Less than six months after her talk in Oslo, and after 10 months in exile, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has returned to Venezuela.

Revisit her full talk on the future she envisions for Venezuela →

About the Speaker María Corina Machado Venezuelan Opposition Leader Speaker's profile María Corina Machado is a Venezuelan opposition leader and national coordinator of Vente Venezuela. A longtime critic of both the Chávez and Maduro regimes, she has played a central role in the country’s pro-d...

09/23/2026

08/11/2026

Since 2009, the Oslo Freedom Forum has brought together the world's leading human rights defenders, dissidents, journalists, artists, and advocates to share firsthand accounts from the front lines of the struggle for freedom.

Each year, the OFF stage amplifies voices that authoritarian regimes seek to silence, exposing today's most pressing human rights challenges while demonstrating the courage, resilience, and determination required to confront them. More than 300 speakers from over 100 countries have taken the stage to share their journeys, bear witness to injustice, and inspire others to defend freedom.

We hope to welcome you to Oslo next year. Until then, revisit the conversations that have brought together extraordinary voices united by a common belief: that freedom is worth defending. Explore the talks →

Explore the Oslo Freedom Forum’s collection of inspirational talks featuring global leaders, activists, and change makers.

08/05/2026

1,500+ people. 111 countries. One shared purpose: dismantling dictatorship.

The 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum brought together the activists, dissidents, journalists, technologists, and artists challenging authoritarianism and building a freer future. Our biggest gathering yet proved one thing: freedom is built together. Explore the full impact of OFF 2026 →

1,500+ Participants 113 Speakers 111 Countries Represented 1,000+ Unique Media Hits 7.7m Video Views 350k Social Media Engagements Our Global Community Every year, the Oslo Freedom Forum brings together dissidents, journalists, technologists, policymakers, artists, and everyday citizens with a share...

07/28/2026

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Hong Kong activist Carmen Lau reflected on the brutal reality of standing up to authoritarianism—and the moment she realized there was no such thing as a "safe" distance.

Speaking before a global community of activists, lawyers, policymakers, and human rights defenders, Lau shared how violence and intimidation only strengthened the movement's resolve to fight for democracy on every front.

Listen to her full talk → https://ow.ly/c9HI50Zu1o4

07/22/2026

The fight for freedom often begins with a single act of courage.

Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector and Oslo Freedom Forum 2025 speaker, recently shared her family’s extraordinary story with The New York Times — a story of survival, resilience, and the pursuit of a life beyond dictatorship.

After escaping North Korea in 2023, Kim has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the realities faced by those living under the Kim regime and using her platform to advocate for human rights.

Read the full article →

Their resolve for freedom hardened during the pandemic, when they lived through a crippling food shortage and were forced to witness frequent public executions.

07/17/2026

When preparing for prison becomes part of a journalist's routine, press freedom is under serious threat.

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Scroll Executive Editor Supriya Sharma recounted the moment she was forced to flee her home after a false criminal case was filed against her—a reality many journalists and activists in India now face for simply doing their jobs.

Watch her full talk → https://oslofreedomforum.com/talk/fighting-numbness-speaking-truth/

07/15/2026

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Richard Gere reflected on decades of advocacy for the Tibetan people, emphasizing why protecting their culture, identity, and freedom is a cause that extends far beyond Tibet itself.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Gere warns that China's new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law codifies Beijing's efforts to export repression beyond its borders. Looking to Tibet—where many of the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance and social control tactics were first developed—he argues that what happens there is a warning to the world.

Read his op-ed in The Wall Street Journal →

To see where this leads, look at Tibet, where Beijing perfected its system of social control.

07/13/2026

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Dr. Álvaro Salas-Castro explored how philanthropy, innovation, and global capital can strengthen democratic institutions, defend human dignity, and make freedom more resilient in the face of rising authoritarianism.

Now, he's expanding on those ideas in a new essay for the Journal of Democracy, arguing that philanthropy has long overlooked the institutions that protect democracy and civil liberties—and that freedom itself should be treated as the essential infrastructure that makes lasting progress possible.

Read his article in the Journal of Democracy →

Less than one percent of philanthropy is directed to democratic freedoms. Yet freedom is essential for everything—health, education, climate—philanthropy tries to accomplish. It is the most…

07/09/2026

For many in Burma, casting a ballot wasn't just a civic duty — it was something they never imagined they would live to experience.

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, journalist and co-founder of The Kite Tales Myanmar Thin Lei Win reflected on returning home during Burma's democratic opening, voting for the first time, and the fragile hope that emerged in the interval between decades of military rule and the 2021 coup.

Her story reminds us that democracy is rarely built overnight. It is won through generations of perseverance — and can be lost just as quickly.

Watch her full talk → https://ow.ly/HQgH50Zmccu