IMS puts press freedom on the agenda at Folkemødet

As citizens and decision-makers will meet on the Danish island of Bornholm from June 15 to 17 to celebrate democracy and engage in dialogue, IMS will take part in debates raising awareness on the importance of press freedom and good journalism.

This year, we will be inviting journalists, editors, researchers and press freedom advocates from countries like Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Belarus who will talk about the role of the free press, disinformation, Big Tech and life in exile.

During Folkemødet, IMS experts and partners will feature on The International Arena (A5), where we will be sharing a large stage with organisations such as Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD), Danish Cultural Institute (DKI), Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), and the Danish Foreign Policy Society (DUS).

Please note that all events will be conducted in English.

PROGRAMME:

STOP THE PRESS! A VERY FUN QUIZ ABOUT SOME HORRIBLE STUFF

Thursday, June 15th, 12:15-13:00

Press freedom violations is no laughing matter. It’s a question of life and death for way too many journalists. In this quiz, IMS and comedian Mikkel Klint Thorius showcase the most ridiculous, laughable, and extreme measures taken to limit the free press – we do this both to raise awareness about the troubles faced globally by journalists and media and to laugh defiantly at autocrats with inferiority complexes everywhere.

We promise that this will be a seriously funny quiz about some really horrible stuff. Do you for instance know which country jails the most journalists? Or how many women journalists are left in Afghanistan since the Taleban took over? No? Come guess along – and learn much more about press freedom and who’s trying to stop it.

Good people like Christiain Friis Bach (R), Trine Pertou Mach (Ø) and Allan Boye Thulstrup (DJ) will be there to guess along with you.

TWEETS AND TEAR GAS: THE ROLE OF TECH DURING CONFLICT

Thursday, June 15th, 14:30-15:15

The major tech companies and social media platforms play a part in wars and conflicts across the globe. The platforms have turned out to be effective tools for authoritarian regimes and power-holders who wish to control the information flow and push specific narratives in the digital war zones.

What are the consequences for the conflict, the public and the local media when the platforms fail to address issues of disinformation and hate speech? Who has a responsibility? And can digital platforms play a positive part in mitigating conflict in the future?

Panel: Anne Marie Engtoft Larsen, Tech Ambassador // Mikael Ekman, Microsoft // Maksym Dvorovyi, Digital Security Lab Ukraine.

Moderator: Nynne Storm Refsing, Advisor for IMS

HOW CAN A FREE PRESS SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS?

Friday, June 16th, 11:30-12:30

In recent years, democracy worldwide and the universal human rights have come under enormous pressure. And if there’s one thing autocrats everywhere recognize it is the fact that a free and independent press will challenge their unjust rule. In other words, freedom of the press is deeply connected to the wider human rights agenda. In fact, the former is a prerequisite for the latter. However, if press freedom is key in turning the tide, how do we best strengthen it, so it becomes that driver for furthering other rights. 

To discuss this, IMS has invited selected guests with years of practical experience in furthering both press freedom and human rights.

Panel: Mette Thygesen, International director, The Danish Institute for Human Rights // Alexey Kozliuk, Researcher and lawyer, Human Constanta (Belarus) // Jesper Højberg, Executive director, IMS.

Moderator: Jesper Nymark, Danwatch 

AFTER A YEAR OF WAR IN UKRAINE – WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Friday, June 16th, 13:00-13:45

One year after Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine, we gather partners from the New Democracy Fund, all working to strengthen democracy and civil society in Ukraine. What have they and their local partners learned from the war? What could they have done differently? Ukraine’s ambassador to Denmark, Mykhailo Vydoinyk, participates in the discussion, offering his perspective on how we can best support Ukraine and contribute to the country’s reconstruction.

Panel: Mykhailo Vydoinyk, Ambassador, Ukraine // Camila Mordhorst, Danish Cultural Institute // Marie Gad, Confederation of Danish Industry // Lucas Skræddergaard, Danish Youth Council // Henrik Underbjerg, IMS // 3F.

Moderator: Julie Arnfred Bojesen, Director of the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House

NO DIRECTION HOME: MEET THE EXILED FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

Friday, June 16th, 15.15-16.00

What does a Belarusian rock musician, a Syrian journalist and an Afghan advocate for women’s rights have in common? They are all living and working in exile, trying to improve the rights of the people that are still in the countries they’ve fled from.

Over 100 million people are now forcefully displaced, but new technologies have made it possible to keep doing critical and oppositional work in a place where you are no longer physically present.

Syrian journalist Karam Nachar runs a media that informs the political conversation in Syria and holds a space for marginalised groups, musician Lavon Volski’s songs were used as protest anthems during the recent uprisings against Lukashenko in Belarus, Wahida Faizi is in daily contact with women journalists who are trying to keep reporting under the Taleban. What consequences does it have, when a country is suddenly lacking important proponents of democracy and resistance? What is it like living in exile? How do they keep working?

Panel: Karam Nachar, editor-in-chief, Al-Jumhuriya (Syria) // Lavon Volski, mucisian (Belarus) // Wahida Faizi, journalist & women’s rights advocate, IMS (Afghanistan)

Find more information about Folkemødet.