30th April 2024, Oslo Norway
The Words Matter! conference brought together global leaders, researchers and community advocates to discuss and explore ways to combat hate speech, hate crimes, and the exploitation of youth.
White paper
The Words Matter! white paper - Commitment from the conference
The Words Matter! white paper collates key contributions from the global conference held in Oslo, Norway, last week.
The paper explores the problem of hate speech and its ramifications in our society, and makes practical recommendations for the development of shared, and more efficient tools to counter all forms of hate crime.
The paper explores the problem of hate speech and its ramifications in our society, and makes practical recommendations for the development of shared, and more efficient tools to counter all forms of hate crime.
Thank you!
Thank you for being part of Words Matter!
Thank you to everyone who took part in Words Matter! in Oslo, Norway, on 30 April 2024. Together you helped contribute to the important discussion on how to combat hate speech, hate crimes, and the exploitation of youth.
We hope to see you all again soon, and please stay in touch via The Oslo Center website. Takk!
About
The year’s most important global gathering on hate speech
Hate speech is a growing problem worldwide. Whether online or offline, it threatens democracy and human rights. It leads to dangerous divisions in society, affects the lives of the people being targeted, and can generate extremism, radicalization and violence. Young people are most vulnerable to this form of intolerance.
With over 20 international speakers, hundreds of delegates, and dozens of youth representatives taking part, Words Matter! was the year’s most important global gathering on hate speech, hate crimes, and the exploitation of youth.
Meet the world-class speakers
Words Matter! will featured a diverse line-up of speakers from different countries and cultures to enhance awareness and knowledge of hate and its consequences, and increase understanding on how to prevent and combat this form of violence.
Joyce Banda
Former President of the Republic of Malawi
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Former Prime Minister of Norway
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Dr. Director-General for the World Health Organization (WHO)
HE Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa
Secretary General of the Muslim World League
Anne Lindboe
Mayor of Oslo
Olemic Thommessen
Former President of Parliament of Norway
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Former President of Croatia
Dr. Bernard Kouchner
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France and Co-founder of Doctors Without Borders
Jagan Chapagain
Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Catharina Bu
Secretary General of the UN Association of Norway
Pierre Krähenbühl
Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess
PhD Teachers College, Columbia University
Jørgen Watne Frydnes
Secretary General of PEN Norway
Dr. Marjan Nadim
Research professor, Institute for social research, Oslo
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
National Leader of Belarus and a Head of the United Transition Cabinet
Hasina Shirzad
Journalist and Advisor, human rights
Phoebe Mungai
Country director Kenya and Somalia, The Oslo Center
Dr. Sebastian Schutte
Senior researcher at Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO)
Amanda Anvar
Advisor for Stopp hatprat (Stop hate speech)
Rolf Skjöldebrand
Co-founder, The Non-violence Project
Jacqui Thornton
Award-winning global health journalist
Finn Jarle Rode
Executive Chairman of The Oslo Center
Hosted by The Oslo Center
The conference is hosted by The Oslo Center. We will welcome leaders from politics, diplomacy, research, education, religious, humanitarian and democracy assistance organisations to discuss, strategize and develop advocacy tools on the topic of hate speech and radicalisation of youth.