At the Oslo Freedom Forum, Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono turned lived experiences into punchlines that challenged repression, proving that a well-timed joke can do more than get a laugh.
Grateful to have joined the panel "The Middle East in Turmoil: Geopolitical Wars and the Future of Democratic Governance" at the Oslo Freedom Forum, alongside Gissou Nia (Iran), Lynn (Lebanon), and Mohamad (Syria).
@GissouNia
I made two arguments:
First, for people in #Iraq
In this video, attendees reflect on the conversations that challenged them, the stories that inspired them, and the connections that reminded them they are not alone. Their voices capture what makes the Oslo Freedom Forum more than an event—it’s a community united by courage,
At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, activists, artists, technologists, and changemakers from around the world came together to confront authoritarianism and strengthen the movement for freedom.
While the Forum has come to a close, the conversations it sparked are only beginning. We’re excited to stay connected with this remarkable community and to see where the ideas, relationships, and discussions that began here will lead. We hope the stories shared this year continue
This year’s theme, Dismantling Dictatorship, reflected a simple truth: authoritarian regimes are built on fear, myth, and captured institutions, but they can be dismantled through courage, truth, and deliberate action.
At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum’s Freedom Tech track, @waithiraah, co-founder of the Bitcoin payment app Tando, explains that many people need to see Bitcoin work before they trust it. Tando lets users test it with just a hundred sats (less than a dollar), and verify the
During the Freedom Tech track at the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, @skot9000, a freedom tech engineer and contributor to the Bitaxe project, argues that the future of Bitcoin mining will look nothing like today. The current model, dominated by closed-source and proprietary machines