See the full program for the 2026 Bergen Exchanges here.
Bergen Exchanges 2026 – Daily Highlights
📅 Monday, 17 August
Democracy, decolonization, and governance take center stage on the opening day of Bergen Exchanges 2026. Discussions will explore feminist perspectives on democracy, decolonizing knowledge production, the impact of AI on democratic governance, global democratic decline, and lessons from countries experiencing autocratization. The day concludes with an art exhibition and discussion on decolonial politics, resistance, and reconciliation, followed by a social gathering.
📅 Tuesday, 18 August
Tuesday focuses on land rights, Indigenous sovereignty, climate governance, and environmental justice. Sessions will examine legal mobilization in land conflicts, contested frontiers and self-determination, climate litigation, representation of future generations, and environmental inequalities. The evening features the Bergen Mayor’s Reception and a screening of La Fjella Leve – Let Our Mountains Live, followed by a discussion on Sámi rights, democracy, and climate justice.
📅 Wednesday, 19 August
The third day explores the relationship between protest, law, and democracy. Discussions will address protest movements, policing, legal mobilization, democratic resilience, and the role of cities and international institutions in resisting autocratization. The highlight of the day is the Annual Lecture by András Sajó, one of Europe’s leading scholars of constitutional democracy, followed by the annual LawTransform Party.
📅 Thursday, 20 August
Thursday focuses on citizenship, migration, health, and belonging in an increasingly polarized world. Sessions will examine citizenship and exclusion, migration governance, reproductive justice, global health governance, and the impact of democratic decline on health systems. The programme also includes exhibitions and discussions on resilience in times of war and on gender, art, and resistance in contemporary Iran. The day concludes with a social event at Knut Fægris Hus.
📅 Friday, 21 August
The final day highlights activism, rights advocacy, and social change in challenging political contexts. Topics include strategies for activists operating under repression, legal allyship, gender and sexual rights, youth engagement against anti-rights movements, student-led learning, and the global rise of legal countermobilization. The sessions provide a forward-looking discussion on democracy, resistance, and the future of rights-based advocacy.