Join scholars, activists, legal professionals, and artists from around the world at the 2025 Bergen Exchanges, a five-day international forum exploring the intersections of law, power, and resistance. Hosted across Bergen’s vibrant cultural venues, the Exchanges feature cutting-edge debates, keynotes, roundtables, exhibitions, and social gatherings, all aimed at reimagining justice in a turbulent world.
🗓️ MONDAY & TUESDAY: Democracy, Autocratization, Resistance
Explore how law both enables and resists rising authoritarianism. We are going to explore global autocratization, activist strategies under repression, academic freedom, genocide denial, and art as political resistance.
Dive into how legal systems are shaped and reshaped by actors within and outside the state. Sessions focus on digital authoritarianism, judicial reform, Islamic finance in Norway, decolonizing gender, and criminal insanity across Europe. The day closes with a social gathering for further dialogue.
🗓️ WEDNESDAY: Gender, Justice, and Lawfare
The focus turns to gender lawfare, truth commissions and sexual violence, and reproductive justice. Sessions critically assess international commitments in comparison to domestic practice, particularly through the lens of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. The evening features the annual LawTransform party.
🗓️ THURSDAY: Indigenous Rights, Land, and Climate Justice
A full day at Bergen Global explores Indigenous rights, climate litigation, environmental governance, and planetary health. Engage with SLAPPs, judicialization of environmental conflict, and what it means to be “Indigenous enough” under the law.
🗓️ FRIDAY: Children’s Rights and Welfare Systems
Closing the Bergen Exchanges, Friday centers on children’s rights, public trust, and the future of welfare states. From child protection systems to legal participation and apex court practices, the sessions ask how societies can uphold justice and accountability for the next generation.
Click here to see the full program for the 2025 Bergen Exchanges.