The Nordic Democracy Forum 2024

Dear City Colleagues, Partners and Friends,

On behalf of the Swedish Minister for Justice, Gunnar Strömmer, the Mayor of Stockholm, Karin Wanngård, the Governor of Stockholm County, Anna Kinberg Batra, and the Nordic Safe Cities Alliance, you are personally invited to participate at the inaugural version of the Nordic Democracy Forum in Stockholm on November 20th - 21st 2024.

Safeguard and invest in the future of our Nordic democracies together.

Over the course of the past few years the safety and security of Nordic communities have changed. New and unprecedented threats today pose profound and transformational challenges to our politics, our institutions, and our way of life. Conflict in Europe and in the Middle East, Finnish and Swedish accession to NATO, a proliferation of digital harms from disinformation to artificial intelligence, and growing polarisation across our cities are putting our democracy and social cohesion under pressures the like of which have never been seen before. Despite the Nordics being a relatively small and peaceful region, these challenges underscore the need to safeguard the democratic principles that have fostered trust and cohesion in Nordic societies and kept our communities safe and prosperous. We cannot take the safety of our democracy for granted.

The way we respond will set a course for generations to come. Too often, solutions are developed in institutional siloes or are too focused on existing challenges today and yesterday to be able to anticipate those yet to come. It is paramount that the solutions for our countries and cities are rooted in cross-sector collaboration and that, amid the pace of current change and emerging technologies, we take the opportunity to set a long-term direction and initiate strong, forward-thinking policies together. Against this backdrop, it is timelier than ever to unite to safeguard our democracies and social cohesion and unleash a renaissance of Nordic collaboration that will set a precedent in the years to come.

We look forward to welcoming you and working together in Stockholm from the 20. - 21. November for the Nordic Democracy Forum.

The Nordic Democracy Forum will enable fresh and future-focused partnerships; it will not be business as usual. It will be about identifying and innovating solutions that would not be possible without cross-sector collaboration; it will not be an exercise in assigning blame or reverting to siloed institutional practices. It will require all stakeholders to come to the table with an open mind, realism and determination.

Across the two days of the Forum, you are personally invited to participate in working sessions with peers as well as new partners from other sectors. Sessions will be designed for small groups, drawing inspiration from high-level regional and international figures, with informal discussions focused on developing tangible strategies and interventions for each stakeholder group. This will give you the chance to shape the path ahead and safeguard our democracies while taking back fresh ideas and partnerships to your work.

Join us to not miss out on

High-level, inspirational panel sessions, thematic deep-dives, and intimate break-out sessions with like-minded thinkers and leading pioneers in the field on the topics of:

Make democracy work for all: Promote an inclusive democratic system in which every citizen can take part and feel they are listened to, valued, and able to contribute. Tackle rising intimidation, harassment and personal security threats against politicians and public figures. Recognise and address the unique challenges faced by women, youth, LGBTQIA+ communities and all minority groups and promote their rights, safety, political voice and essential contributions to a thriving democracy. Embrace diversity, equality and social cohesion in our cities by tackling discrimination, segregation and hate. Address the trust deficits between different stakeholders as well as between communities and public and private institutions.

Tackle geopolitics at the local level: Anticipate and address the local ramifications of major geopolitical issues, including active conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, understanding how different groups are affected and the bearing that global issues and geopolitical tensions have on local activism, political processes and community cohesion. Promote understanding and bolster democratic resilience while tackling division, hate and threats of violence and disorder.

Empower youth to shape the future: Cultivate and promote a democratic outlook and culture in the next generation and include youth in decision- and policy making. Tackle social crises from mental health and social isolation to manipulation, bullying and exploitation affecting young people in uniquely twenty-first century ways.

Take action to safeguard digital democracy: Protect digital safety and tackle online harms at local and national levels with cross-sector efforts that recognise how online threats manifest offline risks and jeopardise the physical safety of our communities. Work to combat digital discrimination and hate as well as manipulation of the information space through mis- and disinformation and conspiracies, including through education and digital prevention initiatives. Protect young people from online harms and enhance their digital democratic resilience. Recognise the breadth of actors involved in malign influence campaigns online and address both the unique challenges and opportunities posed by AI and emerging technologies.

NOTE: The summary agenda at the top is included for indicative purposes in order to give a flavour of planned sessions. Exact timings for individual sessions remain subject to change at this stage.

Date and Time:

Wednesday, 20th of November 2024, 10.00 – 17.00 CET followed by dinner.

Thursday, 21st of November 2024, 09.00 – 14.00 CET.

Location

The Forum will be held as an in-person event in Stockholm at Hasselbacken Hotel, a unique location offering an intimite atmosphere, located right on Djurgården in the heart of Stockholm.

Address: Hazeliusbacken 20, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden.

Registration and participation

Participation and catering at the two-day Camp are free of charge. Please note that travel costs and accommodation are not included.

Deadline

Please register your attendance no later than 1st of June 2024.

We recommend participants to stay at Hotel Hasselbacken where The Nordic Democracy Forum itself takes place. Hasselbacken offers a unique location and atmosphere and is easily accessible from the airport .

You can book your hotel here.

Hotel Hasselbacken

Hazeliusbacken 20

115 21 Stockholm, Sweden

Phone: (+46) 08-12 13 33 00

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: https://www.hasselbacken.com/en

Please contact Nordic Safe Cities, Emil Mønster on [email protected] / 0045 23965331

Host or Publisher Nordic Safe Cities