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Nordic Techpolitics - Oslo, September 2nd

BY Antonella Napolitano | Wednesday, August 31 2011

Here's a preview of Nordic Techpolitics, a conference that will focus on how technology is changing politics, government and societies in the Nordic countries.
The conference will take place in Oslo, next September 2nd. It is presented by Norwegian organizations Origo, Friprog, IKT-Norge, MediArena, in cooperation with Personal Democracy Forum.

We have all heard of the Nordic model that combines the welfare state with capitalism. But are you aware that there is also a Nordic model for techpolitics?
Nordic Techpolitics conference happens next Friday in Oslo and will help you explore the topic and create a map of what is going on in the Nordic countries.
Technological changes affect every aspects of society, and institutions and policy makers are struggling to catch up with the latest tools and possibilities. This conference – the first of its kind happening in the Nordic countries - will explore how we can use technology to improve politics and governance, increase participation and create smarter solutions in everyday life.

There probably couldn't be a better moment with coming elections in both Norway and Denmark, respectively on the 12th and on the 15th: a panel featuring campaign managers and adviser of Norwegian political parties will analyse how they are using communications tools and Anna Ebbesen (also a PdF Europe speaker) will do the same about Denmark

But it won't be only about political campaigns: expect to learn about how transparency, innovation and collaboration are the driving forces for change in modern societies. Voices will cover the whole spectrum, from Rigmor Aasrud, Norwegian IT Minister that will share insights on where it is headed Norway's political agenda, to Karoliina Luoto from the Finnish Innovation Fund, explaining how to fix IT stagnation.

The conference will also peek into some of the dark sides of how technology is changing society for worse but also on what we can do: Iceland MP Birgitta Jonsdottir will speak about legalizing freedom of information and will tell us about the Iceland experience, and MEP Marietje Schaake will be present with a video about surveillance tools and freedom of speech online.

And there's a special feature not to be missed: Zero Silence, a documentary film about young people in the Middle East who have grown angry over the authoritarian regimes they live in and who are using the Internet to bring about change in their societies where free speech is controlled or censored. And young generations will also be at the center of the discussion at Nordic Techpolitics: how they will use social media for civic and political engagement will be crucial in shaping future Nordic countries' societies. .

Registration is still open and we hope to see you

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