Money and Life - Grants for library literature programmes, 2020–2022

March 21 2020

Fritt Ord is announcing grants of NOK 60 000 for communications activities and exchanges of views based on works of non-fiction and fiction on the topic of economics.

What economic consequences will the corona crisis have? How important is financial security for living a good life? Is economics a topic in works of fiction? Will less private consumption save the world from the climate crisis? How do economics affect a country’s ability to deal with crises? What did we learn from the financial crisis in 2008? Is economic inequality the greatest challenge to democracy? What will happen with Norway’s social welfare system when the oil runs out? How do economic factors affect party popularity and election results?

Applications are invited from public libraries, or from individuals or organisations that have an event agreement with a library. It is possible to apply for funding for events such as lectures, seminars, debates and appearances by authors/writers. Applications for funding may refer to individual events or a series of events. The events can be organised at the library or online. Applicants are asked to draft a project outline with details about the topic, activities and time frame. Please attach a budget and funding plan. Initiatives are to be carried out by the end of 2022.

Key words: economic security, the consequences of the corona crisis, child poverty, gross national happiness, equal wages, debt-financed economies, economic crises, civic pay, sharing economy/collaborative consumption, the gig economy, oil-driven economics, the financial crisis, the recession.

Book publications: Capital in the 21st century, Farewell, things, Mum is on the dole, Explaining economics to my daughter, Born with a silver spoon, The feeling of being different, It takes a village, Finally, we can laugh, Moneyland, Bullshit Jobs, Bankruptcy: Norwegian economic crises, Temporary employee, the future of the National Insurance Scheme

Through this call for applications, Fritt Ord seeks to encourage activities that will promote literature and strengthen public libraries as communications arenas. Applications should be submitted using the form on the website, see www.frittord.no and choose ‘Applications Centre’. Your application should be labelled “Økonomi/Economics” in the title field.

Deadline for applications: 25 September 2020.

The time frame, deadline and contents have been adjusted relative to the announcement printed in Book and Library, issue no. 2, 2020. For time-sensitive initiatives for communications activities through Norwegian libraries, see Fritt Ord’s ongoing call for applications for extraordinary funding in connection with the corona crisis.

Contact:

Oskar Kvasnes, Fritt Ord, phone +47 408 53370
Email: oskar@frittord.no

News

Call for nominations: Free Media Awards 2025

March 14 2025

In collaboration with the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS of Hamburg, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated the Free Media Awards annually since 2004 to Eastern European journalists and media that defy every obstacle to tirelessly ensure independent press coverage. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the subsequent wave of disinformation clearly demonstrates the need for independent reporting in the region. Journalist, editorial teams and media companies in and from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary who make a contribution to press freedom through their investigative, independent reporting can be nominated for the Free Media Awards.

Civitates' Tech & Democracy open call

March 6 2025

Civitates – The European Democracy Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund that was set up in 2018 for the sole purpose of addressing democratic decline and closing civic space in Europe. The case for confronting these threats is growing increasingly urgent. Fritt Ord Foundation is one of the initiators and partners of Civitates.

Civitates has launched its Tech and Democracy open call to support organisations working to ensure safer, more inclusive online spaces (social media platforms, search engines etc.) by improving the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national level.

This open call offers a unique opportunity to strengthen civil society’s role in holding the tech sector accountable, with a focus on key EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act, GDPR, AI Act or the European Media Freedom Act to name a few.

Norwegians increasingly more positive to computer games

March 5 2025

Norwegians are increasingly more positive to accepting computer games as culture

About 17 per cent have developed a more favourable view of computer games over the past year. Six of ten play computer games, and one of three plays computer games weekly. At the same time, computer games are ranked as having lower status than books and music, for example.
“Computer games deserve more attention and discussion”, contends Joakim Lie of Fritt Ord.

– Computer games are also art

March 4 2025

“The problem with far too many media reports about computer games is that they start begin with sentences like: ‘computer games have come a long way since Pac-Man’,” sighs American computer game critic Jacob Geller.

“Let us first simply agree that computer games are indeed an art form and an expression of culture, and then let us examine the works as part of the history of art and culture.