Town hall meeting in Tromsø about Norway as the neighbour of a military force

June 14 2022

How has the war in Ukraine changed Norway’s role in the Arctic, in the High North and as a neighbour to Russia? As part of the series ‘Debates about Norway’s Future’, Fritt Ord invites the public to a live-streamed debate at Verdensteatret (the World Theatre) in Tromsø on 14 June.

The event is part of the democracy project entitled Debates about Norway’s Future, a joint effort on the part of Nordlys, Fritt Ord, FERD, Amedia and the Research Council of Norway.

Verdensteatret in Tromsø will be the venue for the evening’s debate, which will also be live-streamed online.

The debate will revolve around Norway’s role as a neighbour of Russia as a military force, and how the war in Europe has changed Norway’s role in the Arctic, in the High North and in its relations with Russia.

You will meet:
- Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of Defence
- Halvor Tjønn, expert on Russia and former Aftenposten journalist
- Sverre Diesen, former Chief of Defence
- Becky Bakr Abdullah, media consultant at the Norwegian Refugee Council
- Maja Sojtaric, commentator for Nordlys
- Thomas Nilsen, editor-in-chief of the Barents Observer
- Mikkel Founder, group leader for Bergen SV (Socialist Left Party)
- Kari Aga Myklebost, professor at the University of Tromsø

Project Manager Bente Engesland and Editor-in-chief Helge Nitteberg from Nordlys will moderate the discussion, which will be open to questions from the floor.

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Where do people draw the line when it comes to freedom of expression, and what do they believe to be the greatest threats to an informed debate at a time characterised by unrest, crises and international conflicts? Do they feel there is sufficient diversity of opinion and enough room for divergent viewpoints? And how do people assess access to truthful and relevant information in a media landscape featuring new formats, new voices and artificial intelligence?