The Oslo Forum for Freedom, organized annually through the Human Rights Foundation, has become a global cornerstone for human rights activists. This year, the 16th edition of the forum focused on the theme “Reclaiming Democracy”. It brought together activists, thinkers, and leaders to talk about the demanding situations of emerging authoritarianism and how Bitcoin can help activists fighting against oppressive regimes.
Thor Halvorssen, executive director of HRF, addressed the forum’s goal of creating empathy and achieving broader impact by sharing private stories of triumph and tragedy. The Norwegian government and the city of Oslo support the event, recognizing its global importance.
HRF’s connection to Bitcoin began in 2014, sensing its potential to offer financial freedom and privacy. Since then, HRF has funded bitcoin-related projects, supporting the development of equipment that helps activists use bitcoin safely and raising awareness among activists about its benefits.
Hadiya Masieh, founder of the Groundswell Project, uses bitcoin to fight extremism and foster network cohesion. At the Oslo Freedom Forum, Hadiya spoke about how bitcoin empowers minority communities, offering them monetary escape and protection. She works with women in those communities to promote monetary independence. “We will have to protect our communities and our environment,” she said, linking monetary independence to preventing radicalization.
Farida Nabourema, co-founder of the Africa Bitcoin Conference, spoke about Bitcoin adoption in Africa. “Africa has the fastest adoption rate in the world,” he said. Beginning her activism at the age of 13, Farida stands for democracy and human rights. She teaches about Bitcoin’s prospects for monetary independence and resistance to oppression.
The Oslo Freedom Forum brought together many other inspiring voices who highlighted the importance of Bitcoin in their fight for human rights.
Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at HRF, spoke about bitcoin’s role. He explained how Bitcoin allows activists to circumvent monetary censorship and move the budget securely. By using Bitcoin, activists can receive donations without government interference, which is to continue their work under oppressive regimes.
Faisal Al Mutar, founder of Ideas Beyond Borders, discussed Bitcoin’s role in fostering education and independent thinking in the Middle East. His organization, which uses Bitcoin for educational initiatives, enables others to resist extremism and authoritarianism by offering monetary freedom and security. He said: “You cannot bomb democracy and freedom in a country. You cannot fight for freedom and democracy if you do not know what that means. Faisal also addressed the audience and said: “Why do they deserve worry about the Middle East? That’s because the Middle East is the opposite of Las Vegas. “What happens in the Middle East does not stay in the Middle East. “
Leading figures from the Bitcoin community, Lyn Alden and Jack Dorsey, also shared their insights. Jack spoke about the importance of open source responses in the fight for monetary freedom. We want to solve the discovery challenge in an open-source way. Twitter “It has taken the first step, but with the algorithm it is missing tons of content. They will have to be able to choose”, highlighting the need for transparency and selection on digital platforms.
The Oslo Freedom Forum’s approach to bitcoin highlights its potential as a powerful tool for human rights. By offering monetary freedom and security, Bitcoin is helping activists around the world regain democracy and combat authoritarianism. Stories shared on the forum highlight the resilience and determination of those who use Bitcoin to advance justice and freedom, showing the world how “Bitcoin solves this problem!”»
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