ISFiT presents: emPOWER samf

Debate at 16:00-18:00

After the debate, a broad range of young changemakers from Norway and around the globe will present stands showcasing their passions and projects. Here, you can mingle, learn, find inspiration, and claim your own power to make a difference. Join our empower forum!

18:00-21:00

Non-Violent Direct Action Course, BODEGAEN: Civil Disobedience is a tool that a lot of activists have used up throughout time. But how does it actually work? How does it differ from country to country? And what can we learn from it? Join us in learning how civil disobedience has been done historically from active activists in Norway today, how this can be adapted, and essential knowledge in how it can be used depending on different paroles. Together with Natur og Ungdom.

Persuasive Writing Workshop, VOLLAN: Join us in discovering the power of the written word alongside “Argument”. If you would like to delve into how to write a good article about something you are passionate about, how to persuade someone or how the written word can actually change lives. Join this persuasive writing workshop to learn some tips and tricks about how to get started, how to shape it and how to proceed!

Solidarity workshop: Divided We Perish, Together We thrive With The Global Solidarity Network and UN Independent Expert on International Solidarity, DAGLIGHALLEN: Decisions made today will shape the health of future generations, yet young people often have little say in global health governance. Despite being recognised as key players, youth involvement is frequently reduced to symbolic representation rather than meaningful engagement. Youths’ agency is diminished by multilateral and state-driven initiatives, leaving them with limited opportunities to shape global governance and policy. It is important for young people to recover this agency of what their health is about, and this is critical to achieving true solidarity in global health.

This March 18, 2025, the Global Health Solidarity Project, in collaboration with the UN Independent Expert on International Solidarity (Prof. Cecilia M. Bailliet), invites international student and young leaders to a dynamic workshop as part of the ‘POWER’ themed festival. Through interactive discussions and strategic brainstorming, attendees will explore how to reclaim youth agency in global health, advocate for meaningful policy engagement, and drive solidarity-led solutions for a healthier future.

Registration link for solidarity workshop!

Movie Screening- “Duele Respirar”, VUELIE

Empower Forum, ORIGO: Changemakers from large parts of the world will showcase their projects: Student peace prize winners, organizations from Norway, Dialogue project, participants with organizations, political youth parties in Norway, participants (+ organization)
No registration needed! All parts of the event are open to everyone.

We will emPOWER samf!

Antonio Gade Wilhelmsen Serri from Høyre
Serri is politically engaged because he believes that democracy must be actively used to be preserved and strengthened. To him, politics is not just about ideas but about achieving real solutions that make a difference. As the International Secretary of “Høyres Studenter”, he works to strengthen cooperation with European allies and promote the values they believe in - democracy, freedom, and international cooperation. In the Akershus County Council, where he serves on the Finance Committee, he takes part in shaping decisions that impact people's daily lives. His work focuses on smart prioritization, whether it concerns investments in transportation, education, or regional development.

Arlen Alejandra Padilla Guerrero from IPEN
Guerrero is a journalist and activist for human rights and democracy, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She has led youth initiatives with political and social impact in favor of the democratization of Nicaragua from 2018 to the present, primarily focused on empowering young people—co-author of research and journalistic works that address the sociopolitical crisis in Nicaragua from various perspectives. In recent years, she has focused on incorporating digital transformation and User Experience Design into civil society organizations as a fundamental axis to optimize their processes and maximize their impact. She currently collaborates with IPEN, an organization focused on training the future leaders of Nicaragua through formative processes for the promotion of civil and political rights, as well as educational opportunities. IPEN is also the 2025 Student Peace Prize winner.

Jessica Taft
Dr. Jessica Taft is Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz and the Faculty Director of the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas. Her research focuses on young people’s contributions to social change through activism and social movements in North and South America. She is the author of “Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas” (NYU Press, 2011), “The Kids Are in Charge: Activism and Power in Peru’s Movement of Working Children” (NYU Press, 2019), and numerous journal articles on girls’ activism, children’s participation, youth politics, and intergenerational dynamics within social movements.
Website: https://jessicataft.sites.ucsc.edu/

Olaf Halvorsen Rønning
Olaf Halvorsen Rønning is a Norwegian lawyer, specializing in human rights. He has broad experience on litigating human rights issues before national and international courts. His work includes some of the most high profile and principled human rights cases heard by Norwegian courts the latest years. Currently, he is handling a range of cases on freedom of speech and civil disobedience. Rønning is currently a partner of Elden Advokatfirma. Previous experience includes serving as a judge, university researcher and lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights.

Ragnhild Kvist Simonsen from folk mot Fossilmakta
Simonsen (26) is a spokesperson for the campaign Folk mot fossilmakta (People against fossil fuel power), and has a bachelor degree in Foodscience, technology and sustainability. In her work with climate and the Folk mot fossilmakta campaign, she explores how we can use organized civil resistance to challenge the entrenched power of the fossil fuel industry, through nonviolence and disruptive actions.