Can digital tools renew democracy in Norway?

Can digital tools help strengthen democracy? Join us for a conversation with international and Norwegian experts, researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of democracy, participation and digital technology.

Norway is one of the countries in the world where citizens report the highest levels of trust in public institutions and satisfaction with democracy. At the same time, we see growing dissatisfaction with politicians and political parties, alongside increasing demands for more direct participation and influence between elections.

Across the world, cities, governments and civic actors are experimenting with digital platforms, apps and social media to involve citizens in political decision-making. In Norway, several municipalities and organizations have also tested different forms of digital participation and democratic innovation.

Can digital democracy tools help strengthen democracy in Norway?
What can we learn from experiences internationally and in Norway? And what are the opportunities - and limitations - of using digital tools to create more inclusive, participatory and trustworthy democratic processes?

The conversation brings together researchers and practitioners with different perspectives on digital democracy and civic participation:
- Roslyn Fuller, Irish author and researcher on digital democracy, and author of Beasts and Gods and The Principles of Digital Democracy
- Alma Leora Culén, Professor at the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo, whose research explores the relationship between interaction design, transition design and the complex role digital technologies play in everyday life and societal change
- André Helgestad from the Digitalization Agency at the Municipality of Oslo, working with digitalization and public sector innovation
- Elias Olderbakk from Travers, who works with digital participation platforms and new approaches to civic engagement

The conversation will be moderated by Sveinung Legard from the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) at Oslo Metropolitan University, and is hosted by SoCentral.