10-08-26

Russia’s Elections: An Illusion of Choice

Putin’s elites and co-perpetrators are seeking legitimacy. War crimes, human rights abuses, and the wartime economy in Russia.

Date: September 10th
Time: 18.00-19.30
Location: Sentralen, Oslo (Kronesalen)

About the event:

18 to 20 September 2026, Russia holds parliamentary elections. They will take place during the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, in a context marked by extensive political repression, thousands of Ukrainian civilian deaths and politically motivated detentions in Russia, expanded wartime restrictions, severe international sanctions, and significant military losses. According to experts, Russia has around one million casualties, whereof 400 000 deaths. OVD info, Russia’s leading human rights organisation, which monitors political prosecutions, was labelled as “an extremist” and “terrorist” organisation in the beginning of June 2026.

Various independent sociological research suggests that Russian society is increasingly fatigued by the war, while deteriorating socioeconomic conditions are affecting everyday life. As the conflict continues, its consequences are becoming more visible within Russian society, reaching beyond the battlefield and into the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

Many appear to be expressing growing frustration with the costs of the war, while remaining broadly supportive of the political system that enabled it. How do these citizens perceive the current situation? Why have Russia’s political elites continued to pursue the war despite its mounting costs? And how can Russian society express disagreement when independent political activity, public protest, and dissent are criminalised and subject to severe legal restrictions and repression?

To answer these questions the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Norwegian PEN invited Alexandra Prokopenko, sociologist and researcher of Russian economic policy and Leonid Drabkin, the head of OVD-Info.

Program:

16:30 Coffee and registration

17:00: Welcome by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, PEN Norway

17:15-17:35: Co-perpetrators: Russian elites and war economy – Alexandra Prokopenko

17:35-17:55: Martial laws and repressions – how to resist? – Leonid Drabkin, OVD info

18:00-18:45: Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, in conversation with Alexander Prokopenko and Leonid Drabkin

About the speakers:

Alexandra Prokopenko is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. In her research, she focuses on Russian government policymaking on economic and financial issues.

From 2017 until early 2022 Alexandra worked at the Central Bank of Russia and at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. She is a former columnist for Vedomosti. She is a graduate of Moscow State University and holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Manchester.

Alexandra was a visiting fellow at the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

She is the author of From Sovereigns to Servants. How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia’s Elite (London, 2026).

Leonid Drabkin is a senior executive with extensive experience leading OVD-Info, one of Russia’s largest and most respected human rights organisations, where he focused on documenting political prosecutions and providing legal support.

Drabkin holds an MSc in Finance from the United Kingdom and is recognised for a results-driven, change-oriented approach to advancing human rights. He was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and is currently working in exile following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

03-08-26

Community event for artists: Connect, Share, Create

On Friday 28th of August, Kulna and PEN Norway gathers artists at Sentralen in Oslo to explore, connect and grow in the name of art.

Date: August 28th
Time: 18.00-19.30
Location: Sentralen, Oslo (Kronesalen)
Register for the event here

About the event:

Decentralize the city. Take back freedom.

We invite you as a cultural worker as part of an institution or individually, an artist, solo or part of a creative collective. You who believe that art is a necessary part of a vibrant society and to insure freedom of expression should not be only supported by certain individuals.

Systemic change starts at the grassroots level. It starts in our own houses, workspaces, and neighborhoods.

For far too long, artists have had to adapt to a system that rewards commercial considerations more than artistic freedom. What if we could turn that around? What if the city and us are all we need? A spare room. A workshop. A wall. A meeting room that stands empty in the evening. A corner where a project can be completed. Equipment that can be shared. Resources that already exist, but are waiting to be put to use.

Fadaa is an invitation to think differently. Not just about art, but about how we experience our city, community, and culture. Instead of waiting for more funding or more buildings, we ask: How can we activate what we already have?

That’s why we’re bringing together artists, cultural actors, municipalities, businesses and everyone who believes in the power of creativity. Not because Fadaa is finished, but because we want to build the vision together. We specifically want you. Oslo is full of people with ideas, talent and space that can create something bigger than what we see today. Now we want to connect them. This is the start of Fadaa in Oslo.

Join us for the introduction event. Share ideas, challenge it, and help shape how art and culture can have a greater place in our city. We look forward to seeing you. Creativity shouldn’t wait for permission. It just needs space.

29-06-26

Building the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now

On August 19th, PEN Norway and Kulna invite you to Sentralen for the lunch conversation ‘Introducing Kulna @ Sentralen: Building the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now’.

Date: 19. August 2026
Time: 11.30
Location: Bankboksen, Sentralen
The event is organised by Kulna and PEN Norway

Register for the event here (by invitation only)

Kulna @ Sentralen is a new year-long civic and cultural program created by Kulna, in cooperation with PEN Norway, taking place Sentralen. Kulna is the public media and community platform of the Kawaakibi Foundation, bringing together activists, artists, and researchers shaped by revolution, exile, and resistance. Through talks, workshops, performances, and community gatherings, the program connects structural analysis, artistic expression, and civic participation.

The program starts from a practical question: how can Norway use its freedom, resources, and civic space to respond to democratic erosion, moral injury, global instability, and rapid change driven by AI? For people who help decide what is funded, hosted, published, and made visible, this question is immediate. What spaces, ideas, and partnerships are needed to strengthen public courage, long-term thinking, and meaningful solidarity?

During this invitation-only lunch, we will present Kulna’s framework, main projects, and upcoming program at Sentralen. We will also take a closer look at Fadaa, our cultural and civic platform for art, activism, storytelling, and access to space. After a short presentation and invited reflections, we will hold a focused roundtable on the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now, and how the institutions represented in the room might contribute.

29-06-26

After the American Empire: How to Build a World for All of Us

Date: 19. August 2026
Time: 17.30
Location: Kronesalen, Sentralen
The event is organised by Kulna and PEN Norway

Register for the event here

About the event

The American-led world order is breaking down. The current US-Israeli war on Iran exposes the deeper crisis of an imperial system built around military dominance, dollar power, Gulf oil, and the exceptional position of Israel within the Western order.

In this lecture, Iyad El-Baghdadi traces the rise and decline of the American imperial system, explains the current war on Iran through a systems-change lens, and examines what its breakdown may mean for the United States, Israel, the Gulf, Iran, Europe, and the wider world. The aim is not only to understand what is ending, but to ask what must be built next.

A post-imperial world does not have to become a world of fragmentation, revenge, and permanent war. It can become an opening for a more democratic and equal international order built around shared security, economic justice, truth, and human dignity.

The event begins with a 45–60 minute lecture, followed by 30–45 minutes of questions and audience discussion. It will be filmed for publication on Kulna. Audience members may choose whether or not to appear in the recording.

26-06-26

Motstand gjennom kunst og kultur i Afghanistan

Velkommen til en inspirerende kveld der vi utforsker motstand gjennom kunst og kultur i Afghanistan.

Dato: 27. august 2026
Tid: 17.30 (dørene åpner kl. 17.00, med utstilling)
Sted: Forstanderskapssalen, Sentralen
Registrer deg her

Det har gått fem år siden Taliban tok kontrollen over Afghanistan – en periode preget av innskrenkede menneskerettigheter, angrep på frie stemmer og undertrykkelse. Når det politiske og kulturelle handlingsrommet krymper, blir kunsten et kraftfullt verktøy for frihet, overlevelse og identitet.

Bli med på en inspirerende kveld på Sentralen i Oslo, der vi dykker ned i hvordan kunstnere, musikere, forfattere og kulturarbeidere fra Afghanistan fortsetter å kjempe for frihet og menneskerettigheter.

Program: (vil bli oppdatert)

Freshta Safi, kunstner
Ghawgha, musiker
Dr. Samay Hamed, poet og leder for PEN Afghanistan
Elisabeth Eide, leder av Norsk PENs Afghanistan-utvalg

***

Afghan Voices: Resistance and Inspiration

Welcome to an evening exploring resistance through art and culture in Afghanistan.

Date: 27. August 2026
Time: 17.00
Location: Forstanderskapssalen, Sentralen
Registration here

It has been five years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan – a period defined by shrinking human rights, silenced voices and the suppression of freedom. When political and kultural space shrinks, art becomes a powerful tool for freedom, survival and identity.

Join PEN Norway at Sentralen in Oslo for an inspiring evening where we dive into how artists, musicians, writers and cultural workers from Afghanistan continue to resist oppression and fight for freedom and human rights.

Programme (will be updated):

Freshta Safi, artist and ICORN residence
Ghawgha, musician and ICORN residence
Dr. Samay Hamed, poet and head of PEN Afghanistan
Elisabeth Eide, leder av Norsk PENs Afghanistan-utvalg

Faris Sadoon. Foto: privat

Månedens fribyforfatter er Firas Saadoon:

– Kampen for pressefrihet er en stafett. Vi fortsetter å løpe så lenge vi har pust.

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Fribyordningen:

Norad-avslag: — Ytterligere svik mot forfulgte ytrere

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23-06-26

Norsk PEN på Arendalsuka: “Rom for unge stemmer”

Bli med når unge tar ordet om ytringsrommet!

Gjennom det siste året har ungdom og unge voksne medlemmer av våre Ung Ytring-råd i Tromsø, Trondheim, Stavanger, Bergen og Oslo, diskutert, utforsket og undersøkt unges opplevelse av ytringsrommet i Norge i dag: Hva tør unge å si? Hvor blir de hørt? Hva holder dem tilbake – og hvorfor?

Bli med og hør hva unge selv mener er utfordringene og mulighetene når det gjelder unges ytringsfrihet i Norge i dag, når de presenterer funn fra rapporten «Rom for unge stemmer» på Arendal Ung – til beslutningstakere, de som jobber med unge, og alle som er opptatt av et levende demokrati.

Hva kan du forvente?

– Fremleggelse av rapportens hovedfunn.
– Panelsamtale med rådsmedlemmer.
– Publikumsinteraksjon og live temperaturmåling.

Navn på bidragsyterne deles fortløpende.

Dette arrangementet er et samarbeid mellom Ung Ytring2030 og Nordisk Ministerråd og passer for ungdomstrinnet og videregående skole

Påmelding: arendalsuka.no

Besøkte Norsk PEN i 2024:

Aktivist Mahrang Baloch dømt til livstid i fengsel

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Afghanistan:

Nei til sikkerhetsstyrker mot kvinner!

Les mer

08-06-26

Chernobyl: Could it happen again?

Welcome to a discussion on Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and the role of Rosatom

In 2022, plant personnel, defence volunteers and pro-Ukrainian activists at the Chornobyl nuclear plant were intimidated, unlawfully detained and tortured during weeks of Russian occupation. The Zaporizhzhia plant is still under occupation today. International norms on nuclear safety are ignored, and the population surrounding Enerhodar face repression and violence.

What crimes have been committed at the Zaporizhzhia plant? What have the people of Enerhodar endured, and how can justice be achieved? What are the risks for nuclear disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant? And why does Rosatom, despite direct complicity in these crimes, continue to evade sanctions?

This event brings together experts, researchers, and lawyers to discuss the risks and consequences of Russia’s occupation of large nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

Sted: Kronesalen, Sentralen

Panel Discussion:
– Dmytro Koval, Co-Executive Director, Truth Hounds, Ukraine
– Erlend B. Bjørtvedt, Director, Corisk
– Gunnar M. Ekeløve-Slydal, Deputy Secretary General, Norwegian Helsinki Committee

– Moderator: Lene Wetteland, Head of the NHC’s Documentation and Accountability Hub.

Also:
– Dmitry Gorchakov, Bellona: Online presentation on the role of Rosatom in Zaporizhzhia and the global nuclear market
– Ana Pashalishvili, senior adviser, NHC: presentation of new NHC publications on Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants

Program:
17:00 Coffee and snacks

17:30 Welcome

17:35 Online presentation by Dmitry Gorchakov, Bellona: The role of Rosatom in Zaporizhzhia and the global nuclear market

17:50 Ana Pashalisvhili (NHC): Presentation of new NHC publications on Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants

17:55 Panel discussion on Rosatom’s responsibility for international crimes and its role in the Russian war economy, with Dmytro Koval, Co-Executive Director, Truth Hounds, Erlend B. Bjørtvedt, Director, Corisk and Gunnar M. Ekeløve-Slydal, Deputy Secretary General, NHC

18:30 End of seminar

Photo: Ilja Nedilko on Unsplash

04-06-26

Artist Talk: Evgenij Feldman

Join us for the artist talk with Evgenij Feldman- Russian photojournalist in exile.

Artist talk is connected to the photo exhibition “Navalny´s choice: chronicles of protest in Russia in photos”, which is available at Sentralen in Oslo, 1-17 of June.

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In conversation with Øystein Windstad, a Norwegian journalist, we will gain insights into life in Russia under an authoritarian political regime and the repression of its citizens.

This is a rare opportunity to meet a journalist who followed Alexey Navalny for ten years, traveling and campaigning, and meeting people on the ground.

Event is in room Vinterhagen/ Sentralen and is open for everyone who wishes to hear this witness account.

****

Photos of Evgeny Feldman are exhibited in Sentralen in the period 1-17, June; 3rd floor/Gullhallen.
Exhibition is the cooperation between Smårådina, Norwegian Helsinki Committee and PEN Norway, with support from The Fritt Ord Foundation.

****

10-08-26

Russia’s Elections: An Illusion of Choice

Putin’s elites and co-perpetrators are seeking legitimacy. War crimes, human rights abuses, and the wartime economy in Russia.

Date: September 10th
Time: 18.00-19.30
Location: Sentralen, Oslo (Kronesalen)

About the event:

18 to 20 September 2026, Russia holds parliamentary elections. They will take place during the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, in a context marked by extensive political repression, thousands of Ukrainian civilian deaths and politically motivated detentions in Russia, expanded wartime restrictions, severe international sanctions, and significant military losses. According to experts, Russia has around one million casualties, whereof 400 000 deaths. OVD info, Russia’s leading human rights organisation, which monitors political prosecutions, was labelled as “an extremist” and “terrorist” organisation in the beginning of June 2026.

Various independent sociological research suggests that Russian society is increasingly fatigued by the war, while deteriorating socioeconomic conditions are affecting everyday life. As the conflict continues, its consequences are becoming more visible within Russian society, reaching beyond the battlefield and into the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

Many appear to be expressing growing frustration with the costs of the war, while remaining broadly supportive of the political system that enabled it. How do these citizens perceive the current situation? Why have Russia’s political elites continued to pursue the war despite its mounting costs? And how can Russian society express disagreement when independent political activity, public protest, and dissent are criminalised and subject to severe legal restrictions and repression?

To answer these questions the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Norwegian PEN invited Alexandra Prokopenko, sociologist and researcher of Russian economic policy and Leonid Drabkin, the head of OVD-Info.

Program:

16:30 Coffee and registration

17:00: Welcome by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, PEN Norway

17:15-17:35: Co-perpetrators: Russian elites and war economy – Alexandra Prokopenko

17:35-17:55: Martial laws and repressions – how to resist? – Leonid Drabkin, OVD info

18:00-18:45: Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, in conversation with Alexander Prokopenko and Leonid Drabkin

About the speakers:

Alexandra Prokopenko is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. In her research, she focuses on Russian government policymaking on economic and financial issues.

From 2017 until early 2022 Alexandra worked at the Central Bank of Russia and at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. She is a former columnist for Vedomosti. She is a graduate of Moscow State University and holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Manchester.

Alexandra was a visiting fellow at the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

She is the author of From Sovereigns to Servants. How the War Against Ukraine Reshaped Russia’s Elite (London, 2026).

Leonid Drabkin is a senior executive with extensive experience leading OVD-Info, one of Russia’s largest and most respected human rights organisations, where he focused on documenting political prosecutions and providing legal support.

Drabkin holds an MSc in Finance from the United Kingdom and is recognised for a results-driven, change-oriented approach to advancing human rights. He was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and is currently working in exile following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

03-08-26

Community event for artists: Connect, Share, Create

On Friday 28th of August, Kulna and PEN Norway gathers artists at Sentralen in Oslo to explore, connect and grow in the name of art.

Date: August 28th
Time: 18.00-19.30
Location: Sentralen, Oslo (Kronesalen)
Register for the event here

About the event:

Decentralize the city. Take back freedom.

We invite you as a cultural worker as part of an institution or individually, an artist, solo or part of a creative collective. You who believe that art is a necessary part of a vibrant society and to insure freedom of expression should not be only supported by certain individuals.

Systemic change starts at the grassroots level. It starts in our own houses, workspaces, and neighborhoods.

For far too long, artists have had to adapt to a system that rewards commercial considerations more than artistic freedom. What if we could turn that around? What if the city and us are all we need? A spare room. A workshop. A wall. A meeting room that stands empty in the evening. A corner where a project can be completed. Equipment that can be shared. Resources that already exist, but are waiting to be put to use.

Fadaa is an invitation to think differently. Not just about art, but about how we experience our city, community, and culture. Instead of waiting for more funding or more buildings, we ask: How can we activate what we already have?

That’s why we’re bringing together artists, cultural actors, municipalities, businesses and everyone who believes in the power of creativity. Not because Fadaa is finished, but because we want to build the vision together. We specifically want you. Oslo is full of people with ideas, talent and space that can create something bigger than what we see today. Now we want to connect them. This is the start of Fadaa in Oslo.

Join us for the introduction event. Share ideas, challenge it, and help shape how art and culture can have a greater place in our city. We look forward to seeing you. Creativity shouldn’t wait for permission. It just needs space.

29-06-26

Building the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now

On August 19th, PEN Norway and Kulna invite you to Sentralen for the lunch conversation ‘Introducing Kulna @ Sentralen: Building the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now’.

Date: 19. August 2026
Time: 11.30
Location: Bankboksen, Sentralen
The event is organised by Kulna and PEN Norway

Register for the event here (by invitation only)

Kulna @ Sentralen is a new year-long civic and cultural program created by Kulna, in cooperation with PEN Norway, taking place Sentralen. Kulna is the public media and community platform of the Kawaakibi Foundation, bringing together activists, artists, and researchers shaped by revolution, exile, and resistance. Through talks, workshops, performances, and community gatherings, the program connects structural analysis, artistic expression, and civic participation.

The program starts from a practical question: how can Norway use its freedom, resources, and civic space to respond to democratic erosion, moral injury, global instability, and rapid change driven by AI? For people who help decide what is funded, hosted, published, and made visible, this question is immediate. What spaces, ideas, and partnerships are needed to strengthen public courage, long-term thinking, and meaningful solidarity?

During this invitation-only lunch, we will present Kulna’s framework, main projects, and upcoming program at Sentralen. We will also take a closer look at Fadaa, our cultural and civic platform for art, activism, storytelling, and access to space. After a short presentation and invited reflections, we will hold a focused roundtable on the civic and cultural infrastructure Norway needs now, and how the institutions represented in the room might contribute.

29-06-26

After the American Empire: How to Build a World for All of Us

Date: 19. August 2026
Time: 17.30
Location: Kronesalen, Sentralen
The event is organised by Kulna and PEN Norway

Register for the event here

About the event

The American-led world order is breaking down. The current US-Israeli war on Iran exposes the deeper crisis of an imperial system built around military dominance, dollar power, Gulf oil, and the exceptional position of Israel within the Western order.

In this lecture, Iyad El-Baghdadi traces the rise and decline of the American imperial system, explains the current war on Iran through a systems-change lens, and examines what its breakdown may mean for the United States, Israel, the Gulf, Iran, Europe, and the wider world. The aim is not only to understand what is ending, but to ask what must be built next.

A post-imperial world does not have to become a world of fragmentation, revenge, and permanent war. It can become an opening for a more democratic and equal international order built around shared security, economic justice, truth, and human dignity.

The event begins with a 45–60 minute lecture, followed by 30–45 minutes of questions and audience discussion. It will be filmed for publication on Kulna. Audience members may choose whether or not to appear in the recording.

26-06-26

Motstand gjennom kunst og kultur i Afghanistan

Velkommen til en inspirerende kveld der vi utforsker motstand gjennom kunst og kultur i Afghanistan.

Dato: 27. august 2026
Tid: 17.30 (dørene åpner kl. 17.00, med utstilling)
Sted: Forstanderskapssalen, Sentralen
Registrer deg her

Det har gått fem år siden Taliban tok kontrollen over Afghanistan – en periode preget av innskrenkede menneskerettigheter, angrep på frie stemmer og undertrykkelse. Når det politiske og kulturelle handlingsrommet krymper, blir kunsten et kraftfullt verktøy for frihet, overlevelse og identitet.

Bli med på en inspirerende kveld på Sentralen i Oslo, der vi dykker ned i hvordan kunstnere, musikere, forfattere og kulturarbeidere fra Afghanistan fortsetter å kjempe for frihet og menneskerettigheter.