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Arendalsuka is an annual Norwegian political festival that brings together politicians, journalists, policy makers, aid organisations, civil society and the private sector.

Actors come together for debate and policy shaping. Around 1,000 events and 200 stands fill the city of Arendal for five days in August each year. This year's festival takes place from 15–16 August.

PRIO will organize a series of public events at Arendalsuka this year, all located at 'den globale scene' venue, which is hosted by NORAD, and brings together similar international affairs focused organizations.

Below is an overview of all events hosted by PRIO, some in Norwegian and some in English.

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Globale tilbakeslag for kvinners rettigheter: Hva er Norges rolle?

I år er det 30 år siden den store Kvinnekonferansen i Beijing og 25 år siden FNs sikkerhetsråd vedtok den banebrytende resolusjon 1325 om kvinner, fred og sikkerhet. Dette er milepæler for nasjonalt og internasjonalt arbeid med å inkludere kvinners rettigheter og deltakelse i all innsats for demokrati, økonomisk utvikling, fred og sikkerhet.

2025 skulle bli det store jubileumsåret, der fremskritt skulle feires og strategier for videre framdrift diskuteres.

I stedet er kvinners rettigheter og likestilling under økende press, og tilbakeslagene er mange og bekymringsfulle. Kvinners rettigheter blir politisert og mobiliseres både av konservative krefter, religiøse grupperinger og autoritære stater. Dagens spente geopolitiske situasjon har ført til økende militarisering og store kutt i bevilgninger til bistand og fredsarbeid. Dette går særlig utover kvinneaktivister og kvinneorganisasjoner som arbeider på grasrota med humanitær innsats og fred- og forsoningstiltak.

  • Hvordan vil freds- og likestillingsnasjonen Norge navigere og utøve sin utenrikspolitikk  i dette komplekse og krevende landskapet?
  • Hva er Norges ansvar for å sikre kvinners rettigheter i en tid med geopolitisk usikkerhet og stramme budsjetter?
  • Vil Norge opprettholde sin status som en global leder på kvinne- og likestillingspørsmål, eller vil vi se at kvinners rettigheter må vike for nasjonale interesser av større og mer umiddelbar betydning?

Medvirkende:

Time and place: 15:00-15:45, Monday, 11 August, at Carrello

The event will be streamed here.

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How to talk about peace in a world preparing for war

Can we still talk openly about peace – at a time of full-blown and deeply divisive wars, and while military budgets are growing across Europe?

In this conversation, we ask what happens to peace as a political project, a research agenda and a public value when societies prepare for conflict. Peace has always been contentious: from different understandings of what it means, to what it requires to achieve it. Today, we are not only facing rising tensions and new frontlines breaking out, but also difficulties in talking about peace. How do debates about war, security and defense affect academic freedom, civil society and the role of knowledge in democratic decision-making?

Around the world, peace researchers and institutions are facing growing pressure – from funding cuts and political interference to restrictions on public data. At the same time, Norway continues to promote peace diplomacy abroad while shifting more resources toward defense at home.

Join us for a timely discussion among voices from different sectors, who will explore:

  • What space remains for critical thinking on peace and security?
  • How can we protect open, evidence-based debate in increasingly polarized environments?
  • And what role should peace research and advocacy play in a time of rising militarization?

Panelists:

Time and place: 10:00-10:45, Wednesday, 13 August, at Carrello

The event will be streamed here.

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Carving out peace in space

Is outer space developing into an area of increasing conflict, or can humankind make space an arena for peaceful collaboration?

At this event, we look back to the groundbreaking events of the Apollo programme of the 1960s and early 1970s and the unique Apollo-Soyuz Test Project exactly 50 years ago, which heralded an era of constructive cooperation in space.

Where is this heading now? What will China and the US be doing, as they both increasingly see mastery of space as decisive for national security and future conflicts? And what role do satellites and space stations play in current geopolitics?

Can humankind use and explore space together peacefully, or will space become a battlefield in future wars?

Panelists:

Time and place: 14:00-14:45, Wednesday, 13 August, at Carrello

The event will be streamed here.

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Other seminars with PRIO participation