Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2021). Time Person of the Year. Tireless defender of facts in an age of disinformation. Co-founder of Rappler, one of Southeast Asia’s most influential independent news outlets.
We are honoured to welcome Maria Ressa as keynote speaker at Forward Fest.
Ressa knows the frontline of democracy and press freedom like few others. She faced arrests, lawsuits and online troll armies because she kept doing what matters most: raising truth above power. As a former CNN journalist, award-winning author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator and professor at Columbia University, she explores how we can protect free societies in an online world that is rapidly polarising.
What can we learn from a woman who challenged dictators, holds tech giants accountable and refuses to be silenced? How do we build a digital future where facts win over falsehoods? And what role do we – citizens, journalists, activists and entrepreneurs – play in defending democracy?
An inspiring keynote not to be missed at Forward Fest.
Language: English
Europe’s industrial renaissance: cooperation or zero-sum game?
Europe is redrawing its industrial policy. Will this renaissance drive the Green Deal and a just transition—or fuel a zero-sum race that deepens inequality? Join us to explore who stands to gain, who risks losing, and which choices matter most.
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When Inequality Rules: Who Saves Democracy?
What happens to democracy when wealth determines power? Discover how inequality is straining our institutions — from Big Tech to climate policy — and who can save democracy when influence and capital increasingly converge.
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Towards a Just Digital Future for All
From AI to platforms, digital technology is the result of political choices. Taking a global perspective, we explore what this means for rights, inequality, and international solidarity.
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Forward Fest 2024 invites you to join the conversation, share your perspective, and collaborate with others to build a future that is fair, inclusive, and interconnected. Explore, learn, and contribute to the change our world needs.
LEARN, SHARE, INSPIRE
Prepare for a day filled with inspiring lectures, surprising workshops, and professional connections that will not only stimulate your thinking but also touch your heart. This is your chance to learn from leading thinkers, network with like-minded individuals, and actively contribute to a more just world.
You will soon be able to register for Forward Fest 2026 here.
Get your ticketsForward Fest is organized by 11.11.11, ngo-federation and VLIRUOS in collaboration with MO* with the support of Belgian development cooperation.
11.11.11
THE COALITION FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY.
11.11.11 aims to eradicate exploitation from the world. Everyone – anywhere in the world – has the right to a dignified existence. To truly make a change, power and resources must be distributed more fairly, and the current system must be questioned.
More info on 11.be
NGO-FEDERATIE
FLEMISH FEDERATION OF NGOS FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION.
The ngo-federation represents its members to the federal and other governments, supports the members in their discussions with those governments, promotes cooperation within the sector, and strengthens the quality of NGOs’ operations.
More info on ngo-federatie.be
VLIRUOS
INNOVATIVE RESPONSES TO GLOBAL AND LOCAL CHALLENGES
VLIRUOS supports partnerships and scholarships between universities and colleges in both Flanders and the Global South, seeking innovative solutions for global as well as local challenges.
More info on vliruos.be
