All programme at Kulttuurikasarmi (Narinkka 2, Helsinki) except dinner

8:30 MORNING WALK & RUN WITH FOUNDATION COLLEAGUES

In Helsinki city centre, starting from Kulttuurikasarmi

9:30 Registration opens

11:00 OPENING PLENARY

• Opening of the Conference
  
  Susanna Pettersson, CEO, Suomen kulttuurirahasto / Finnish Cultural Foundation
  Wivan Nygård-Fagerudd, director, Finlandsinstitutet i Stockholm, moderator of the conference
   
• Keynote speech by Pekka Haavisto, Member of the Parliament of Finland
  
  Pekka Haavisto brings a multifaceted perspective on polarization, shaped by decades of experience in national and international leadership. He has served as Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Environment, and Minister for International Development. On the global stage, he has held key roles as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for the Darfur peace process and as the European Union's Special Representative in Sudan and Darfur. A widely respected and popular politician, Haavisto has traveled extensively across Finland and the world, listening to the concerns, hopes, and lived experiences of people from all regions and backgrounds. His work reflects a deep commitment to dialogue, inclusion, and understanding in the face of societal divides
   
• Three messages on polarisation to Nordic Foundations
  
  Oskar Rönnberg, researcher, University of Helsinki
  Jasmine Kelekay, assistant professor, Howard University
  Amos Wallgren, activist
   
• Foundation commentary
• Group discussions
   

12:40 LUNCH
 

13:45 BREAK OUT SESSIONS HOSTED BY DIFFERENT NORDIC FOUNDATIONS

► See the first 10 published sessions here – more will be coming! Different sessions will be held on Thursday and Friday. 

15:15 COFFEE & CONTACTS: Time for refreshments and having 1-to-1 conversations with foundations of your interest

16:00 PLENARY

• Discussion: Art Making and Breaking Polarisation
  
  Riie Heikkilä, docent, University of Tampere
  Marcia Harvey Isaksson, artist, director and founder of Fiberspace Gallery and Afro-Nordic art platform Southnord
   
• Keynote speech: "Are the Nordic welfare societies turning into charity societies?" by Nicklas Larsen 
  
  Nicklas Larsen is a futures practitioner, educator, author, and public speaker who advocates and mobilises for political representation of future generations. He wants to equip leaders with the critical skills and tools to imagine, plan, and prepare for emerging futures — driving systemic change, fostering intergenerational fairness, and shaping transformative approaches. Nicklas serves in more roles, among them as UNESCO Co-Chair in Futures Capabilities and Senior Advisor heading Arts and Culture, at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.

17:30 Free time before dinner

19:00 EVENING PROGRAM WITH DINNER (different location)