Newsroom - Arendals Fossekompani - Community Engagement
Arendalsuka: Getting ready for 1,970 debates
Offering 1,970 events during five days, a record-breaking edition of Arendalsuka, a national arena for political and societal debate, opens Monday.
Est. reading time: 2 min
Thousands of people, including top level politicians, leaders of hundreds of organizations, the academic sector, media and more, gather in Arendal to share ideas, discuss societal issues, and mingle.
“It has been an incredible journey, from 50 event in the inaugural year 2012, to almost 2,000 events this year. As organizers, we are more occupied with quality than quantity. Still, the sheer number of events is a testament to the growing importance and position of Arendalsuka,” says Tone Skindlo Taraldsen, Coordinator at Arendalsuka.
Including all fields of expertise in a national conversation on current challenges and future solutions, is perhaps the most important success criteria for Arendalsuka, and a differentiator from other arenas that are typically more industry specific.
“In a world where the very idea of democracy is in decline, Arendalsuka is more important than ever. We have been promoting democracy for over a decade, also offering our competence and experience to similar democracy festivals around the world,” says Taraldsen.
Arendals Fossekompani has been a proud sponsor of Arendalsuka for years, supporting the festival financially and organizing several events during the week. This year, a total of 14 debates will take place at the company’s headquarters in downtown Arendal.
“Arendals Fossekompani remains an important contributor to Arendalsuka. We are particularly pleased to see that local companies value our event and support us financially. This year, Arendals Fossekompani has also agreed to let a youth organization host an event at their headquarters, which is really great,” says Taraldsen.
The majority of Arendals Fossekompani’s portfolio companies organize their own events and debates during Arendalsuka. Benjamin Golding, CEO of Arendals Fossekompani, will participate in a debate on the capital market’s role in the green transition.
“We are proud to see our hometown host this important national event. Top politicians from all parties spend most of the week in Arendal, and the city is buzzing with people and energy. We look forward to getting started and to welcoming people to our events,” says Golding.
A full list of events at Arendals Fossekompani during Arendalsuka can be found here: https://arendalsfossekompani.no/en/arendalsuka