A tutti i Soci / Socie del PEN Club Trieste
Loro indirizzi
Cari Consoci / Consocie,
l’Assemblea Ordinaria dell’Associazione PEN Club Trieste è indetta il giorno sabato 12 febbraio 2011 alle ore 10.00 in prima ed alle ore 11.00 in seconda convocazione presso lo Storico Caffè San Marco, Via Battisti , con il seguente Ordine del Giorno:
1. Relazione della Presidenza
2. Relazione finanziaria
3. Elezione del Presidente e del Comitato Direttivo
4. Varie ed eventuali
Si ricorda che la partecipazione all’Assemblea è riservata, in base all’art. 9 dello Statuto, agli iscritti all’Associazione in regola con il versamento delle quote sociali relative.
Si rammenta inoltre che è possibile farsi rappresentare all’Assemblea da altro socio mediante delega scritta ed autografa. Il numero di deleghe per la medesima persona è fissato nel numero massimo di tre.
Mi è gradita l’occasione per porgervi i più cordiali saluti.
p. il Presidente
Antonio Della Rocca
Vice Presidente
Monday, 31 January 2011
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Pagine Facebook del PEN Club Trieste e del PEN International
Tre mesi fa, a fine ottobre 2011,ho aperto due pagine su Facebook, una dedicata al PEN Club Trieste ed una come Gruppo del PEN International on Facebook.
La prima ha come obiettivo di informare soci, colleghi di altri Centri PEN ed il pubblico di Facebook in generale dell'esistenza e dell'attività del nostro Centro.
Gli obiettivi della seconda - rivisti dopo tre mesi di esistenza piuttosto vivace - sono riassunti nel documento che ho pubblicato sulla pagina e che riporto qui per comodità dei frequentatori.
A QUASI-MANIFEST FOR PEN INTERNATIONAL ON FACEBOOK
Dear Friends,
this Group has been opened – to say founded would sound a bit bombastic – three months ago. I confess that at that moment I had no idea that it would have been so successful, because to have 104 members is a goal I did not think could be reached in so small a time.
In view of this (little) success I feel it could be opportune to try to define what we are, what we are doing (or trying to do) and why.
This is not a manifest, which I don’t have neither the authority nor the wish to write: anyone of you is absolutely free to comment and to disagree, and your comments will help us to decide whether we have taken the right path or if we have to adjust the course.
The Group is an open one, dedicated to PEN members but not exclusive. One of the reasons of this document is to give to people asking to become members of the Group a clear idea of what kind of contents we are interested into and avoid to become a mess of passers-by.
There is no limitation to the contents, but these are supposed to be related to our quality of PEN members: literary topics and issues about translations or linguistic rights, as well as about freedom of expression – including the safeguard of writers -, keeping and promotion of peace. We know what’s it all about.
In my opinion we should also try to inform and keep informed about the initiatives of our respective PEN Centres, to signal the works of our colleagues which are already translated to other languages (and those we deserve to be), to maintain communication channels open between PEN Centres of different parts of the world.
This activity, at that degree of detail, is not in contrast with the activity developed by the PEN International website, which has to achieve many more institutional goals. Our role has to be one of support, in all the small areas this website cannot cover. It could be a role of incitement too, why not?
In order to do so, we should try to attract – I would say to lure, because many of our colleagues don’t like Facebook, worse, they don’t trust it – into this social network as many members of PEN as possible. Not because it is a heaven, only for the practical reason that it’s the most widespread one, and it allows more space for discussion than e.g. Twitter.
People fear a loss of personal data, a breach in privacy. Apart from the fact that nobody can steal data you do not put online, in my opinion there is no opportunity without a certain degree of risk, and vice versa. I personally have considered the possibility to vastly improve my communication a game worth the candle.
Anyway, we should try to find out as many PEN members as possible that are already more or less active on Facebook and ask them to join our Group. You all are well aware that a number of the present 104 members are leading members or Officers in their respective Center: some are even Officers of PEN International. However, this Group is designed to accept any member and also non-members that are genuinely interested in our activity.
Writers are busy people, so it’s physiological that they at best have a look at the page and don’t interact: even so, our page is very lively.
It would be fantastic if in average everyone of us would visit the page once a week, possibly leaving a short message or at least utilizing the “Like” button, if he/she actually likes some post.
May I recall that not only English, but also French and Spanish are official languages of PEN?
But in the very end we have to ask ourselves non only what we can do in order to further our communication, and how to do it.
The real question is: why are we trying to build a sort of virtual Speaker’s Corner in a Facebook’s Hyde Park, where everybody can climb on a wooden box and start communicating to everybody else in transit his/her ideas and debate with them?
In my opinion this kind of exercise is vital if we want PEN to become a so-called flat organisation.
An international body with 145 Centres in 104 countries is too big to rely on two-way communication protocols like ordinary or electronic post. In the world of today we need easier and user-friendly forms of expression and it would be a mistake not to utilize the existent ones.
We have to debate openly if we agree with the present form of organization or if we would prefer some other organizational model, if we think this organization is apt to represent the Centres, the members, the geographical and linguistic areas and their interests, if the full membership can be granted to readers and to young people and in which form.
In the Congress of Tokyo there has been an attempt to free discussion that has to be further implemented.
Maybe democracy is too big a word for it, but I think you know what I mean. The same fact that you have decreed a certain success to this Group is a good proof for that.
Thanks to you all for your attention and for your cooperation.
La prima ha come obiettivo di informare soci, colleghi di altri Centri PEN ed il pubblico di Facebook in generale dell'esistenza e dell'attività del nostro Centro.
Gli obiettivi della seconda - rivisti dopo tre mesi di esistenza piuttosto vivace - sono riassunti nel documento che ho pubblicato sulla pagina e che riporto qui per comodità dei frequentatori.
A QUASI-MANIFEST FOR PEN INTERNATIONAL ON FACEBOOK
Dear Friends,
this Group has been opened – to say founded would sound a bit bombastic – three months ago. I confess that at that moment I had no idea that it would have been so successful, because to have 104 members is a goal I did not think could be reached in so small a time.
In view of this (little) success I feel it could be opportune to try to define what we are, what we are doing (or trying to do) and why.
This is not a manifest, which I don’t have neither the authority nor the wish to write: anyone of you is absolutely free to comment and to disagree, and your comments will help us to decide whether we have taken the right path or if we have to adjust the course.
The Group is an open one, dedicated to PEN members but not exclusive. One of the reasons of this document is to give to people asking to become members of the Group a clear idea of what kind of contents we are interested into and avoid to become a mess of passers-by.
There is no limitation to the contents, but these are supposed to be related to our quality of PEN members: literary topics and issues about translations or linguistic rights, as well as about freedom of expression – including the safeguard of writers -, keeping and promotion of peace. We know what’s it all about.
In my opinion we should also try to inform and keep informed about the initiatives of our respective PEN Centres, to signal the works of our colleagues which are already translated to other languages (and those we deserve to be), to maintain communication channels open between PEN Centres of different parts of the world.
This activity, at that degree of detail, is not in contrast with the activity developed by the PEN International website, which has to achieve many more institutional goals. Our role has to be one of support, in all the small areas this website cannot cover. It could be a role of incitement too, why not?
In order to do so, we should try to attract – I would say to lure, because many of our colleagues don’t like Facebook, worse, they don’t trust it – into this social network as many members of PEN as possible. Not because it is a heaven, only for the practical reason that it’s the most widespread one, and it allows more space for discussion than e.g. Twitter.
People fear a loss of personal data, a breach in privacy. Apart from the fact that nobody can steal data you do not put online, in my opinion there is no opportunity without a certain degree of risk, and vice versa. I personally have considered the possibility to vastly improve my communication a game worth the candle.
Anyway, we should try to find out as many PEN members as possible that are already more or less active on Facebook and ask them to join our Group. You all are well aware that a number of the present 104 members are leading members or Officers in their respective Center: some are even Officers of PEN International. However, this Group is designed to accept any member and also non-members that are genuinely interested in our activity.
Writers are busy people, so it’s physiological that they at best have a look at the page and don’t interact: even so, our page is very lively.
It would be fantastic if in average everyone of us would visit the page once a week, possibly leaving a short message or at least utilizing the “Like” button, if he/she actually likes some post.
May I recall that not only English, but also French and Spanish are official languages of PEN?
But in the very end we have to ask ourselves non only what we can do in order to further our communication, and how to do it.
The real question is: why are we trying to build a sort of virtual Speaker’s Corner in a Facebook’s Hyde Park, where everybody can climb on a wooden box and start communicating to everybody else in transit his/her ideas and debate with them?
In my opinion this kind of exercise is vital if we want PEN to become a so-called flat organisation.
An international body with 145 Centres in 104 countries is too big to rely on two-way communication protocols like ordinary or electronic post. In the world of today we need easier and user-friendly forms of expression and it would be a mistake not to utilize the existent ones.
We have to debate openly if we agree with the present form of organization or if we would prefer some other organizational model, if we think this organization is apt to represent the Centres, the members, the geographical and linguistic areas and their interests, if the full membership can be granted to readers and to young people and in which form.
In the Congress of Tokyo there has been an attempt to free discussion that has to be further implemented.
Maybe democracy is too big a word for it, but I think you know what I mean. The same fact that you have decreed a certain success to this Group is a good proof for that.
Thanks to you all for your attention and for your cooperation.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Un'amica che speriamo di ritrovare: Roberta Ferrazza
L'11 gennaio 2011 si è tenuta a Lubiana, nei nuovi locali dell'Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Slovenia, alla presenza dell'Ambasciatore Pietromarchi, degli Ambasciatori francese e svizzero, di membri del PEN Slovenia e di un folto pubblico, un incontro di saluto alla Direttrice dr.ssa Roberta Ferrazza che lascia l'incarico dopo quasi tre anni.
Roberta - che vedete alla cerimonia di presentazione dell'InterPENBook 1 a Lubiana nel maggio 2009 - è stata un punto di riferimento per il nostro PEN e per quello sloveno durante questi anni, oltre che una cara e preziosa amica.
Ci piace pensare che il suo prossimo incarico la porterà in un Paese di suo gradimento, in cui potrà collaborare con il PEN locale con lo stesso entusiasmo che ha mostrato nei nostri rapporti. E chissà, forse ci riincontreremo.
Buona fortuna, Roberta !
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Words Beyond Borders - Writers for Peace International Conference
Words Beyond Borders - Writers for Peace International Conference
Haifa, Israel, December 1 - 4, 2010
The International Conference of Writers for Peace took place in Haifa with 40 writers from 13 countries in attendance.
The objective of the conference was to discuss issues concerning peace and freedom of expression. It brought together people from many parts of the world to meet each other and become friends, if they weren't already.
The choice of time and place, coinciding with the Holiday of Holidays Festival — which celebrates Ed Al-Adha, Hannukah, and Christmas — underlines the intention to carry on a free and frank discussion of issues specific to the region.
Many themes were discussed in this spirit, such as Language of Writing, Literature Facing the Challenges of our Time —Environment and Peace, Liberty of Conscience and Freedom of Expression, Writers in Periods of Conflict, Human Rights. Writers from different places, with profoundly different opinions told their personal stories, but they were all united in understanding the necessity and urgency of searching for a peaceful solution to the problems of Israelis and Palestinians.
The reduced participation of Arab and Palestinian writers, despite the insistent invitations, remains an open issue. But such participation in future meetings is very necessary. Half of the hall should not be empty again.
Writers and intellectuals should continue to pursue dialogue with each other even in complex situations, making full use of freedom of expression and in complete independence of political authorities.
The main issues of the Haifa Conference can be summarized in the following three points:
1) Freedom of conscience is only a first step but no guarantee of freedom.
2) It remains to be seen whether Israeli and Palestinian writers will fight for freedom of expression to make peace or whether they will tolerate the various kinds of censorship.
3) If peace is to become a basic human right, it needs to be constructed through education, attention, dialogue, and artistic creation.
Similarly, during these last few days we have seen countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, and Greece sending assistance and support to Haifa to extinguish the fire that has ravaged the region and caused 40 deaths. Such solidarity reveals that there can always be a will to work together in emergency situations. If people are able to come together under such tragic conditions, they can also cooperate in order to make peace.
Haifa, Israel, December 1 - 4, 2010
The International Conference of Writers for Peace took place in Haifa with 40 writers from 13 countries in attendance.
The objective of the conference was to discuss issues concerning peace and freedom of expression. It brought together people from many parts of the world to meet each other and become friends, if they weren't already.
The choice of time and place, coinciding with the Holiday of Holidays Festival — which celebrates Ed Al-Adha, Hannukah, and Christmas — underlines the intention to carry on a free and frank discussion of issues specific to the region.
Many themes were discussed in this spirit, such as Language of Writing, Literature Facing the Challenges of our Time —Environment and Peace, Liberty of Conscience and Freedom of Expression, Writers in Periods of Conflict, Human Rights. Writers from different places, with profoundly different opinions told their personal stories, but they were all united in understanding the necessity and urgency of searching for a peaceful solution to the problems of Israelis and Palestinians.
The reduced participation of Arab and Palestinian writers, despite the insistent invitations, remains an open issue. But such participation in future meetings is very necessary. Half of the hall should not be empty again.
Writers and intellectuals should continue to pursue dialogue with each other even in complex situations, making full use of freedom of expression and in complete independence of political authorities.
The main issues of the Haifa Conference can be summarized in the following three points:
1) Freedom of conscience is only a first step but no guarantee of freedom.
2) It remains to be seen whether Israeli and Palestinian writers will fight for freedom of expression to make peace or whether they will tolerate the various kinds of censorship.
3) If peace is to become a basic human right, it needs to be constructed through education, attention, dialogue, and artistic creation.
Similarly, during these last few days we have seen countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, and Greece sending assistance and support to Haifa to extinguish the fire that has ravaged the region and caused 40 deaths. Such solidarity reveals that there can always be a will to work together in emergency situations. If people are able to come together under such tragic conditions, they can also cooperate in order to make peace.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Meeting in Haifa
From December 1st to 4th I will be – among many other PEN members - in Haifa to attend to the International Meeting of writers for Peace and Freedom of Expression, organized by Ethos under the artistical direction of Prof. Bluma Finkelstein, University of Haifa.
The subject of the meeting is “Words beyond Borders” and many writers and poets of different countries will take part in it.
This initiative is includes in the so called “Holyday of Holydays”, which takes place every year in Haifa during the month of December.
The “Holiday of Holidays” is a festival celebrated when Hanukkah, Christmas and the Ramadan are celebrated by Haifa’s 3 religions. The festival is organized by “Beit Hagefen” Center for Arab-Jewish studies, and is spread over 5 Saturdays starting at the last Saturday of November.
The festival takes place at Wadi Nisnas, which is a Christian-Muslim-Jewish mixed neighbourhood in Haifa, and its main aim is to bring the three religions in Haifa closer, and celebrate the pluralist social structure of Haifa. The festival includes activity for children, as well as poetry and literature tours in Wadi Nisnas.
The subject of the meeting is “Words beyond Borders” and many writers and poets of different countries will take part in it.
This initiative is includes in the so called “Holyday of Holydays”, which takes place every year in Haifa during the month of December.
The “Holiday of Holidays” is a festival celebrated when Hanukkah, Christmas and the Ramadan are celebrated by Haifa’s 3 religions. The festival is organized by “Beit Hagefen” Center for Arab-Jewish studies, and is spread over 5 Saturdays starting at the last Saturday of November.
The festival takes place at Wadi Nisnas, which is a Christian-Muslim-Jewish mixed neighbourhood in Haifa, and its main aim is to bring the three religions in Haifa closer, and celebrate the pluralist social structure of Haifa. The festival includes activity for children, as well as poetry and literature tours in Wadi Nisnas.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
PEN Trieste mourns for János Benyhe, Secretary General of PEN Hungary
It was with sorrow that today I found on Facebook this communicate:
With a heavy heart I inform you that our sec.gen János Benyhe passed away 23rd October. His sudden death shocked all of us. He was an extraordinary person of huge knowledge, high spirited with a strong sense of humor. He put his heart and soul into PEN, and suffered a lot of our present, hopeless situation. He was a certain "irreproducible" person.
Zsófia Dobozy
Hungarian -PEN
PEN Trieste and the undersigned - who still considers himself a friend of János Benyhe even if he passed away - join the family, the friends and the colleagues of PEN Hungary in their mourning.
I remember having been surprised not having seen him in Tokyo and I regret infinitely not having had an occasion to see him a last time. A loss for his country - let's remember that he has been an Ambassador to Brazil among his many activities - and for PEN International too. I will remember him as a man of rare humanity.
A. Della Rocca
Sunday, 10 October 2010
76° Congresso PEN International a Tokyo 2010 - Highlights
Il Congresso è stato organizzato su lavori preparatori e Assemblea Generale dal 23 al 30 settembre, con escursione a Kyoto dall’1 al 3 ottobre 2010.
La caratteristica peculiare di questo Congresso – organizzato in maniera impeccabile dal PEN Giappone – è stata la presenza record di 86 Centri su 142 con oltre 250 partecipanti. Un ringraziamento va al Presidente del PEN Giappone Takashi Atoda, al Managing Director Jiro Asada ed all’Assistant Secretary General Tsutomu Ide, oltre che a tutto lo staff.
L’Assemblea Generale propriamente detta è stata preceduta da 4 giornate di seminari e workshops sui diversi argomenti in discussione in sede di Assemblea e di riunioni dei Comitati. Sono stato presente dal 26 settembre al 4 ottobre.
Il nostro Socio Sergio Penco è stato ricordato nominativamente insieme ad altri colleghi mancati all’inizio lavori.
Ho partecipato attivamente alle riunioni del Comitato Scrittori per la Pace.
Forse la novità più eclatante di questo Congresso è stato l’inserimento in agenda – annunciato dall’International President John Ralston Saul - di tre ore dedicate ad una discussione aperta, al di là dell’ordine del giorno formale, quindi senza mozioni e senza votazioni, sui problemi del PEN International così come visti dai Delegati dei Centri. Si tratta di un aspetto estremamente importante per una gestione trasparente dei cambiamenti che si ritengono necessari nell’organizzazione. Grazie ad un rigido contingentamento dei tempi (1 solo intervento di 2 minuti ciascuno), circa 30 Delegati hanno potuto esporre delle interessanti idee, che poi sono state discusse in 4 workshops e daranno origine ad un rapporto dedicato al Board, che verrà comunque diffuso.
Il sottoscritto – che non è stato estraneo al processo che ha portato alla decisione di consentire questa aperta discussione - ha fatto presente la necessità di trovare modo e maniera di avvicinare i giovani scrittori che non pubblicano in hard copy ma su Internet, magari con la costituzione di un PEN Junior.
Il metodo di contingentamento dei tempi degli interventi ha permesso di gestire in maniera molto più agevole le votazioni e la discussione dei vari argomenti che l’Assemblea doveva necessariamente approvare.
Tra i compiti dell’Assemblea Generale era compresa l’elezione del nuovo International Secretary al posto di Eugene Schoulgin (PEN Norvegia) che ha rinunciato a ricandidarsi ad una carica operativa per motivi di natura personale, e che è stato eletto a grandissima maggioranza International Vice President.
I due concorrenti – entrambi di grande caratura - erano Takeaki Hori (PEN Giappone). E Kristin T. Schnider (PEN Svizzera Tedesca).
È risultato eletto International Secretary a grande maggioranza Takeaki Hori (PEN Giappone).
Takeaki Hori è uno scrittore ed un antropologo: ha pubblicato molte opere su problemi culturali, sociologici ed ambientali. Ha insegnato in diverse università ed è stato consulente di importanti aziende. Ha esperienza in campo giornalistico. È Executive Director del PEN Giappone dal 2003 ed è stato membro dell’International Board per due mandati.
È stato inoltre riconfermato International Treasurer Eric Lax (PEN USA West).
Erano in scadenza 4 posti nell’International Board, ai quali concorrevano 13 candidati, avendo rinunciato a ripresentarsi Mike Butscher (PEN Sierra Leone).
Riporto di seguito il brevissimo discorso trilingue che ho pronunciato in sede di presentazione della mia candidatura:
“John, Eugene, Eric, dear Colleagues, dear Friends,
first of all let me thank Marjan Strojan for his friendly presentation and Takashi Atoda for the organization of the 76th Congress in Tokyo.
I imagine you will appreciate a short speech.
Only very few words are needed to tell you what is the heart of my thinking about PEN: if we don’t do by ourselves what we have to do, nobody will do it in our place.
Tenemos que mejorar nuestra organización considerándola un medio para conseguir nuestros objetivos. Por una parte importante de ellos ya tenemos instituciones importantes como los Comités.
Pienso que la junta directiva internacional tenga que promover entre nuestros centros una comunidad de círculos o redes virtual - llámelos como quieran - y no simplemente en base a la geografía sino a nuestros intereses específicos en términos de servicio a la literatura.
Autrement dit, nous devons COMMUNIQUER, COMMUNIQUER, COMMUNIQUER sans cesse pour que des nouvelles initiatives ne se perdent pas et pour que le processus de traduire e de publier entre nous ne devienne qu’une routine.
S’il s’avère que nous avions succès en faisant ça, croyez moi, l’intendance suivra.
Thank you for your time.”
I candidati hanno ottenuti voti:
Philo Ikonia (PEN Kenya) 61
Haroon Siddiqui (PEN Canada) 47
Lee Gil-Won (PEN Corea) 35
Tarik Günersel (PEN Turchia) 33 (mandato ridotto di 2 anni per questioni statutarie)
Sylvestre Clancier (PEN Francia) 29
Sibila Petlevski (PEN Croazia) 29
Jens Lohmann (PEN Danimarca) 23
Antonio Della Rocca (PEN Trieste) 21
Judith Buckrich (PEN Melbourne) 17
Nelson Wattie (PEN Nuova Zelanda) 16
Luis Gonzalez Tosar (PEN Galizia) 14
Emy Kasamatsu (PEN Paraguay) 8
Luis Ignacio Larcada (PEN Scrittori cubani in esilio) 6
Il Board attualmente comprende quindi 7 Membri: Lee Gil-Won (PEN Corea), Tarik Günersel (PEN Turchia), Markéta Hejkalová (PEN Repubblica Ceca), Philo Ikonia (PEN Kenya), Mohamed Magani (PEN Algeria), Haroon Siddiqui (PEN Canada), Lyan Yang (PEN cinese indipendente).
Lo staff del PEN International comprende quindi oltre all’International President John Ralston Saul (PEN Canada) l’International Secretary Takeaki Hori (PEN Giappone) e l’International Treasurer Eric Lax (PEN USA West). Fanno funzioni interinali congiunte di Executive Director Frank Geary e Sara Whyatt. È in corso la ricerca del nuovo Executive Director.
È stata ratificata la rielezione alla Presidenza del Comitato Writers for Peace di Edvard Kovač (PEN Slovenia).
Rimangono in carica:
- Josep-Maria Terricabras (PEN Catalogna) per il Comitato Translations & Linguistic Rights;
- Marian Botsford Fraser (PEN Canada) per il Comitato Writers in Prison;
- Kadija George (PEN African Writers Abroad) per il Comitato Women Writers;
- Carl Iver Mortensen (PEN Norvegia) per il Network Writers in Exile.
L’assemblea ha approvato le Relazioni dell’International President, dell’International Secretary uscente, dell’International Board, dell’International Treasurer e dell’Ufficio dell’Executive Director, così come i Rapporti dei Comitati.
È stata approvata la costituzione del Centro Cambogia.
Sono stati dichiarati chiusi 3 centri (Benin, Libano e Azerbaigian).
Sono state approvate anche le relazioni dell’Emergency Fund e della Fundación Iberoamericana del PEN Internacional.
È stato presentato ed approvato il Congresso 2011 che si terrà a Belgrado, Serbia, tra il 4 e l’11 settembre 2011 (date da confermare).
Il Congresso del 2012 si terrà a Seoul, Corea, ma la decisione definitiva spetta al Congresso del 2011.
Sono state inoltre approvate diverse risoluzioni su vari argomenti toccanti la libertà di espressione nel mondo.
Sul piano dell’attività nei rapporti internazionali abbiamo confermato, rinnovato ed aperto contatti con i Centri PEN di:
• Afghanistan, Albania, All-India, Algeria, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgio (francofono e fiammingo), Bielorussia, Bishkek, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambogia, Canada, Catalogna, Cinese Indipendente, Colombia, Croazia, Curdo, Danimarca, Egitto, Esperanto, Estonia, Etiopia, Finlandia, Francia, Galizia, Germania, Ghana, Giappone, Giordania, Guadalajara, Guinea, Haiti, Inghilterra, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kossovo, Lituania, Macedonia, Marocco, Melbourne, Messico, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norvegia, New Zealand, Olanda, Québec, Palestina, Polonia, Portogallo, Romania, Repubblica Ceca, Russia, San Miguel de Allende, Scozia, Scrittori africani all’estero, Scrittori cubani in esilio, Scrittori ungheresi all’estero, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovacchia, Slovenia, Somalia, Sudafrica, Svezia, Svizzera francese, Svizzera italiana, Svizzera tedesca, Sydney, Tatarstan, Tibet, Tunisia, Turchia, Uganda, USA, Uyghuro, Vietnam, Zambia.
Di seguito troverete copia della Press Release del Presidente per opportuna conoscenza
A. Della Rocca
PRESS RELEASE
29 September 2010
WORLD’S LEADING ADVOCATE FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CONDEMNS IRAN,
TAKES FORMAL ACTION AT CHINESE EMBASSY IN TOKYO,
ELECTS FIRST ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY
More than 250 writers from several dozen countries, gathered in Tokyo for the 76th annual Congress of PEN International, expressed profound outrage at the sentencing yesterday of 35-year-old Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan to 19.5 years in prison on charges that include ‘propagating against the regime’, ‘insulting religion’, spreading ‘anti-revolutionary’ propaganda and obscenity.
‘This outrageous sentence of a writer for the expression and transmission of his ideas is grossly unjust,’ said John Ralston Saul, President of PEN International. ‘This is the new totalitarianism. Instead of banning books, they are attempting to control the Internet; what became a mechanism for freedom in its early days is now under attack around the world.’
News of the sentence came as delegates from 86 PEN Centres around the world concluded their weeklong meeting, during which they considered both the relentless, escalating threats to freedom of expression in many forms and the essential role that the literatures and languages of the world play in sustaining our common humanity.
At the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo, PEN International announced the delivery of a strongly worded statement to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Japanese capital. The statement expresses ‘alarm’, ‘concern’ and ‘shock’ over China’s status as one of the world’s most prolific jailers of writers and journalists, and decries the ‘arbitrary’ arrests they face; the use of ‘administrative detention, including the infamous “Re-education Through Labour” system to jail dissident writers for up to 3 years without due process’; escalating censorship; and the increasing persecution of Independent Chinese PEN Centre (ICPC) members Shi Tao and, most recently, Liu Xiaobo.
Liu’s case in particular was much discussed during the Congress. Currently serving a sentence of 11 years, he has come to symbolise China’s systemic repression of its people’s deep yearning for democratic freedoms to match the country’s economic liberalism. He is one of more than 40 writers serving sentences in China (including the Tibet, Xinjiang–Uighur and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions).
Mexico was also a topic of much concern. A state of undeclared war has festered there since 2006, in which more than 20,000 people – many of them journalists – have died as a result of the unchecked powers of drug cartels. ‘In Mexico, words such as “kidnapping”, “torture” and “summary execution” have become commonplace, heard daily,’ said Saul, ‘and all these crimes go unpunished.’
In Iran, more than 40 writers, journalists and bloggers in addition to Derakhshan have been detained or face charges. ‘The extreme sentence handed to Derakhshan, in part for insults to Islam, is symptomatic of another great concern to PEN International,’ said Marian Botsford Fraser, Chair of PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee. ‘The right to criticise religion is a right equal to the right to practise one’s religion. When governments attempt to limit the rights of citizens, they are not seeking to protect faith or belief. They are seeking increased power over the citizenry.’
PEN International holds that legal restrictions on defamation would not only do little to foster mutual understanding and respect, but can also be used to stifle creative freedom as well as suppress minority views and religions.
Congress delegates also elected a new International Secretary, Takeaki Hori of Japan. Hori has sat on PEN International’s Board since 2004, and is the first person from Asia to take up this critical post within in the NGO.
‘This is a historic moment,’ said Saul. ‘and a statement of how international PEN International is. The vast majority of Centres are outside the West, which is a complete reversal from when the organisation was founded, and in its early years … We’re probably the oldest real NGO, but we’re constantly re-inventing ourselves.’
Hori concurred. ‘We have reached a stage where every Centre in every region now has a continuous connection to the mission of PEN International, not just in terms of new technology, but philosophically. PEN International is in the hands of our entire family. This is a symbolic transition to a truly globalised organisation.’
Appropriately, the Congress was held in Tokyo on the 75th anniversary of the Japan PEN Centre’s founding. Hori, a member of Japan PEN for over 25 years, claims a remarkably diverse background. Known as a writer on environmental issues, he is also a professor of social anthropology, journalist, founder of an offshore fishery and former vice president of the US–Japan Foundation, among many other roles.
In other developments within PEN International, members Philo Ikonya of Kenya, Lee Gil-won of South Korea and Tarik Günersel of Turkey were newly elected to the Board, and Haroon Siddiqui of Canada was re-elected for another three-year term.
PEN International celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression. Founded in 1921, its global community of writers now spans more than 100 countries. PEN programmes, campaigns, events and publications connect writers and readers wherever they are in the world.
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