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.

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.

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

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.

International PEN - Tokyo Congress 2010

End of September 2010 the 76th Congress of International PEN will take place in Tokyo.
Among many other aspects, this will be the occasion for electing a new International Secretary, the International Treasurer and 4 Members at Large of the International Board, as well as the Chair of the Writers for Peace Committee.
There is also a proposal for the election to International Vice President (for services to PEN) of Eugene Schoulgin, who will not run again for International Secretary.
Antonio Della Rocca, Vice President of Trieste PEN Centre, will be a Delegate to the Congress and is candidate to a post in the Board.
He has decided to exploit the resources of Internet and to put at disposal of all PEN Centres - and in particular of the Centres that will not attend the Congress - a short video with a short speech about some aspects of his candidature, in order to allow the Centres which will vote via postal ballots the possibility of having an almost direct contact with a candidate.

Writers for Peace Committee responds to events of 31st May

Statement of the Writers for Peace Committee of International PEN Concerning the Tragic Events of May 31, 2010


The Writers for Peace Committee follows the Lugano Declaration in condemning individual terrorism as well as State terrorism; we declare that those who resort to violence, even for a good cause, "annull the missions to which they are dedicated and lose all claims to legitimacy" (quoted from the Statement of the 50th Congress of International PEN in Lugano, Switzerland, May 1987).


We declare that:


1. Nothing justifies the violence and murders that the army of the State of Israel have perpetrated against the people on the ships that brought humanitarian aid to Gaza. The use of firearms was entirely out of proportion and unsuitable as a response to the resistance put up by the people on board. We strongly condemn these murders and regret the deaths.


2. We protest against the grave violation of the right to freedom of expression of the journalists on board.


3. We demand that the government of the State of Israel agree that an international committee investigate and throw light on the events and establish responsibility.


4. To prevent the recurrence of such events, we demand that the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority accept the international monitoring of all ships so that the blockade can be lifted.


5. We ask that the two States, that of Israel which is already in existence, and that of the people of Palestine which has yet to be established as soon as possible, recognise one another. We believe that the only way to achieve the peaceful coexistence of the two States is through dialogue.


6. It is the role of the international community through its institutions to make this political dialogue possible. It must draw on the resources of the respective cultures, particularly the literary ones, of the two peoples whose writers never cease to bear witness, and who are committed to the accomplishment of peace.


June 14, 2010

Verses of good neighbourhood

VERSI DI BUON VICINATO - DOBROSOSEDSKI VERZI
(verses of good neighbourhood)



The Slovene PEN has invited to Ljubljana, designated UNESCO World Book Capital for 2010, some poets of the Trieste PEN Club, Juan Octavio Prenz, Claudio Grisancich, Claudio H. Martelli and Antonio Della Rocca, who were presented by Marko Kravos.

Manca Udovič took care of the musical accompaniment, Jasmina Arambasić read the translation of the poems.

The event has taken place in the garden of the Slovene Writers Association, at the Gajo Jazz Club, on June 8, 2010.

(Photo by Ivo Frbezar)

BLED 2010 - HIGHLIGHTS

Il 42° Incontro Internazionale degli Scrittori, organizzato dal PEN Sloveno, si è tenuto a Bled dal 24 al 28 Marzo 2010.

Presenti il Presidente Internazionale John Ralston Saul, il Segretario Internazionale Eugene Schoulgin, il Vice-presidente Internazionale Boris A. Novak, due Membri del Board, Markéta Hejkalová e Kristin T. Schnider, il Presidente ed il Vice-presidente del Writers for Peace Committee (WfPC), Edvard Kovač e Teresa Salema, ed il Presidente del Translations and Literary Rights Committee (TLRC), Josep Maria Terricabras.

Erano rappresentati 25 Centri, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Catalogna, Croazia, Rep. Ceca, Estonia, Esperanto, Francia, Germania, Ungheria, Israele, Macedonia, Portogallo, Russia, Scozia, Slovacchia, Svezia, Svizzera Romanda, Svizzera Tedesca, Svizzera Italiana e Retoromancia, Trieste, Uyguro, Vietnamese writers abroad, Writers in exile (American branch) ed ovviamente il PEN Slovenia quale ospite.

Si sono tenute 3 tavole rotonde:

1. Globalisation: an opportunity for all or a new colonisation for many, moderata da Tone Peršak del PEN Slovenia;
2. Literature and Globalisation, moderata da Sylvestre Clancier, del PEN Francia;
3. Peace between diurnal and nocturnal dreams, moderata da Edvard Kovač, del Pen Slovenia e Presidente del WfPC

con molti interventi e discussioni.

IL WfPC ha tenuto una serie di riunioni, incentrate su una iniziativa che prevede un possibile incontro a Haifa tra scrittori israeliani e palestinesi, oltre che a questioni specifiche del Committee, come le relazioni del Presidente e del Vice-presidente sull’attività svolta, l’appoggio all’attività del PEN Uyguro ed al PEN Russia, la cooperazione con il TLRC e il rinnovo della carica di Presidente in occasione del Congresso di Tokyo (settembre 2010).

Il PEN Trieste - che è membro del WfPC - è stato citato per due episodi di collaborazione con la Presidenza nei confronti di paesi latinoamericani.

Tra le manifestazioni culturali da citare - oltre ai consueti readings di poesia in varie cittadine - la presentazione di 4 esponenti della poesia della Val di Resia e di un volumetto di poesie nel linguaggio locale di matrice protoslava, tradotte in inglese e sloveno, nonchè l’intervento dello scrittore albanese Ismail Kadaré, anche al Castello di Lubiana, tramite l’interessamento del PEN Albania.

Non è mancato il tradizionale incontro con il Presidente della Repubblica di Slovenia, dr. Danilo Türk, che ha tenuto un interessante discorso sul tema della globalizzazione.

Da tempo Bled rappresenta nella vita informale dell’International PEN un momento di incontro molto importante, quest’anno caratterizzato da una forte presenza degli Officers internazionali. Il neo-eletto Presidente John Ralston Saul ha tenuto a partecipare all’intera manifestazione, rinnovando ed allacciando conoscenze con i delegati e chiedendo il loro parere su varie questioni inerenti la vita dell’organizzazione.

Questa attività, in sé sempre importante, ha avuto quest’anno un risvolto particolare in conseguenza delle dimissioni presentate poco prima dell’evento dall’Executive Director, Caroline McCormick, e dalla recentissima notizia che Eugene Schoulgin ha deciso – per motivi strettamente personali – di non riproporsi a Tokyo come candidato alla carica di International Secretary.


31.3.2010

International PEN mourns for Georges Anglade

Georges Anglade and his wife died in the earth quake in Haiti.
Georges was a personal friend of mine, and I as well as the other members of the PEN Club Trieste join John, Eugene, Caroline and all the PEN people worldwide that knew him in the mourning for this big friend.
Yes, he was a big man, both in physical size as in spirit.
A. Della Rocca


14 January 2010

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that we write to inform you that Georges Anglade and his wife Mireille Neptune, have been killed in the earth quake in Haiti.

We are awaiting news of the other members of Haitian PEN and will of course ensure that we keep you up dated.

In the only too short time we had to get to know Georges and Mireille, they had become an essential part of our PEN family. Georges’ strength and leadership in establishing a PEN Centre in Haiti was an inspiration to us all and his warmth and generosity made him a great friend.

We will be discussing ways of celebrating their lives and work and would welcome thoughts from you as to how best to do so. If you would like to send us your own personal memories of Georges to post on the International PEN website we would be pleased to do so.

With our warmest wishes at this sad time,

John Ralston Saul - President
Eugene Schoulgin - International Secretary
Caroline McCormick - Executive Director