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Conference Details Participants at an international
conference on freedom of expression agreed on the establishment of Kalima
House, a fund for independent Arab writers and artists subjected to pressures
and attacks.
Kalima House, founded at the
conference (Nov.30-Dec.1) organized by the Arab Archives Institute in cooperation
with Canadian Human Security Programme, aimed at establishing an emergency Fund
for creative writers and artists who are subjected to repression because in
their respective countries. The Fund also has the objective of supporting and
defending freedom of expression in all its forms.
The founding committee, formed of
organizations and individuals from several Arab countries elected a temporary
administrative committee of non-governmental organizations and individuals to
discuss the final formation of the Amman-based Fund. The committee will draft
the House’s bylaws to be submitted for discussion and approval in an upcoming
general conference in Amman
in April 2006.
The temporary administrative
committee consists of: Arab Archives Institute (Jordan), Samir Kassir Institute
(Lebanon), Tunisian Press
Freedoms Monitor, Arab center for the rule of Law (Iraq),
and Lina Sinjab (Syria).
The Emergency Fund of the Kalima
House will extend support to repressed writers in the face of threats of
financial pressures. AAI Director and Kalima House Coordinator, Sa’eda Kilani
said that the customary press releases and traditional solidarity means that
characterize the work of local and international NGOs defending writers are no
longer sufficient on their own. There is a dire need for taking the financial
aspect into consideration. “there is a considerable number of writers and
journalists who have been subjected to expulsion decisions from their media
establishments,” Ms. Kilani said. “In addition, the systematic attacks on
freedom of expression either in the form of imprisonment, temporary arrests and
deprivation of the means of living necessitate quick financial support to help
creative individuals pass through the difficult stage with honor and dignity.”
Kalima House will establish
through its work an Arab network that monitors violations on a regular basis
and will act swiftly with urgent cases. It will also cooperate with Arab and
international organizations working in the domain such as IFEX network. In the upcoming
months, Ms. Kilani stressed that there will be an extensive Arab campaign for
donations for the emergency Fund to secure the minimum needed for such a task.
The House’s bylaws will be drafted and endorsed by prominent experts to ensure
transparency and democracy in managing the Kalima House’s affairs.
The International conference on
freedom of Expression in the Arab world had also shed light on the experiences
of creative writers, journalists , cartoonist, and artists and attacks they
have been subjected to. Renowned cartoonist Imad Hajjaj made a display of his
creative works and censored cartoons to the audience that comprised writers and
artists and NGOs from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,
Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine,
and Jordan in addition to
participants from IFEX and Pen International and Human Rights House in Norway.
Prominent media star Gisele
Khoury presented special synopsis on the experience of her late husband Samir
Kassir in the evening session chaired by Basem Sakijha , and talented artist
Ahmad Ka’bour presented a review of his own creative experience in political
songs and their influence on the progress of democracy in Lebanon and the Arab
world. Al Ghad Chief editor Ayman Safadi made comments on Khoury’s
presentation.
The conference
also witnessed the launching of the Jordan Press Association – The Unwritten
History by Ms. Kilani at the opening of the conference which was preceded
by a special presentation on freedom of expression in Jordan by the prominent team of
Jordan Television Basel Ekour – Suha Karaja, and Mohammad Wakeel. The session
was chaired by former minister of Information and current President of the
Higher Media Council Ibrahim Izzedine.
In the second
session chaired by the Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies, Dr.
Mustafa Hamarneh, Laila AlAtrash (Jordan), Kamel Labidi (Tunisia) and Kristina
Stockwood – IFEX- Canada gave a special view on the repression of writers and
authors and the work of international organizations in that regard.
On the second day,
prominent journalists, writers and artists spoke about their experiences, such
as
Eugene
Schoulgin (writer- board member of International PEN and Norwegian PEN), Bassam
Badarin (Al Quds Al Arabi), Rana Sabbagh-gharghour (Arij), Suhair Tal (writer
–Jordan),Randa Habib (Director-AFP), Jamal Abu Hamdan (writer), Carl Morten
Iversen (Secretary general -Norwegian PEN), Yasser Abu hilaleh ( Al Jazeera)--
Kamel Labidi (Journalist and
Consultant-Tunisia), Ghassan Mafadleh (Creative Artist), and Muhannad
Mbeidin (Prof. Philadelphia University).
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