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Announcing the 2024 Moore Prize Jury for Writing on Human Rights
1 May, 2024 – For immediate release The Christopher G. Moore Foundation is delighted to announce the jury for their eighth annual literary prize honouring books that feature human rights themes. The Prize has been established to provide recognition to authors who, through their work, contribute to the universality of human rights. This unique initiative […]
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Defend Press Freedom Amidst Israel’s War on Gaza: World Press Freedom Day 2024
“Amid the mounting death toll, destruction, and reports of harrowing atrocities, journalists in Gaza risk their lives and limbs to cover the war. Deliberately targeting journalists, and indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure journalists, amount to war crimes. All those responsible must be held to account. Protecting press freedom and ensuring the safety of […]
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PEN International releases War, Censorship, and Persecution caselist 2023
The PEN International Case List 2023/2024, has been released, highlighting challenges for writers in global conflicts and emphasizing the need to safeguard freedom of expression, especially in war-torn regions. War, Censorship, and Persecution documents 122 cases of writers facing harassment, arrest, violence and even death worldwide. These include 26 people imprisoned, 23 detained, 22 harassed, 14 […]
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Prominent writers pull out of PEN AMERICA literary festival, citing Gaza
March 15, WASHINGTON POST: A group of writers including Lorrie Moore and Michelle Alexander announced Thursday that they are pulling out of this year’s PEN AMERICA World Voices Festival, citing the organizer’s inaction over the war in Gaza. In a letter published on Lit Hub, the writers criticized literary nonprofit PEN America for failing […]
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PEN International Case List 2023/2024: Unveiling the Persecution and Censorship of Writers Amid War
2023/24 website statement “The role that writers can play in times of uncertainty, diligently curating narratives to nourish empathy, encompassing glimpses of joy and ultimately offering the gift of hope, lacks formal recognition, and this lack of acknowledgement or coherent protections can ultimately decimate expression and propel rampant self-censorship.” Ma Thida, Chair of PEN […]
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Ukraine: Two years since Russian full-scale invasion, justice and accountability must prevail
24 February will mark two years since the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the UN, 10,378 civilians have been killed and 19,632 injured as of January 2024, although the actual figures are likely to be higher. Many are still reported missing. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian military personnel, including former […]
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UN Cybercrime Convention must not become a tool to undermine international human rights standards
PEN INTERNATIONAL 24 January: Signatories stress that the Convention should only move forward if it pursues a specific goal of combating cybercrime without endangering the human rights and fundamental freedoms of those it seeks to protect, nor undermining efforts to improve cybersecurity for an open internet. Joint Statement on the Proposed Cybercrime Treaty Ahead of […]
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NZSA is now a Registered Charitable Entity
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaithu o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc has been successful in its application to become a charity. As of October 19, 2023 NZSA is now a registered charitable entity CC61705. It is also now a donee organisation.
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PEN International Calls for Peace-Dispels all Hatreds
PEN International Calls for Peace-Dispels all Hatreds In the third decade of the 21st Century humans are able to see into the furthest reaches and most distant times of the universe. We can produce literature, art and music of extraordinary resonance and subtlety. And yet, almost every day in the world we are faced with […]
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RESOLUTION ON CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AND STRATEGIC LAWSUITS AGAINST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (SLAPPS)
Proposed by Writers in Prison Committee Seconded by PEN Bangladesh, Croatian PEN, PEN San Miguel, Swedish PEN, and Vietnamese Abroad PEN The Assembly of Delegates of PEN International, meeting virtually at its 89th annual Congress, 26 to 28 September 2023, expresses serious concern over the growing use of criminal defamation charges and Strategic Lawsuits Against […]
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On World Press Freedom Day, PEN International mobilizes in support of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai
PEN INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE 03 May 2023 (London, UK) –To mark the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day (3 May 2023), PEN International, the literary and free expression organisation, mobilizes its Centres in support of imprisoned journalist, media publisher, activist and writer, Jimmy Lai, who is currently facing a potential life sentence for his […]
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Freedom to Write Index 2022
Introduction In May of 2022, at the PEN America emergency writers congress, Salman Rushdie spoke about global threats to human rights and democracy, including Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, and said: “It has been said, I have said it myself, that the powerful may own the present but writers own the future, for it is […]
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