The recent jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has sparked significant political unrest in Turkey, leading to widespread protests and heightened tensions between the government and opposition forces.
The Georgian government has been accused of detaining, assaulting, and fabricating charges against prominent cultural figures in a bid to silence dissent and consolidate authoritarian control.
Recognizing champions of human rights and democracy—submit your nomination by 1 February 2025.
For første gang hedrer Raftoprisen en kunstner. Budskapet er at kunst kan være et viktig verktøy i kampen mot autoritære regimer. Anerkjennelsen av Otero Alcántaras arbeid minner oss om at kunstneriske rettigheter er menneskerettigheter – og de må beskyttes
Posted
CommentPost a comment
We are happy to announce that the Rafto Prize 2024 has been awarded to Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, in recognition of his courageous resistance to authoritarianism through art. Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara is the first Rafto Prize laureate whose activism is rooted in artistic expression. His work stands as a profound example of how art can be a vital tool in the fight for artistic rights and freedom of expression, making this year’s award especially meaningful within the arts sector.
2023 was marked by severe conflicts, such as those in Sudan and Gaza, alongside political tensions fueled by extremism and threats. It was a perilous year for anyone voicing opinions on war, politics, challenging tradition, or critiquing the powerful—artists were no exception.
Nhimbe Trust, a dedicated advocate for cultural rights, has recently published its inaugural report focusing on artistic freedom in the Africa Region. Titled "Artistic Freedom in Focus: A Call for Change," the report meticulously examines cases of artistic freedom violations, highlighting the challenges faced by creators in the region.
This mapping encompasses 71 organizations, all actively involved in supporting Artists-at-Risk to varying degrees. Out of these, 20 organizations have participated by providing responses to our survey, specifically designed for this mapping initiative. Additionally, 25 supplementary interviews were conducted among the 71 organizations. The study, therefore, combines survey data, interviews, and desk studies. While acknowledging the challenges of generalizing from this diverse material, we remain hopeful that it contributes to a comprehensive overview of organizations dedicated to supporting Artists-at-Risk.
Utenriksdepartementet støtter Unesco sitt Aschberg-program. Dette har fokus på beskyttelse av kunstnerisk frihet. Rett før sommeren publiserte de Defending Creative Voices, en dyptpløyende gjennomgang av de internasjonale beskyttelsesmekanismene for kunstnere, med tittelunderteksten «Learning from the safety of journalists». Referansen til journalister er nærliggende. Begge grupper er spesielt fremhevet i menneskerettighetssystemet, og begge er avhengige av ytringsfrihet i arbeidet sitt.
Carving out a space for free expression has always been a high-cost fight for artists under autocratic rule. Today, that space is contested even in some established western democracies. This session will present you with real life models and experiences from Africa, the Middle East and Norway of those working effortlessly to salvage a space for free expression for artists. How can we ensure more international engagement in protecting the rights of artists at risk?
C-Stunners of Cyrus Kabiru. Photo: Sylvia Gichia
Mimeta is organizing this panel in partnership with the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), as a side event to the World Expression Forum (WEXFO), taking place in Norway, Lillehammer 22-23 May - 9:30-12:30. WEXFO was launched last year with a mission to be a catalyst for freedom of expression defenders from around the world to unite them in a strong and active global community. Mimeta is a stakeholder in the WEXFO conference.
Det fjortende i rekken av det internasjonale Møtet mellom partnere for utvikling av kulturelle rettigheter i arabisk kulturliv vil i år arrangeres på Lillehammer i tilknytning til World Expression Forum (wexfo.no). Møtet samler et trettitalls representanter, fra fra krigsherjede land, fra land med autoritære regimer og land som har en betinget frihet for sektoren. Kunstnerisk frihet, tilgang til deltakelse i kunstproduksjon, ytrings- og forsamlingsfrihet er del av tematikken.
Nobel Laureates, worldwide organisations and brave voices meet at the World Expression Forum in Lillehammer on 30 and 31 May. (see wexfo.no). In the morning of the 31st - Mimeta and IRIS, The International Coalition of Artist at Risk and International Cities of Refuge (ICORN) welcome you to take part in our side-event, Landscapes of protection for artists at risk. The event will focus on the efforts and challenges in the structures that are set up to protect artists globally.
World Expression Forum
Arendalsbaserte Mimeta deltar i eiergruppen til i World Expression Forum (WEXFO.no), som nå etableres på Lillehammer. Ambisjonen er at forumet skal bli like viktig for ytringsfriheten som World Economic Forum er for verdensøkonomien.
Mimeta har i femten år arbeidet med kulturelle rettigheter, som inkluderer ytringsrettigheten for kunstnere. I norsk utenrikspolitikk har dette nå fått en prioritet ved fremleggelsen av ytringsfrihetsstrategien for norsk utenrikspolitikk. Denne ble lansert av Eriksen Søreide i sommer.
Insights into Cultural Policies in Lebanon is a compilation of three studies that offers cultural researchers and workers, as well as others interested in cultural policies, an in-depth look at (1) the Legal Frameworks regulating the Lebanese Cultural Sector, (2) the public financing of culture, and (3) heritage and policymaking in the country. It is groundbreaking in its significant updates on research into cultural legislation, its exploration of essential details needed to understand the operational and budgetary mechanisms of the Ministry of Culture, and its highlight on threatened heritage, especially after the Beirut port explosion of 4 August 2020. The studies are introduced and edited by Hanane Hajj Ali and Nadia von Maltzahn, and were published in February 2021 after a long journey of research, drafting, and updating that began in 2017 by the Lebanese National Cultural Policy Group, with funding from Culture Resource and the Orient Institut.
Bobi Wine i FB melding 6. januar: "- After imprisoning our entire campaign team, today they blocked the new medical and security teams and also impounded the media cars. They said I must go to the campaign alone. They thought that would affect the support we have from the people. This is us going through Iganga on our way to Namisindwa. This is a revolution. #WeAreRemovingADictator
Opptakten til presidentvalget i Uganda minner mest om et folkeopprør. Valgdagen 14. januar utfordrer Ghetto-musikeren Bobi Wine landets regime. Bak seg har Wine stjernestatus og millioner av landsmenn. En etter en tar seg nå over den høye muren av frykt som president Museveni har bygget gjennom 35 år ved makten. Valget trenger internasjonal oppmerksomhet.
The presidential election in Uganda is on January 14, 2021. The election campaign is dramatic. The election could be catastrophic. Museweni has been in office for the past 34 years. Now he is challenged by 38-year-old Bobi Wine. Wine, or Robert Kyagulanyi as he is actually called, became a member of parliament in 2017. He made a name for himself quickly, and already in the autumn of 2017 was he at the forefront of the fight against the extension of the constitutional age limit for the presidency.
A first of its kind in the Arab region, the Master’s in Cultural Policy and Cultural Management is a two-year program taught in both Arabic and English. It is hosted by the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ben M’sik, at the Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco. Culture Resource established this program with Hassan II University and the University of Hildesheim in Germany and its UNESCO Chair for Cultural Policies for Arts in Development as a cooperating partner. The program is supported by the Ford Foundation and the British Council.
- Det er veldig trist at fire syriske musikerne som skulle vært i Risør til helga ikke får visum til Norge etter å ha arbeidet sammen med musikere fra Risør og nabokommunene over lang tid, sier ordfører Per Kr. Lunden. Han har brukt kontakter i Utenriksdepartementet for å prøve å få til en ny vurdering av søknaden, men oppfatter det som nytteløst. Men ordføreren er glad for at det likevel blir en flott internasjonal kulturbegivenhet i Risørhuset til helgen.
