Up the street from my husband's studio outside Boston is a small house that is remarkable only for its use of feng shui mirrors and assorted reflective tags that are apparently posted to let drivers know that they are heading right for a house, and not a continuation of the street.
Recently, he mentioned that they had posted a sign outside. Below an image of five handcuffs in the shape of the Olympic rings, are the following words: China: the world's biggest prison for journalists and cyber-dissidents. (A little searching turned up the source: Reporters Sans Frontières.)
This leads me to discuss an issue that is important to me as a librarian, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Human rights, access to information, and education are inextricably linked. On this day, I ask you to consider your role in providing access to information, and what steps you can take to raise awareness of censorship and human rights violations that occur as a result of mere desire to learn.
For more information, here are a few links:
- UN's Human Rights Web Site
- Human Rights Watch
- The UNdata Database (I'm a librarian! I couldn't resist!)
Finally, if you'd like to use Amnesty International's form to protest Yahoo!'s participation in events that led to the jailing of Chinese journalist Shi Tao, you may do so here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment