Abstract
In September, Index had a meeting with the human rights activist and president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab, about how the organisation could help the fight to improve human rights in his country. Following a month-long stay in Europe, Rajab was arrested on his return to Bahrain for insulting government institutions on Twitter. Index took up his case in a social media campaign to help increase awareness of both the poor treatment of political prisoners in Bahrain, and the conditions of Rajab’s arrest. In October, Index co-hosted a press conference with Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) for the prominent activist and co-director for the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Maryam Al Khawaja. Al Khawaja, who had only just been released from prison herself and visited London after a travel ban was lifted, called on the UK authorities to speak out about human rights abuses in Bahrain.
The year 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of Sir Tim Berners-Lee releasing the World Wide Web, a tool, now a basic of life, which has changed the face of journalism forever. On 22 October, Index launched its autumn magazine with its special report Seeing The Future of Journalism, at the Frontline Club in London. The event was chaired by author, columnist and chairman of Index, David Aaronovitch and speakers included professor of journalism at the Cardiff School of Journalism Richard Sambrook; data journalist and former regional editor of the South African Sunday Times Raymond Joseph; director of Hostage UK Rachel Briggs and Amie Ferris-Rotman, John S Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. Debate from the panel and speakers covered subjects as diverse as the decline in foreign correspondents, the risks citizen journalists take, the line between propaganda and news, and sourcing facts.
Also in October, Index launched the nominations for the 15th annual Index Freedom of Expression Awards, which will be held in March 2015 at The Barbican in London. The awards categories are journalist, digital activist, campaigner/advocate and artist. The nominations closed on 20 November and the shortlist will be announced on 27 January. Just a few days before the nominations were launched, it was announced that previous Index award winner Malala Yousafzai was given the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Indian children’s campaigner, Kailash Satyarthi. Yousafzi was awarded the Index/Doughty Street Chambers Advocacy award in 2013.
At the beginning of October, Index’s arts associate Julia Farrington attended the Frankfurt Book Fair along with Turkish playwright Meltem Arikan as guests of the German PEN Centre. Arikan was invited to speak about the difficulties writers in Turkey face today. The political fallout of one of her plays, Mi Minor, forced her into exile. The event also looked at Arikan’s writing. Her book Stop Hurting My Flesh was banned in Turkey in 2004. Dr Josef Haslinger, president of the German PEN centre, said he was delighted to give a platform to Arikan, so that more people knew the story of how she was forced into exile. Sascha Feuchert, vice-president of the German PEN Centre also spoke. Arikan was shortlisted for the Index 2014 arts award and is a contributor to the Index website and magazine.
Debating the future of journalism, participants at the autumn magazine launch in London
Credit: Dave Coscia
In November Index held a one-day ArtsFreedomWales event at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. The day’s activities, supported by Arts Council Wales, explored whether the space for free expression in Wales was shrinking or expanding. Guest speakers included David Anderson, director general of National Museum Wales; John McGrath, artistic director of National Theatre Wales; Elen Ap Robert, artistic director of Bangor University’s arts and innovation centre Pontio; Dai Smith, chair of Arts Council Wales.
The youth programme has been a prominent feature of Index’s work over the past few months, with the second youth advisory board being selected this month. Each month, the youth advisory board choose a free expression topic for Draw the Line, a free speech debate brought together via the Twitter hashtag #IndexDrawTheLine, and culminating in a monthly event. Index’s youth officer Fiona Bradley also attended the British Youth Council Convention for the North East, which was held near Newcastle. At the conference, Index discussed whether the police have a role in controlling free speech. Index also held a workshop for the Ovalhouse young associates’ programme, a group affiliated with the Ovalhouse theatre in London. Artistic repression was discussed and the group talked about whether laws protect or restrict freedom of expression. In preparation for a model United Nations debate held by Buckinghamshire schools in December, Index talked to a group of sixth formers about freedom of expression.
Index also attended the annual South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) in Skopje, Macedonia. The forum discussed how most countries in south-east Europe are experiencing a decline in media freedom, a finding supported by the Media Freedom Map, which Index is compiling in conjunction with Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. At the forum, a panel discussion also explored censorship across western Europe. During the debate panellists discussed the worrying number of journalists all over Europe who are now facing intimidation.
Index recently launched Frontline Free Speech, a pilot project seeking to amplify the voice of individuals under pressure. The project was launched with a series of free speech hearings in India, Tunisia and Senegal bringing together activists and leading free expression campaigners to ask, which subjects and debates were not being heard in each country. The hearings explored what the situation is for free speech in each country and then went on to discuss how the internet and mapping could be used as a tool to help.