These Are Fundamental and Vital Rights to Human Existence That Apply To and Protect Every Human Soul: Human Rights They Are Called: Anyone and Everyone Ought to Make Them Their Primary Concern If They Are Humans: Dave Eggers Delivers The Pen HG Wells Lecture on Digital Human Rights in London at the Bridge Theatre: December 16

 

|| November 18: 2018 || ά. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to hate speech, digital privacy and data protection, there are all of huge global concerns. This year, the PEN HG Wells Lecture is being delivered by award-winning American Writer, Editor, Publisher and Philanthropist Mr Dave Eggers, who will explore digital human rights, 70 years on from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And, here, let The Humanion points out that these days everything becomes less related to humanity and human rights, when these very fundamental rights to human existence is described as digital or online: whatever is applied as adjectives before the human rights are still fundamental rights to these very living, breathing humanity, made of a few billions spread across the earth.

Digital or online or outline or, rather, in reality these rights are our rights, we humans have these rights and they are under severe and unrelenting attacks from all over the places and at all times and this why it is vital that we stand up and speak up and do all we can to keep these rights protected and challenge wherever they are infringed and regardless of who infringe them. To fight dehumanisation is to have humanity enforced in all spheres of existence so that we behave and conduct ourselves as per the democratic cultural expectations of what are to be expected of and from all humans to behave among and between ourselves.

These days everything is becoming sloganeering and opinioneering but it is vital that people turn back and take a profound look as to what is happening in this world and why everything is heading towards a darker and lawless direction, which can not be accepted and events like this challenges this. This event is taking place on Sunday, 16 December 16 between 17:30-19:00 at the Bridge Theatre, 03 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG. Tickets: £17.50, £12.50 concessions. All ticket buyers will be entitled to a free three month digital subscription to the TLS.

The event will be introduced by leading human rights Barrister and President of English PEN, Mr Philippe Sands QC.

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, including, The Circle, A Hologram for the King, and The Monk of Mokha, covering subjects from the boundaries of technological privacy and freedom to modern migration.  He is the Founder of the independent San Francisco publisher McSweeney’s. Eggers is, also, Co-founder of the 826 National network of tutoring centres in the USA. 

The HG Wells Lecture showcases visionary writing and new thinking and is held in honour of the former PEN President. Wells' revolutionary ideas set out in The Rights of Man influenced the development of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He, also, foresaw the creation of the worldwide web, most notably, in a series of talks and essays entitled World Brain.

Caption: Dave Eggers: Image: English PEN:::ω.

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In Support of Investigative Journalism: Unite So to Ensure The Pen Is Neither Bent Nor Broken: The Humanion Demands the Immediate Lifting of the Threat of Legal Action Against Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey

 

 

 

|| September 04: 2018: National Union of Journalist UK News || ά. Dear Colleague at the National Union of Journalists:NUJ or At Any Other Body of Journalists in the UK and Across the World, being a member of the organisation, editing The Humanion, I write to you, in support of a standard letter, sent to all NUJ members about the recent alarming and dangerous development in Northern Ireland, where two of our colleagues have been arrested on Friday, August 31. Any attempt to use criminal law to attack journalists for doing their job is an ABSOLUTE RED LINE; simply because journalists do not commit any crime doing their job, which is a most vital and most fundamental pillar of any democratic society: to challenge and bring to light the truth and keep the powerfuls in check. Without free and independent press, media and journalism there can not exist any democracy whatsoever.

Therefore, journalists are being attacked in this way in the United Kingdom is not acceptable and all workers of ‘The Pen, must rise and unite against such draconian measures being ‘abused’ to ‘muzzle’ the press and ‘criminalise’ workers in all forms of journalism. I urge you all to support the following letter and its call and to try your best to take the message to all colleagues because it is paramount, in this day of ‘war-on-all-fronts’ against journalists and journalism, that we all unite and stop the ever-increasing ‘encroachment’ on the freedom of the press, free media and free speech, as well as, the attempts everywhere to ‘criminalise’ journalism and journalists. It is absolutely vital that these attempts are challenged and the issues they relate to and the wider political, social and cultural spheres they impact upon are brought to the public discourse so that the public and the entire professions and agencies and bodies of journalists and, generally, all concerned with the freedom of speech, free press, fundamental freedoms, civil liberties and human rights are joining forces in creating a protective consensus to safeguard the paramount values, ideals and liberties, that have been won through long and hard historic struggles.

The NUJ Letter, that I am urging everyone to support follows this text. Please, support it yourself and let all colleagues know about it and the issues it raises. Please, support this letter and its call for unless we unite and challenge this we are heading towards a ‘Kafkaesque’ future, where there will be no one left to speak for anyone any longer and the ‘invisible, dark forces’, that Kafka painted in The Trial would no longer be fiction but reality, as we have seen, what followed ‘The Trial’ in and around Europe, particularly, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and beyond. These are profound matters and they bring to question the very fundamental ecology of a civic and democratic society and culture and no one can ‘practice the pen’ and not feel strongly about these issues nor can anyone ‘stay’ inactive. Please, support this letter and spread its message. This is much more than Mr Trevor Birney and Mr Barry McCaffery: two journalists, whose vital works have brought them into this ‘encroachment’ of their rights to practice their profession and keep the public informed. Let them know that they are not alone and that all ‘practitioners of The Pen’ are behind them. Thank you. Munayem Mayenin: Editor of The Humanion: Member: National Union of Journalists: UK.

The NUJ-Letter: Support Investigative Journalists Under Threat: ‘’Be the arrow not the target.’’:Raymond Williams:

The arrest of journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey on Friday 31 August by detectives from Durham Constabulary, supported by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland represents an attack on investigative journalism.

The documentary, "No Stone Unturned", sheds light on the six unsolved murders in a violent attack on civilians in Loughinisland, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1994.

The film is an outstanding example of public interest journalism. The documentary raises serious questions about the police investigation into the attack.

We condemn the targeting of those who seek the truth and the attempt to criminalise media workers.

The foundation on which all confidential information is exchanged between a journalist and a source is mutual trust. The ability of journalists to act in the public interest is contingent on their ability to honour commitments made in good faith to a source of confidential information. This principle is enshrined in the NUJ’s ethical code of conduct.

The highest level of protection, under international law, must be afforded to journalists in respect of privacy in their communications and in respect to the right to protect confidential sources of information received and published in the public interest.

The NUJ has strongly condemned the arrest of Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, in violation of their rights under the European Convention of Human Rights and was gravely concerned by the manner of their detention and the implication for investigative journalism in Northern Ireland.

We the undersigned demand the immediate lifting of the threat of legal action against Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey.

We further demand that the police authorities and prosecutors give due recognition to the right of journalists to protect confidential sources of information, with particular reference to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

We support the campaign by the NUJ in defence of Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, to whom we extend our support and solidarity.

Signed:

If, you want to add your name to this public statement and petition of support, then, please, sign and return by email: endthreat at nuj.ie 

Alternatively, you can post it to the NUJ, Spencer House, Spencer Row, Dublin 1, DO1 R9T8.

National Union of Journalists UK is based at 72 Acton Street: London WC1X 9NB: 0207 843 3700: email: info at nuj.org.uk:::ω.

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English PEN’s Brave New Voices Project and the BBC Proms: The Ten Pieces Prom Performance to Be Broadcast on BBC Radio Three: July 29

 

 

 

|| July 23: 2018 || ά. On Sunday, July 29, a group of participants in English PEN’s Brave New Voices outreach project, all pupils at the Capital City Academy in Willesden will perform a special piece of poetry as part of the Ten Pieces Prom. The Ten Pieces Prom will be performed at 13:00, Prom 19 and 17:00, Prom 20 on the day.

The performances will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Three. The poem was written by young participants from refugee backgrounds, in collaboration with Writer and Brave New Voices Co-ordinator Ms Rosemary Harris and Translator Ms Alice Guthrie, in partnership with Salusbury World.

English PEN's outreach programme is a crucial pillar of its work to promote literary diversity and give meaning to the opening lines of the PEN Charter that 'Literature knows no frontiers'. And this is because the human mind:soul:brain:will does not know any frontier to begin with so that whatever it creates it resonates and mirrors this  boundlessness, the world and world humanity have not yet caught up with this infinity of humanity as yet.

Brave New Voices introduces established poets to young people with a migrant or refugee background living in the UK. Participants are encouraged to create new work, that reflects their aspirations and experiences.

‘’We are thrilled to have been invited by the BBC to showcase the work of our Brave New Voices project and to collaborate with Capital City Academy and Salusbury World in creating this new, culturally significant work. We are, also extremely grateful to the John Lyon's Charity and the Limbourne Trust for funding the Brave New Voices project.’’ said Ms Antonia Byatt, the Director of English PEN. :::ω.

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The English PEN Invites Everyone to Gather Round the PEN Ackerley Prize 2018 in London: July 10