Posts Tagged ‘Bassem Youssef’
October 20, 2014
As from tomorrow, 21 October, you can follow the 2014 Oslo Freedom Forum [OFF] in real time at www.oslofreedomforum.com. This year’s theme—“Defeating Dictators”—will explore nonviolent ways to challenge these regimes and stop other countries from falling under the rule of a strongman. Panel discussions are on “Tyrants and Technology” and “Dangerous Words”
OFF speakers include Egyptian comedian and TV host Bassem Youssef; Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez; Ukrainian pro-democracy activist Yulia Marushevska; North Korean refugee and rights activist Hyeonseo Lee; Mexican journalist Marcela Turati Muñoz; and Jordanian comic book artist Suleiman Bakhit. The forum will conclude on Wednesday, October 22, with the presentation of the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent to Turkish performance artist and “Standing Man” Erdem Gunduz, Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen (represented by his wife Lhamo Tso), and Nadezdha Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, members of the Russian feminist punk rock collective Pussy Riot [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/vaclav-havel-prize-for-creative-dissent/]
Interesting novelty (to get more people to follow the forum on-line) is a s
ocial media contest on how the speakers inspire the audience. One winner will join the 2015 Oslo Freedom Forum in person.
The full program can be viewed here: 2014 Oslo Freedom Forum | Events | Oslo Freedom Forum.
Posted in awards, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Bassem Youssef, bloggers, cartoons, Dhondup Wangchen, Erdem Gunduz, human rights award, Human Rights Foundation, Hyeonseo Lee, Marcela Turati Muñoz, meeting, Oslo Freedom Forum, Pussy Riot, social media, streaming, Suleiman Bakhit, Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent, Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent, Yoani Sánchez, Yulia Marushevska
February 28, 2014
Regular readers of this blog know that I like the idea of holding celebrities accountable (most recently: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/star-power-and-human-rights-a-difficult-but-doable-mix/). The reason is that there is a mutually reinforcing (and for many profitable) interaction between the stars and the media (which in turn feed on the interest of the public). Celebrities’ views on all kind of issues – including human rights – can hardly be called private. Their social media are virtual industries and influence millions globally. So it seems a good idea to have an annual look at which celebrities have advanced and which have harmed the cause of human rights around the world. Halvorssen and Leigh Hancock ( of the Human Rights Foundation) have done exactly that in the Atlantic on 27 February 2004 and linked it to the upcoming Oscars night on Sunday.
(Gary Hershorn/Reuters)
The list of celebrities deserving recognition for their accomplishments in the field of human rights or those who should be ashamed for supporting human-rights violators, is long and contains many video links. Like the real Oscars, the list is slanted in terms of geopolitical interest and I think that if all major international human rights organisations would get together to agree on a list if would be more balanced, but that is probably wishful thinking. Still, the Human Rights Foundation deserves credit for this creative initiative. and here is the summary:
The Nominees for Outstanding Work in the Field of Human Rights Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in awards, films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Foundation | 5 Comments »
Tags: Africa, Angola, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bahrain, Bassem Youssef, Ben Kingsley, Bono, celebrities, China, Colin Firth, Cui Jian, democratic republic of the congo, Dennis Rodman, Egypt, Emma Thompson, Equatorial Guinea, Fat Joe, Gabriela Montero, George Clooney, Gustavo Dudamel, Halvorssen, hollywood, human rights, Human Rights Foundation, human trafficking, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Stewart, Julio Iglesias, Kanye West, Kazakhstan, Khalid Abdalla, Kim Kardashian, Leigh Hancock, LGBT rights, Libya, Madonna, major star power, Mariah Carey, Muammar Gaddafi, North Korea, oscar night, Oscars, Russia, Susan Sarandon, the Atlantic, The Square, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 