The Goals
Beacon for Freedom of Expression is an international bibliographic database with nearly 50,000 titles of censored works and literature on censorship and freedom of expression. The database is dedicated to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Norway presented the database as a gift to the Library of Alexandria in 2003. Today the National Library of Norway hosts the database.
What are Beacon’s goals?
Beacon for Freedom of Expression aims to:
- Document historic and current censorship in a global perspective through the international bibliographic database.
- Provide a collaborative learning resource for researchers, students and activists.
- Facilitate dialogue about censorship, freedom of expression and human rights through its website and programs.
A Norwegian Homage to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Mette Newth
Norway, 2010
In 1995 the construction of the New Bibliotheca Alexandrina began. The same year the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE) was established by a national organization of authors, journalists, librarians, publishers, editors and human rights defenders. Aware of the high aims for this new world library of humanism and human rights, NFFE proposed an online bibliographical database on freedom of expression as a gift from Norway.
The Beacon Database: A Tool for Knowledge
Beacon aims to be a tool for the quest for knowledge. By naming the database Beacon for Freedom of Expression, NFFE wished both to pay homage to the proud humanistic traditions of the old library and Alexandria’s famous lighthouse of Pharos, which once had the important task of safely guiding travelers.
The Beacon for Freedom of Expression database was formally presented to the Library of Alexandria by the Norwegian Minister of Culture and Church Affairs in May 2003. The database was realized thanks to years of invaluable contributions from hundreds of sources worldwide, students and faculty at Oslo University College, the expertise of RAVN Webveveriet AS, as well as the partnership with IFEX and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs (currently the Norwegian Ministry of Culture).
Alexandria: A beacon of knowledge
Almost 2,300 years ago the Egyptian city of Alexandria boasted one of the greatest forums of ideas, knowledge and memory of all times, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The library survived troubled centuries but was finally destroyed during Roman rule late in the 3rd century AD. The library contained more than half a million, mainly Greek, volumes. Although the library and its invaluable contents were destroyed, the memory of the ancient world’s unique storehouse of learning lived on, along with dreams of its revival.
The revival of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina began in Egypt in the mid-1970s and was eventually internationally embraced. UNESCO organized an architectural competition and awarded the honor to the Norwegian firm Snøhetta in 1988. In 1990 UNESCO’s International Commission for the Revival of the Ancient Library of Alexandria expressed a formidable vision for the new library:
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina will stand as a testimony to a decisive moment in the history of human thought – the attempt to constitute a summum of knowledge, to assemble the writings of all the peoples. It will bear witness to an original undertaking that, in embracing the totality and diversity of human experience, became the matrix for a new spirit of critical inquiry, for a heightened perception of knowledge as a collaborative process.
The Aswan declaration on the revival of the Library of Alexandria (1990)
Censorship
Censorship has targeted critical thinkers and courageous writers in all societies throughout history. Thousands of men and women have been victims of severe persecution, and countless books, newspapers and libraries have been subject to destruction. While today’s censorship is being thoroughly monitored by a great number of organizations worldwide, details of the world history of censorship are still lacking. The aim of Beacon for Freedom of Expression therefore was to document the bibliographical data of past and present censored books and newspapers around the world, as thoroughly as sources would allow. Thus Beacon would serve both as a source of knowledge and as a symbolic tribute to the memory of all known and unknown victims of censorship. Not least, and in accordance with the Aswan Declaration on the revival of the Library of Alexandria, Beacon was intended as a tool for the enhancement of an open dialogue between the world’s cultures. Hopefully such tools will contribute to greater awareness that as universal human rights, freedom of expression, free access to information and free debate represent the best defense any people have against suppression.
In recognition of the importance of access to information and education for the enhancement of human rights, peace and democracy, the Beacon database was also a tribute to the United Nations Decade of Human Rights Education (1995-2004).
When the Beacon database was launched on the website in 2003, it contained more than 40,000 bibliographical entries. Most of the entries were books and newspapers that have been censored through the ages and around the world. Furthermore nearly 5,000 of these references were literature about various aspects of freedom of expression and the history of censorship.
Although far from complete Beacon then represented the most comprehensive verified historic and contemporary bibliographic database on censorship and freedom of expression. Grounded in professional principles and the skills of librarians, journalists, human rights activists and writers, Beacon for Freedom of Expression may continue to serve as a tool for collecting bibliographical data on censorship and freedom of expression. Moreover in the true spirit ofArticle 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Beacon is an open source of knowledge for users worldwide.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom of opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Declaration of Aswan
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=4630&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Collaborators and Contributors
The production of the database
To ensure high professional technical quality and compatibility, the database was produced in collaboration with faculty and more than 20 students at the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science at the Oslo University College. The Faculty library generously provided the expert consultative support and software. Throughout the planning and production period, Ravn Webveveriet A/S (www.ravn.no) has been the expert technical advisor to the Steering Committee and the project management.
Language Translations
British English is the working language for the database. All translations have been made from the original languages, observing the ISO-standards.
All titles of books and newspapers are registered in the original language, supplied with the authorised English translations when they have been available. In some cases, where no original titles authorised English translations have been found, such as for original Lithuanian and Russian publications, the translators have furnished the titles with translations indicating the content of the censored books.
Acknowledgements
The database has been made possible thanks to the generous support, advice, contribution and collaboration by hundreds of libraries, institutions and non governmental organisations or individual experts across the world. Amongst the very many that deserve a special praise, we have chosen the National Library of Lithuania, National Library of Russia – St Petersburg, Russian State Library (Moscow), Jacobsens Publishers (South Africa) and the National Library of South Africa, Christopher Merrett, Mansour Koushan, Index on Censorship, Freedom House, Article 19, Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, National Library of Peru, Library of Congress, British Library, National Library of Poland, United Nations Library, Centre for Human Rights, National Library of Malawi, National Library of Australia, National Library of Spain (Madrid), and the University Library of Cataluña (Spain).
Future Development
International collaboration inspires future development
The database was designed as a model for:
- The continuous compilation of data on censorship and freedom of expression
- Efficient international collaboration across professional borders
International collaboration
The Beacon for Freedom of Expression database is hosted by the National Library of Norway in collaboration with an International Advisory Board. The body includes leadership from the Library of Alexandria, the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, the National Library of Norway, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Ministry of Culture of Norway.
IFLA, the global voice of the library and information profession, established the Committee on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (FAIFE) in 1997. IFLA/FAIFE works to promote intellectual freedom and freedom of expression, particularly in relation to libraries.
Beacon’s expert network of co-operation also includes the International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House (IFEX), a global network of approximately 80 member organisations in over 50 countries. IFEX compiles news from its members, issues reports and documents censorship globally through weekly bulletins IFEX Communiqué, and a daily electronic alert service.
Future priorities
As a pioneer initiative the Beacon for Freedom of Expression database represents a dynamic model, intended to be developed and improved through ongoing contributions from a steadily growing network of partners.
Future priorities for the Beacon database include increasing the records of historic censorship. Another consideration is the inclusion of single articles on censorship and freedom of expression. This need has been expressed by many partners, especially in countries where book publications are at times prohibitive.
Beacon is keen to collaborate with organizations and institutions that would like to submit censorship archives and documentation from their countries for inclusion in the Beacon database but lack the funds to do so. An ongoing priority is also expanding Beacon’s network to include organizations that document kinds of censorship that are absent from the Beacon database (for example music, film and visual art, as well as indirect censorship).
Developing this monument to the long struggle for freedom of expression will require time, resources and dedication. Nevertheless this is a small price to pay to commemorate countless victims of censorship and defenders of free expression.
Management
Beacon for Freedom of Expression is hosted by the National Library of Norway and has collaborated with an International Advisory Board. The board has included leadership from the Library of Alexandria, the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, the National Library of Norway, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Ministry of Culture of Norway.
The Beginning: A Norwegian Initiative
Mette Newth
Norway, 2010
The Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression (NFFE) initiated and produced Beacon for Freedom of Expression. NFFE was established early in 1995 as an independent center of documentation and information committed to defending freedom of expression worldwide.
NFFE was entirely funded by the following member organizations:
Association of Norwegian Editors
Norwegian Press Council
Norwegian Specialized Press
Norwegian Union of Journalists
Norwegian Writers for Children and Juveniles
The Association for Public Information in Norway
The Norwegian Association of Literary Translators
The Norwegian Authors’ Union
The Norwegian Booksellers Association
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee
The Norwegian Library Association
The Norwegian Non-fiction Writers and Translators Association
The Norwegian PEN Center
The Norwegian Playwright’s Association
The Norwegian Publishers Association
The Norwegian Rushdie Defense Committee
The Norwegian Society of Composers
The Resistance Press Society (WWII)
International electronic networking
In 1995 NFFE became the only Nordic member of the world’s largest network of independent freedom of expression organizations, International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House or IFEX (www.ifex.org). In 1996 on behalf of all IFEX members, NFFE established the IFEX alert service. Today this alert service provides the IFEX member organizations free access to expert documentation of current violations of freedom of expression worldwide.
Independent international NGOs have produced the majority of today’s important documentation of the state of freedom of expression and censorship. The number of independent freedom of expression organizations has grown steadily over the past two decades, most rapidly in countries of the southern hemisphere. Consequently the quality reports and documentation of censorship in this region have increased.
Censorship sources around the world
In 1997 NFFE conducted a worldwide survey of available sources on past and present censorship. A huge variety of sources was found, many on the internet. Nevertheless NFFE concluded that there was a need for one database—containing both historic and current records of censored books and newspapers, as well as historic and contemporary publications about freedom of expression and censorship.
Ongoing international collaboration
Up-to-date publications from independent organizations and international bodies such as the UN are invaluable to the work of international human rights defenders, politicians and the media, as well as to the engaged general public. Still even publications of current interest may be hard to find in libraries or bookstores. NFFE found a clear need to systematically compile bibliographical data on the vast amount of documented international literature on issues of freedom of expression and censorship published through the ages. Although most of these important books have been out of print for a long time, many are still obtainable in libraries around the world. Once the bibliographical data were presented in Beacon for Freedom of Expression, the books could be easier to find.
Establishing an electronic network of co-operation, spanning different relevant professions, was fundamental to NFFE’s aims of realizing the Beacon database. In early 1998 NFFE invited more than 300 international human rights organizations, as well as research, educational and cultural institutions to participate in the project. There was also an overwhelmingly positive response from UN agencies such as UNESCO’s Unit for Freedom of Expression and Democracy, an important supporter of the Beacon database project.
Engaging libraries of the world
NFFE was particularly keen to engage libraries, noting that the expert knowledge of the world’s libraries is invaluable to ensuring the professional quality of the database. Cooperation with selected national and university libraries around the world was established in 1998. Evidently modern libraries do not subscribe to censorship, but throughout history many governments have regarded libraries as important instruments of censorship. Thus, today, some libraries still keep national archives on former censorship. Moreover in some libraries such records are an integral part of the national history.
Furthermore libraries that do not hold information on censorship such as the British Library and the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., were important supporters of the Beacon project. They represented some of the most comprehensive sources of world literature on freedom of expression and censorship, past and present.
NFFE decided to dedicate Beacon for Freedom of Expression to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina already from the start of production in 1998. The dedication honoured this important library of the ancient world, and celebrated the revival of this unique world institution. The revival of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as stated by UNESCO’s International Commission for the Revival of the Ancient Library of Alexandria, is meant to foster a spirit of openness and the quest for knowledge. This also reflects NFFE’s vision for Beacon.
The Norwegian-based RAVN Webveveriet AS (www.ravn.no) tailor-made the original internet-based presentation of the database in close cooperation with faculty and students from the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science at Oslo University College.
From the upstart in 1997 until 2006, Mette Newth and Hege N. Nouri carried out the daily management of Beacon for Freedom of Expression. Until 2001 the project was managed by NFFE under the direction of the Project Steering Committee with the National Library of Norway as professional advisor. When NFFE was dissolved in 2001 the management of the Beacon project was taken over by a Norwegian Steering Committee hosted by the Norwegian Library Association, in cooperation with an international steering committee. Since 2006 the National Library of Norway has managed Beacon for Freedom of Expression in cooperation with its International Advisory Board.