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Critical Minds, Critical Times: UNESCO World Press Freedom Day

Critical Minds for Critical Times: The media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies is the theme of UNESCO’s main celebration of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, May 3rd. The event will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from May 1-4.

The program of the four-day conference has been designed to raise awareness of the importance of free and fact based journalism in promoting peace and justice, and supporting the efficiency, accountability and inclusiveness of institutions, in line with the Sixteenth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. The event is organized with the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian Press Council.

“SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 16:Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division of Sustainable Development MORE

The May 3 celebration will be opened by Jusuf Kalla, Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, and Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. It will feature a plenary session on Quality journalism: a public good for just, peaceful and inclusive societies and six parallel sessions on subjects spanning media and information as a bulwark against hate speech, inclusiveness and gender equality, and violent extremism. A specific session will be dedicated to Press Freedom in Southeast Asia.

In the evening of May 3 Ms Bokova will award the 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Dawit Isaak, the imprisoned Eritrean-born journalist who will be represented by his daughter, Bethelem Isaak, during a ceremony that will be hosted by Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia.

“Dawit Isaak (born 28 October 1964) is a Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer, who has been held in prison in Eritrea since 2001 without trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. For years, he was the only Swedish citizen held as a prisoner of conscience. He is now joined by the Swedish citizen and publicist Gui Minhai who was abducted by Chinese agents from Thailand in October 2015 and has been held prisoner in China since that time.” Wikipedia MORE

Dawit Isaak story, Free Dawit

The morning of May 4 will be dedicated to a second plenary session entitled Spotlight on investigative journalism: Perspectives from Southeast Asia and beyond. It will be followed by six parallel sessions on subjects including the impact of fake news on journalism, journalists’ safety and internet universality.

Artistic freedom, a principle enshrined in UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, will be the focus of three sessions on May 2 and 4.

Notable speakers to address the conference will include José Ramos-Horta, Former President of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Richard Gingras, Vice President of News at Google, and Oscar Cantu Murguia, editor of Norte, the Mexican newspaper that had to close down operations this month following the killing of one of its journalists.

The main concerns and principles expressed during the four-day conference will be reflected in a declaration, the Jakarta Declaration, that participants are expected to adopt at the close of the event.

Also in Jakarta on May 3 and 4, Hong Kong Baptist University will host a conference about academic research into issues pertaining to the safety of journalists with participants from many countries.

Some thirty partners are contributing to World Press Freedom Day 2017 in Jakarta with events that will feature training sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions and are expected to draw more than 1,200 participants.

Approximately eighty other Press Freedom events are being organized around the world this year and leading news organizations including Al Jazeera, El Pais and Rappler will host dedicated blogs and feature special content for World Press Freedom Day. An awareness-campaign has been launched with the Cartooning for Peace Network( link is external) to raise visibility on the importance of freedom of expression through a series of press cartoons.

– except where indicated, post is courtesy of UNESCO

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SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Calls for Submissions, Contests, Events and other News and Information

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunities Knock

ARTFUL DODGE (Ohio), a publication of The College of Wooster with support from The Ohio Arts Council, publishes American fiction, poetry and narrative essay and contemporary literature in translation.  Guidelines are HERE.  

THE BeZINE submissions for the May 2017 issues (theme: Honesty and Transparency, the Post-truth Era) should be in by May 10th latest.  Publication date is May 15th. Poetry, essays,fiction and creative nonfiction, art and photography, music (videos), and whatever lends itself to online presentation is welcome for consideration. Please check out a few issues first and the Intro./Mission Statement and Submission Guidelines. Email submissions to bardogroup@gmail.com

3 ELEMENTS REVIEW is an online zine publishing poetry, fiction and nonfiction quarterly. Today is the last day to submit for the summer issue but submissions for the fall issue open tomorrow (May 1) and extend through July 31.  As of today the three elements for the fall issue have not been announced. Submission guidelines HERE.  

ZYMBOL, Hybrid Literature for Surreal Brains, publishes books (effective 2018) and a magazine. Of the magazine this press writes: “Zymbol magazine is published on an annual basis and we are open to all genres and styles of writing. Each edition will have a small section dedicated to the our symboilst and surrealist roots, but will also publish general poetry, fiction, memoir, flash and mixed-genre work.” Details HERE.

KILLING THE BUDDHA is an online zine featuring religion, culture and politics. “It began on November 13, 2000, when Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet invited readers who are both hostile and drawn to talk of God to join them in building an electronic Tower of Babel, a Talmudic cathedral of stories about faith lost and found. They named it after a saying of the Chinese Buddhist sage Lin Chi.” Genres they lean toward publishing include “reportage, essays, criticism, rants, prayers.” They are disinclined to publish poetry and fiction. Details HERE.

ANTÍPHON, providing a showcase or the best in contemporary British and international poetry has an open call for submissions (though May 31) for issue 21.  Details HERE.

CHERRY TREE, A National Literary Journal @ Washington College welcomes submission of “poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and literary shade.” Reading period is three months only from August 1 through October 1. Payment is $20 and 2 copies.  Submission guidelines HERE.

WRITER’S ALLIANCE OF GAINSVILLE [WAG] fosters creative expression through the written word has an open call for submissions through May 31, 2017  for its eighth annual edition of Bacopa Literary Review, an international print journal. Prizes are one $400 prize in each for a flash story, poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. There is a submission fee of $3. All published authors receive a copy of the print journal and will also be promoted online after publication. Details HERE.

THE SOUTHHAMPTON REVIEW a publication of Stony Brook Southhampton (graduate arts campus, MFA program in New York), will open for reading from August 15 – October 15. This pubication features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, plays and screenplays, and art (fine art, photography, cartoons, illustration). Details HERE.

CONTESTS

  • Red Hen Press, 2017 BENJAMIN SALTMAN POETRY AWARD , $3,000 and four-week residency. Deadline: October 31 Details HERE.
  • Red Hen Press, 2017 RED HEN PRESS FICTION AWARD, $1,000 and publication. Deadline: August 31. Details HERE.
  • The Idaho Prize for Poetry is an annual, national competition offering $1,000 plus publication by Lost Horse Press for a book-length poetry manuscript. Manuscripts are accepted for review through May 15 and the winner announced on August 15. Details HERE.
  • Spokane Prize for Short Fiction,Willow Springs Books, in collaboration with Lost Horse Press, invites submissions for The 2016 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction: $2,000 plus publication by LOST HORSE PRESS/Willow Springs Books. Submission deadline: June 1, 2016 Details HERE.

EVENTS

  • NaPoWriMo, 30 poems in 30 days: The theme for May is a story a day. Check it out HERE.
  • CATSKILL INTERPRETIVE CENTER BOOK FAIR, free event on Saturday June 24, 2017 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. CATSKILL INTERPRETIVE CENTER 5096 NEW YORK 28, MOUNT TREMPER, NY, 12457 Details HERE.
  • LOST HORSE PRESS is pleased to present PIE & WHISKEY & MOTHERS: Reading, Pie Eating, Whiskey Drinking & Book Signing featuring Kate Lebo & Sam Ligon Saturday, 13 May 2017 • 1 pm • Sandpoint Library Rude Girls Room
    Free Admission • Everyone’s invited! Spokane, Washington Details HERE.

“The chamber choir, for which I sing, along with two other local choirs (Stannington Mixed and Thurgoland Community Choir) and the talented Inyerface Arts musicians and soloists, are performing John Rutter’s Requiem as the core of a concert on Saturday, 27th May at the magnificent Victoria Hall in Sheffield. It would be very much appreciated it if you were able to share this amongst your friends, who might enjoy an amazing choral experience … Thank you.” John Anstie (My Poetry Library), is a singer, musician, poet and a member of The BeZine core team.

Kudos

NEWS and OTHER INFORMATION

BONUS

If you are reading this post from an email subscription, you’ll likely have to link through to view this video of Stephen Fry reading John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale:

Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Traveled is one of The Poet by Day recommended reads. In it encourages delight in writing poetry and offers some fine tools to build the confidence in aspiring poets, introducing metre, rhyme, form, diction and poetics.

The recommended read: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. Left, right or center – American or not – it’s a must read.

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HEADS-UP SHEFFIELD and surrounding area: Save the Date, May 27th

“The chamber choir, for which I sing, along with two other local choirs (Stannington Mixed and Thurgoland Community Choir) and the talented Inyerface Arts musicians and soloists, are performing John Rutter’s Requiem as the core of a concert on Saturday, 27th May at the magnificent Victoria Hall in Sheffield. It would be very much appreciated it if you were able to share this amongst your friends, who might enjoy an amazing choral experience … Thank you.” John Anstie (My Poetry Library), is a singer, musician, poet and a member of The BeZine core team.

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SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Calls for Submissions, Contests, News and Other Information

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunity Knocks

THE BeZINE submissions for the May 2017 issues (theme: Honesty and Transparency, the Post-truth Era) shoul be in by May 10th latest.  Publication date is May 15th. Poetry, essays,fiction and creative nonfiction, art and photography, music (videos), and whatever can be shared online are welcome for consideration. Please check out a few issues first and the Intro./Mission Statement and Submission Guidelines. Email submissions to bardogroup@gmail.com

DOOR IS AJAR MAGAZINE invites submissions on a “broad range of topics under the umbrella of health and spirituality, which can include faith, eastern philosophy, meditation and mainstream religion; nutrition, wellness, yoga and holistic medicine; creativity, the inner life, social justice and issues of conscience; and public health, the human body and the environment. Our readers are generally spiritual “seekers” who may or may not be traditionally religious.” Details HERE.

BURNSIDE REVIEW accepts submission of three-to-five poems. They’re not accepting fiction. Payment if accepted is $25 plus a copy of the magazine.  Details HERE.

CALLALOO: A JOURNAL OF AFRICAN DIASPORA ARTS & LETTERS is a publication of Princeton University and “is a journal of and on the literature, art, culture, and criticism of Africa and the African diaspora. For scholars, the journal offers a host of ways to publish, from journal articles to book reviews and annotated bibliographies.” Details HERE.

ATLAS POETIC, A Journal of World Tanka welcomes international submissions but translations into English are required. They accept submissions of articles and essays on tanka as well as poetry. There is a detailed submissions guideline HERE.

WATERWAYS: POETRY IN THE MAINSTREAM is publication  of Ten Penny Players (New York) and was founded in 1979. It is a disability, children’s and animal right advocate, which dictates subject and content. Submission are welcome from both established and emerging writers. Wateways is published every month but August and each issue has a theme. The theme for June is “Such a humourous dance …” and the deadline is June 15th.  Details HERE.

VOICES OF ISRAEL is an organization of 150 poets in Israel and other countries and was founded (1971) “to provide an outlet or writers of English poetry in Israel, to encourage new poets in their art, and to promote international friendships through poetry. An anthology is published annually. Details HERE.

VAN GOGH’S EAR: BEST WORLD POETRY AND PROSE is an annual anthology published by French Connection. I believe the deadline is March 15 each year, so make a note to submit to next year’s anthology.  Details HERE and HERE.

LUMINA is a publication of Sarah Lawrence College MFA program. It publishes prose, poetry, multimedia and art from “emerging visual artists and writers alongside their established counterparts. We want art that pushes boundaries with eloquence.” Details HERE.

LITERARY.JUICE, An Online Literary Magazine is an “outlet for authors to share their most honest works without having to conform to conventional narrative guidelines, unlike many other literary journals.” Publishes poetry, fiction (including flash fiction) and art. Submission guidelines HERE.

LITTERAL LATTÉ publishes both online and in print and uses poetry, prose and art. Details HERE.

RENDITIONS, A Chinese-English Translation Magazine, a “Gateway to Chinese Literature and Culture” is published in the UK. It is an “international journal of Chinese literature in English translation, covering over 2000 years of Chinese literature from classical works of poetry, prose, and fiction to recently published works by writers representing the rich variety of contemporary Chinese literary expression. Articles on art, Chinese studies and translation studies are often included. Each issue is illustrated with complementary art, calligraphy and photographs. Renditions has been published by the Research Centre for Translation of The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 1973.” Details HERE.

MAGMA POETRY publishes prose features, articles and reviews as well as poetry. The deadline for issue #69 (“The Deaf Issue”) is 30 April 2017. Details HERE.

BRICK ROAD POETRY PRESS selects one or two poetry collections to publish each year.  Submission period is from December 1 – January 15. Details HERE.

GEIST fact * fiction * North of America – but accepts submissions from outside of Canada for its contests. All other submissions must have a Canadian connection. Publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography, art, reviews, little-known facts of interest, and cartography.  Details HERE.

CONTESTS

Opportunity Knocks

LITTERAL LATTÉ poetry awards for poems up to 2,000 words offers a first prize of $1,000, second of $300, and third of $200.  There is a reading fee of $10 for a set of six poems and $15 for a set of ten poems. All poems are considered for publication.  Deadline July 15th.  Details HERE.

TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID FICTION & ESSAY CONTEST – DEADLINE APRIL 30 The award is “$1,500 each for the top story and the top essay. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $100 each. The top 12 entries will be published online. Fee: $18 per entry.. Entries may be published or unpublished. There are no demographic restrictions. Length limit: 6,000 words. Submit online at winning writers.

BRICK ROAD POETRY BOOK CONTEST submissions start on August 1 and the deadline is November 1 for this year’s competition.  There’s a $25 entry fee. The awards are: first place winner receives a publication contract with Brick Road Poetry Press and $1000 prize, publication in both print and ebook formats, and 25 copies of the printed book.”  There’s a possibility of book contracts for finalists. Details HERE.

EVENTS

  • Poetry Reading with Grace Bauer and Hope Wabuke / April 18 / 7:00pm Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street 68508 Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Haiku Writing for Ages 7 – 107 / April 19 / 7:00pm Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St. , Newton, Massachusetts
  • Rooms Are Never Finished: The Legacy of Agha Shahid Ali  / April 21 – “the life and work of Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001). Celebrated for bringing the ghazal into English, Ali’s work explores cultural ties and divisions, the enduring qualities of love and friendship, and the difficulty of maintaining both.”/  Admission $10 / 7:00pm, Poets House, 10 River Terrace, NYC, New York
  • Friday Night Poetry Slam / April 21 / Admission $15-$28 / New York / Details HERE.
  • Poetry Vicenza (Italy) – Contemporary Poetry and Music Festival runs through 04 June 2017. Details on the variety of events is HERE.
  • Poets Resist: The First 100 Days / April 30 – 1-3 p.m. CDT/ Malvern Books, 813 West 29th Street, Austin, TX / “After 100 days the poets of Austin stand up and resist unjust practices and policies. The format will be fast, as we’d love to hear from many perspectives in this safe place reading. Outlaw Poet Justin Booth will host some of Austin’s best including W. Joe Hoppe, Joe Brundidge, Richard Acevado, Favian Harper, David Julian, Nikki Bruns, Rebecca Raphael, Stephany Morrissey, Brett Reeves, and Lyman Grant.”

NEWS & INFORMATION

KUDOS

Congratulations to poet and photographer Aprilia Zank for the delightful cover photography and design for Fifty Ways to Fly by Alison Hill. 

BONUS

If you are reading this from an email subscription, you’ll likely have to link through to view the video above. This is Shane L. Koyczan (born May 22 1976), a Canadian spoken word poet, writer, and member of the group Tons of Fun University. He is known for writing about issues like bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders. He is most famous for the anti-bullying poem To This Day which has over 20 million views.

The recommended read: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. Left, right or center – American or not – it’s a must read.

THE WORDPLAY SHOP: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers

ABOUT THE POET BY DAY