Dr. Serageldin in IFLA/FAIFE Satellite meeting
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Alexandria, 17 August 2005—In conjunction with the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Oslo, Norway, 14-18 August 2005, a two-day seminar entitled “Documenting censorship—libraries linking past and present, and preparing for the future” was held in Oslo, 11-12 August, at the Nobel Institute.
The seminar was organized by FAIFE (IFLA’s Committee for Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) in cooperation with the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church, the Norwegian Library Association and the Beacon for Freedom of Expression (BFE).
Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, participated in the opening session, which discussed challenging censorship, and cooperation projects organized toward this end.
He also took part in a session discussing visions for the future, where he presented his views on society and freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. He also touched upon how cooperation between civil society institutions can help safeguard documentation of censorship. In addition, the session included debates about the roles and responsibilities of NGOs and institutions in society, and suggestions on ways in which they can cooperate.
Also participating in the two-day event were Professor Paul Sturges, Loughborough University (UK), and Chair of IFLA/FAIFE; Ms. Vigdis Skarstein, National Librarian of Norway; Dir. Helge SØnneland, Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs; Ms. Bente Erichsen, Director of the Nobel Peace Center; and Ms. Mette Newth, Chair of the BFE International Steering Committee.