Freedom of Expression debated at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
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The 2nd International Conference of the Beacon for Freedom of Expression will take place at the Library of Alexandria from 18 to 20 September. More than 350 Egyptian, Arab and European media pundits, communications experts, scholars, human rights" advocates and journalists will join in debating contemporary issues relevant to freedom of expression in all its forms.
Held under the auspices of Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the meeting is scheduled to discuss central issues to free expression such as new forms of censorship, freedom of expression and copyright in a global perspective, protection of authors" rights, the role of the media in relation to public opinion, circumventing free speech and the role of libraries in expanding freedom of speech environment through the exchange of information.
Keynote speakers at the conference include the Norwegian Minister of Culture and Church Affairs, Mrs. Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, the Director of the Library of Alexandria, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, and distinguished constitutional law expert Dr. Ahmed Kamal Abulmagd, former President of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal.
The first conference of the Beacon for Freedom of Expression was held at the Library of Alexandria in May 2003. At that time, the Norwegian Minister of Culture and Church Affairsdonated to the Library a unique gift in the form of a database containing 55,000 entries of bibliographic information on censored books, articles and literary material.
For more information, please check the events website at www.bibalex.org/BeaconForFreedom