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<br><b><br><br>Free Eskinder Nega <br></b><br><br>Writers around the world have reacted forcefully to the sentencing of journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega to 18 years in prison on bogus terrorism charges in Ethiopia. The American PEN has called on the United States and other donor nations to reevaluate their relationships with the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Nega, who received this year's PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, was one of 20 journalists and political activists to be sentenced to long prison terms on terrorismrelated charges, accelerating a trend where vague antiterrorism laws are used to silence peaceful dissenting voices in Ethiopia and suppress what Nega calls a "fiercely free press". They were accused of links with US-based opposition group Ginbot Seven, which Ethiopia considers a terrorist organisation. In 1993, Nega opened his first newspaper and has been detained at least seven times by the government of Zenawi. Salman Rushdie, a former president of the American PEN, tweeted in support: "This is appalling. Journalism, dissent are now 'terrorism' in Ethiopia?"

Shorts

July 21, 2012





Free Eskinder Nega


Writers around the world have reacted forcefully to the sentencing of journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega to 18 years in prison on bogus terrorism charges in Ethiopia. The American PEN has called on the United States and other donor nations to reevaluate their relationships with the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Nega, who received this year's PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, was one of 20 journalists and political activists to be sentenced to long prison terms on terrorismrelated charges, accelerating a trend where vague antiterrorism laws are used to silence peaceful dissenting voices in Ethiopia and suppress what Nega calls a "fiercely free press". They were accused of links with US-based opposition group Ginbot Seven, which Ethiopia considers a terrorist organisation. In 1993, Nega opened his first newspaper and has been detained at least seven times by the government of Zenawi. Salman Rushdie, a former president of the American PEN, tweeted in support: "This is appalling. Journalism, dissent are now 'terrorism' in Ethiopia?"

<b>Duffy wins Pinter </b><br><br><br>The British poet Carol Ann Duffy has been awarded the PEN/Pinter poetry prize instituted by the late Nobel laureate Harold Pinter to honour writers who look on the world with "an unflinching, unswerving gaze". Duffy more than meets this description, not least for her chilling poem called Education for Leisure on the rise of casual violence in Thatcher's London of the 1980s. Ironically enough, the poem was pulled from the school syllabus a few years ago for "celebrating knife crime". Duffy was appalled at the way it had been misread. Here's the poem in full - to vindicate it and the poet's intent. Today I am going to kill something. Anything. I have had enough of being ignored and today I am going to play God. It is an ordinary day, a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets I squash a fly against the window with my thumb. We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in another language and now the fly is in another language. I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name. I am a genius. I could be anything at all, with half the chance. But today I am going to change the world. Something's world. The cat avoids me. The cat knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself. I pour the goldfish down the bog. I pull the chain. I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking. Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town For signing on. They don't appreciate my autograph. There is nothing left to kill. I dial the radio and tell the man he's talking to a superstar. He cuts me off. I get our breadknife and go out. The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm.

Shorts

July 21, 2012


Duffy wins Pinter


The British poet Carol Ann Duffy has been awarded the PEN/Pinter poetry prize instituted by the late Nobel laureate Harold Pinter to honour writers who look on the world with "an unflinching, unswerving gaze". Duffy more than meets this description, not least for her chilling poem called Education for Leisure on the rise of casual violence in Thatcher's London of the 1980s. Ironically enough, the poem was pulled from the school syllabus a few years ago for "celebrating knife crime". Duffy was appalled at the way it had been misread. Here's the poem in full - to vindicate it and the poet's intent. Today I am going to kill something. Anything. I have had enough of being ignored and today I am going to play God. It is an ordinary day, a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets I squash a fly against the window with my thumb. We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in another language and now the fly is in another language. I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name. I am a genius. I could be anything at all, with half the chance. But today I am going to change the world. Something's world. The cat avoids me. The cat knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself. I pour the goldfish down the bog. I pull the chain. I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking. Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town For signing on. They don't appreciate my autograph. There is nothing left to kill. I dial the radio and tell the man he's talking to a superstar. He cuts me off. I get our breadknife and go out. The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm.

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Reader's opinion (1)

Nirmalya ChakrabortyJul 22nd, 2012 at 16:54 PM

dissenting voice,when endorsed by a section of thinking mass,has always been labelled as terrorism.nothing unique in Ethiopia.

 
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