more great cc content

7 Responses to more great cc content

1. Anonymous says:

   January 27, 2003 at 6:20 am

   That poster is not released to the public properly.

   The pdf (why not a jpg?) is a lame shrunk down version of the poster (when you zoom it the text remains blurred and unreadable). Surely, I would expect them to release it in a format that’s printable at the actual poster size.

   Oh well, I guess they got to make a profit…
2. Kamran Mir Hazar says:

   February 11, 2003 at 5:44 am

   Join RAHA, the independent writers’ home

   RAHA, if loosely translated, means freedom or independence. We are a group of independent writers belonging to different countries, communities, creeds, castes, religions, races, languages and sexes. Our prime objective is to fight for freedom — the freedom to read, write and speak what one thinks is right.

   RAHA professes — and gives its members, well-wishers and compatriots — absolute freedom of the spoken and the written word. We endeavour to support independent writers from all parts of the world, while opposing any kind of censorship or suppression.

   We seek your support to fight for this noble cause. You can help RAHA by contributing your work — be it poetry, fiction, non-fiction, critique, you name it — provided it is of quality and is committed to a cause.

   We invite you to join RAHA by quoting Giannes Ritsos’ poetic line: The peace is the library.

   http://rahapen.org
3. Andrius Kulikauskas says:

   February 15, 2003 at 6:45 am

   Here’s another way to register Creative Commons stuff (I propose). Or talk to http://www.reversible.org
   http://www.reversible.org/ThisPostIsCreativeCommons/by-nc-sa/1.0 and the folders should handle themselves nicely, automatically.
4. RAHA Information says:

   May 12, 2003 at 7:05 am

   Reply from RAHA Editor to Terry Carlbom, International pen secretary
   by RAHA Information (no login)

   From Terry Carlbom International Secretary,International PEN to RAHA editor-in-chief Kamran Mir Hazar:
   http://www.rahapen.org/RAHA_letters_Pen1.htm

   Dear Kamran Mir Hazar,

   I am in receipt of your mail of 24th April in response to my previous communication. I note that you were established only two years ago, which may explain your insensitivity to what I am trying to explain.

   You force me to make myself quite clear on these matters of name and identity. Your self-proclaimed new organisation cannot be allowed to infringe on our right, established since 1921, to the name of International PEN Club, or words associating to this name in whatsoever combination.

   International PEN, the World Association of Writers, is in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO, and is the only organisation representing the field of literature at UNESCO. We are also members of WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, which deals with the intellectual rights of writers, including copyright and the right to be correctly named as originator or author to one’s own works. Furthermore, as the long-standing and respected international world association of writers, we have Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

   It is quite clear to me that in your website at least you are consciously using International PEN’s name and activities – known and admired world-wide – as your own. Why otherwise have you chosen to attach the words ‘International pen Afghanistan Centre’ to your own ‘RAHA, THE INDEPENDENT WRITERS’ HOME’?

   And why otherwise do you include, as if it were a part of RAHA, a description of International PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee and its work, written by Karin Clark, Vice President of the German PEN Centre, together with her report on the occasion of the Frankfurt Bookfair in 2002? Why otherwise does this page appear above RAHA’s copyright line, when copyright in the text does not belong to you? Where is any reference to the fact that the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN has no connection with RAHA? Why have we not received any communications from you requesting permission to use PEN’s name and material or asking whether International PEN would agree to establish a link between our websites?

   I believe your members have the right to be fully informed of what is at stake for them. Should there be a continued infringement of our name and unauthorised use of PEN material, this will be duly reported to UNESCO and the Permanent Representatives of all Governments of UNESCO member states. We would also alert our 136 Centres in 94 countries of any attempt to usurp our name and reputation. This could seriously affect those things your members might be interested in: public support, international travel, the availability of international platforms for seminars and congresses, as well as individual invitations and readings.

   You would be misleading your own members, possibly risking any international ambition they may have, if you ascribe to them membership of a PEN Club or PEN Centre without the proper authorisation of International PEN, London.

   This has nothing to do with your ambitions as writers or as people wishing to work for the common good. You may just not call yourselves an international PEN club, or PEN Centre, or imply that you are anything to do with International PEN. I ask you to immediately communicate this message fully and fairly to all your members. I also request you to change your website within seven days from receiving this letter. May I also repeat that any individual writer in Iran or any other country could, following due process, be welcome to apply for membership with any of the Member Centres of International PEN, London.

   Yours sincerely

   Terry Carlbom

   International Secretary

   International PEN

   ======================================

   International PEN,

   9/10 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road,

   London EC1M 7AT, United Kingdom

   tel: + 44 (0)20 7253 4308 fax: + 44 (0)20 7253 5711

   e.mail: [email protected] website: http://www.internatpen.org

   *******************************************************
   Reply from Kamran Mir hazar to Terry Carlbom:
   http://www.rahapen.org/RAHA_By%20Editor1.htm

   RAHA THE INDEPENDENT WRITERS’ HOME

   We are trying to ensure and create a space such that writers are write freely and also enable them to publish their work independently. Our aim and goal is to produce writings that are read by an audience. Our society is travelling through deep influence of words and our task is to let words reach the people of our societies.

   Dear Sir,

   I am sure that many writers from the Pen International would like to have an opportunity to open their own RAHA website, the home of independent writers, after seeing that such opportunity can exist. I would like to introduce RAHA that was established at the time when many writers did not have access to international organisations. RAHA was founded for the independent writers at the time of terror, censorship, fear of prosecution and fear of being a refuge amongst other upheavals of our societies and countries. There were no real reading and writing opportunities for the Afghans living in Afghanistan and nor many books or libraries. It was under these circumstances that we decided to create a light of opportunity for the _expression of the pen to prevail. When writers do not have any access to traditional publishers, they need to be creative and find other ways, RAHA is one such alternative example.

   For many years writers in Afghanistan were not free to write independently. They were forced to succumb to the governmental establishments and indirectly become weapons against their own people. They simply obeyed praising the seat of power to survive themselves. It was for this, life and death, purpose that writers did not have a real choice but collaborated and compromised in order not to starve. For many years our writers were used both by the international economical organisations and many powerful countries in a game of chess. Of course only the organisations benefited from such chaos. Some of our writers still live in exile with continued fear of prosecution, censor and terror and in this imprisoned environment and turn to the possibility of their work being posted at RAHA. Only two years ago, two of our young writers were killed in the streets of Tehran (Iran). Their deaths were simply alleged as accidents connected to gas leakage in their own homes. I want to know who mourned their loss? Does your organization know about these incidents? Were there any announcements to relay these tragedies? Unfortunately their death was announced in the national papers in Iran as accident deaths by gas and that many know was in all probability a lie.

   You state that the Pen International Organisation and proudly announces the many offices in different countries and that the organisation is supported by UNESO and also give importance and impressive titles to your outfit. Some years ago, about 331 Afghan and Iranian writers wrote a public letter addressed to UNESCO, UN and UNICEF with regard to their concern for the protection of innocent women and children and also the protection of the historical monuments and our cultural heritage. I wrote this letter with the support of Hoshang Gulshiri of Iran and it was signed by 331 writers of the two neighbouring countries. Are you aware of the existence of this letter? Is it not after all your responsibility to know about the concerns of the writers? It is your organisation that claimed to be aware of the movements of writings globally and yet has no information about these two specific tragic events that I mention. The letter it appears did not get the attention of UNESCO, UN or UNICEF or your own organization. That is another reason for us to be committed to work independently and more effectively at the grass root level where we are much more close to our people, our problems than the international organisations from afar such as yourselves.

   Under the tight pressure of censor and terror we have decided to use the internet, as the best way in real time to reflect our opinion free of fear and, to write with honesty. It is for this reason that RAHA in addition to being a space for writers is also a space for posting books electronically.

   Please forgive the use of this vocabulary, but you do appear arrogant in your awareness of knowing the problems of writers. But do you, really? Or are you just into organisational growth for the past 80 years, since your existence, without having a real grasp of all the dimensions of the true situations in the world. Supporting writers is not about appearances and window dressings. Such is the view of those writers who suffer from the pain of being sidelined. There are writers living in the most difficult circumstances in different parts of the world, some in areas where you claim to have offices and yet they remain alone and alienated. Your approach is more a theatre sceene of an old man reading a short story through his spectacles and his gaze affixed instead at his land in the distance.

   RAHA is an organisation that has been founded with basic and simple tools and would focus on areas of real life. Strongly against touristic opinions and critiques of writers with literary prizes, international travelling and presence. I refer to the 5th clause in our objective:

   As the mind has no boundaries, the RAHA concept does not have frontiers and is opposed to information and cultural control by global communication entities whether media conglomerates, states or local governments, or religions

   We are aware that there are some great writers in your society with writings of world heritage and RAHA pays great respect to that. But RAHA does not have any intention to become one of your sub-offices or a package operating from Afghanistan. Rather to remain independent of any influence.

   RAHA is a Persian word that means freedom or free – it is the womb for independent writers and there are two sentences at the bottom of the name RAHA explaining the goal of our organisation. This title in addition to supporting free atmosphere for writers is also stands for the rights of writers’ humanity. You are insisting on the history of your organisation and we are insisting on the history of humanity. We respect copyright however, we all need to think carefully about the precise copyright and its use. You are saying that we must delete the name of international pen from our organisation title. Are you aware that by doing so you are demanding limiting others’ right’s. We have just as much a right to be international and global as the millions of other organisations with that vocabulary on their name.

   We suggest that you buy a plane ticket for Mr Yusa or Mr Miller and suggest a trip to Afghanistan. Their trip would be very fruitful for and we too would have the benefit of their company and their work. We may even find mutual synergy. This trip would also provide new inspirations for the writers out here. They have faced dangers many times in life and dangers have been reflected in their work. They can see how dangerously Afghan writers live and what risks they continuously undertake. We also need support from our writers’ friends all over the world. With their support we would be able to produce more work and be inspired by it. We would have preferred to talk to you about mutual interests and writing matters instead of being challenged by you over the title. We are writers and our goal is progression. We respect the writers rights. With regards to Ms Karen Clark writings, you are right and since you mentioned the problem we have taken her writings off the RAHA site. We apologise to Ms Clark and we hope to receive other work from her. All your writings will be viewed on our sites in order for the writers themselves to justify right and wrong. In addition, the letters will be forwarded by us to your offices as well. We also request that you send the communications and letters in addition to your directors also to his twenty deputies.

   Regards

   Kamran Mir Hazar

   Editor-in-chief

   http://rahapen.org
5. Fritz says:

   January 15, 2004 at 12:06 pm

   Why do corporations have the right to support any kind of political position at all? The extension of any argument in support of corporate funding for elections is that corporations should get the right to vote.

   Corporations are great for capital formation and I’m all for them. But corporations are not people and it is self-evident that they do not have a political voice.
6. Anonymous says:

   March 6, 2004 at 5:47 pm

   Best Cashmere Sweaters for whosales!
7. Readers desk says:

   May 25, 2004 at 10:41 am

   The non-profit RAHA’s has been moving around in exile and fighting and surviving censorship in Afghanistan and Iran, propagating the freedom of reading, writing and speech. Presently, due to financial problems, the main RAHA website is not available (http://rahapen.org) online. Every third world writer knows that they have to face lots of problems like censorship, the illiterate masses, and leading a decent life in difficult circumstances. Writers are even forced to work in kilns and factories.

   This was the reason RAHA chose the Internet as a forum for all to write and read what they wish, sans any fear. In the last two years, RAHA had to face the sponsorship threat even while operating on the net. And many global and local associations felt supporting RAHA’s protest movement is a big risk for them. This is a reminder that RAHA is here to stay: now with Kabul Press, without losing out on any of the objectives that RAHA has been fighting for. All the RAHA pages will reappear on Kabul Press verbatim. The URL is [email protected]. In case of any query please do write to us: [email protected]. And please support RAHA by contacting [email protected]

   In the meantime, all efforts will be taken to reactive and revive RAHA’s main website. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

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