Aims & Objectives

The Freedom to write in the Americas campaign has a number of objectives that will be worked towards throughout 2009:

Highlight the persecution of writers and journalists (particularly physical - i.e. killings, disappearances and imprisonment) by state and non state actors in the Americas, and of pervasive impunity in past and current cases.

Contribute to bringing about a reduction in such persecution, including the release of prisoners, and an increase in accountability by the relevant authorities, thereby reducing levels of impunity.

Provide direct support to imprisoned and otherwise persecuted writers and their families/ colleagues, including moral support by sending letters/ reading material and promoting their writings, and material support via small grants to writers and their families.

Pro-actively promote the right to freedom of expression and the right to write in the Americas within and beyond the PEN community via the written word, including raising awareness of other forms of repression and censorship threatening writers' rights and stimulating debate about possible solutions or alternatives. Issues to be highlighted include the impact of: controls on importation of foreign literature in Venezuela; political polarization in Colombia, Venezuela and Peru; media concentration; and criminal defamation laws.