A conversation on ‘’Rights, Resistance and Resilience’’
P24 joins the IFEX network at the latter’s 25th year celebration in Montreal
16.06.2017
IFEX – the international freedom of expression network – voted to admit P24 into its ranks at the end of its biennial strategy conference in Montreal, Canada. P24 now joins the ranks of some 120 like-minded organisations based in 70 countries grappling with the “new normal” of growing authoritarianism.
“This is a very tough time for free speech,” said historian and author Timothy Garten Ash at the conference start. He described the challenge to free speech activists of being confronted by a world-wide “anti-liberal revolution.”
Delegates tackled the big themes of how to define and handle hate speech, invented news and the outsourcing of censorship and control of public space to the big platform providers like Facebook and Google. Looming large over the discussion was the impact of the erosion of respect for press freedom and free speech in Trump’s America. “Once, if you were a Guardian correspondent you were treated with a modicum respect – now it’s a ride in an ambulance with a broken nose,” said Anne Gate, IFEX’s outgoing convenor.
The conference IFEX celebrated its 25th year at was described as the largest global gathering of free expression advocates. The three-day event was organised around the “three Rs” – Rights, Resistance and Resilience.
IFEX sets out to be a solidarity network of support but also provides its members with practical tutorials and expertise. There were sessions devoted to the difficulties of maintaining online security or the humdrum problems of NGO’s trying to diversify sources of funding.
IFEX celebrated the twenty-fifth year of its founding in its original home in Canada. Though Toronto-based, there are only four Canadian members and it draws much of its authority by not being a First World club. Among those admitted to membership alongside the P24 were organisations based in Uruguay, Nigeria, Kirgizstan Bosnia, South Africa, India and South Sudan.
Guests to the conference included Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson. The South Asian Maritime Bhangra dancers who hail from the Canadian province of Halifax gave a sort of motivational talk and performance revolving around social responsibility. There was also a moving tribute to the 46 journalists murdered in Mexico over the course of last year. And while much time was spent discussing the threats to free expression, Turkey was the only country to have an entire session devoted to its own affairs and what participants referred to as the deepening crisis in that country undermining rights and basic freedoms.