FREEDOMCURRENT CENSORSHIPTOREAD ISSUES IN CANADA volume 28 BOOK AND PERIODICAL COUNCIL

John Ralston Saul Intellectual Freedom Fighter

Where to Launch Your Libel Suit The U.S., U.K. or Canada Cover Their Ears Censoring Children’s Theatre Reclaiming Aboriginal Stories David Bouchard Speaks Out Elusive Docs Navigating Government Websites

PLUS Get Involved 2012 Ideas for Educators www.freedomtoread.ca A RTICLE B IOGRAPHY C O N T E N T D RAFT E SSAY F ICTION G RAPHIC H ANDWRITING I LLUSTRATION J OURNAL K NOWLEDGE book L ITERATURE M AGAZINE N OVELLA O PUS P LAY Q UOTE R EPORT & S TUDY T RANSCRIPT U PDATE V ERSE W ORDPLAY X EROGRAPHY Y ARN open open Z EUGMA www.freedomtoread.ca FREEDOMTOREAD The year 2011 was inspirational for proponents of free expression. A deep longing for democracy, human rights and equality drove people into the streets during the Arab Spring and mobilized the Occupy Wall Street movement. Although they sometimes faced violent responses, ordinary people armed with powerful ideas toppled governments in North Africa and challenged inequality at home. These events remind us that free expression is vital to building and maintaining healthy democracies. Freedom to Read 2012 looks at pressing issues of censorship and free expression in our Canadian democracy and around the world. In this issue, we look at the freedom of Canadian youth to read. Lucy White explores censorship in theatre for young audiences. Anne Jayne writes about a newly amended law in Alberta that limits discussion of sexual orientation in public schools. And Professor George Dei explains why he is a longtime advocate for Africentric public schools. Freedom to Read 2012 also features interviews with two tireless Canadian advocates of free expression: John Ralston Saul, the president of PEN International, and David Bouchard, an award-winning author and champion of literacy in aboriginal communities. Librarians David Burke and Carol Perry tell us about their attempt to gain access to government documents, and Alvin Schrader and Donna Bowman report the latest attempts to remove books, magazines and DVDs from Canadian public libraries. But there is much more in this issue of Freedom to Read 2012: book reviews, international news and ways to promote freedom to read in your community. I won’t give everything away. Enjoy! Josh Bloch, Editor 20 12

Please send your comments and ideas for future issues of Freedom to Read to the Book and Periodical Council, Suite 107, 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C2. Phone: (416) 975-9366 Fax: (416) 975-1839 E-mail: [email protected] Visit www.freedomtoread.ca for more information. Book and Periodical Council THE BOOK AND PERIODICAL COUNCIL (BPC) WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP OF FREEDOM TO READ WEEK 2012:

Canadian Library Association

THE BPC WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND IN-KIND DONATIONS:

reva pomer design

Nunavut Public Library Services

Manitoba Library Association Canadian Library Association

THE BPC THANKS THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP: CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK NEWS, CANADIAN LITERATURE, FELICITER, THE FIDDLEHEAD, GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS, THE INTERNATIONAL FREE EXPRESSION REVIEW, QUILL AND QUIRE, STUDIES IN CANADIAN LITERATURE, UBC PRESS AND THE WRITERS’ UNION OF CANADA.

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY PRODUCING THE KIT AND POSTER AND MAINTAINING THE WEBSITE AT WWW.FREEDOMTOREAD.CA: JOSH BLOCH, FRANKLIN CARTER, LESLEY FLETCHER, ANNE MCCLELLAND, PEGGY MCKEE, SCOTT MITCHELL, MARG ANNE MORRISON, REVA POMER, SANDRA RICHMOND AND DAVID WYMAN. WE ALSO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION COMMITTEE: PAULA BRILL, RON BROWN, FRANKLIN CARTER, SANDY CRAWLEY, BRENDAN DE CAIRES, LESLIE DE FREITAS, TERI DEGLER, BRIANNE DIANGELO, KATE EDWARDS, DAVID KENT, BIANCA LAKOSELJAC, MARK LEIREN-YOUNG, ANNE MCCLELLAND, KATE MCQUAID, MARG ANNE MORRISON (CHAIR), JULIE PAYNE, REVA POMER, JANE PYPER, TONI SAMEK AND ERIN STROPES. THE BPC, ALONG WITH THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION COMMITTEE, THANKS ALL WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FREEDOM TO READ KIT OF 2012. THE BPC GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE SUPPORT OF ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS.

94 ™ 2012 THE BOOK AND PERIODICAL COUNCIL (BPC) WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FREEDOMTOREAD Contents FOR THEIR GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP OF FREEDOM TO READ WEEK 2012: EDITOR Josh Bloch CONSULTING EDITOR Franklin Carter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Reva Pomer POSTER DESIGN David Wyman CONTRIBUTORS

Donna Bowman, Ron Brown, John Ralston Saul Alan Borovoy Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi Grant Buckler, David Burke, Brendan de Caires, George J. Sefa Dei, Anne Jayne, Wayne MacPhail, 4 Position Statement: Freedom of 26 Challenges to Canadian Library Hilary McLaughlin, Charles Montpetit, Expression and Freedom to Read Resources and Policies in 2010 Carol Perry, Cheryl Rainfield, By Alvin M. Schrader and Alvin M. Schrader, Susan Swan, 4 Book and Periodical Council Donna Bowman Members 2011–12 Lucy White 28 Facing Book Challenges: Two © Book and Periodical Council 2011 5 News Bytes Canadian Authors’ Experiences No part of this publication may be reproduced, By Franklin Carter By Susan Swan and Cheryl Rainfield stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written 8 Enduring Advocate for Free 29 Facing Cuts to Library Funding permission of the Book and Periodical Council or, Expression: John Ralston Saul in the case of photocopying or other reprographic By Ron Brown copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright in Conversation Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). By Brendan de Caires 30 Is Journalism Worth Dying For? Please credit the Book and Periodical Council By Brendan de Caires on any copies of kit materials. Forward all 10 Libel Tourism: Shopping Around suggestions for future Freedom to Read kits for the Best Verdict 31 Book Profile: The Fog of War to the Book and Periodical Council in Toronto. The opinions expressed in Freedom to Read 2012 By Hilary McLaughlin By Grant Buckler do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Book and Periodical Council or its member 12 Dropping the Curtain 32 Book Profile: The Man in Blue associations. on Children’s Theatre Pyjamas ISBN 978-0-9739099-7-5 By Lucy White By Brendan de Caires

14 Changing the Story: 33 Book Profile: The Master Switch FOR MORE Aboriginal Characters in CanLit; By Wayne MacPhail INFORMATION David Bouchard in Conversation 34 Freedom to Read Week Activities AND RESOURCES By Josh Bloch and Events Across Canada 2011 CANADA’S EVENT CALENDAR 16 Opting Out in the Classroom: FOR FREEDOM TO READ Alberta’s Chilling Human Rights WEEK • A LIST OF BOOKS Amendments By Anne Jayne Get Involved RECENTLY CHALLENGED IN CANADA • TIPS ON HOW TO 17 Access to Government Information 37 Ideas for Educators OBSERVE FREEDOM TO READ in Canada’s Public Libraries WEEK • A CHRONOLOGY By David Burke and Carol Perry 37 Winners of the Calgary Public Library’s Freedom to Read Contest OF BOOK BANNINGS AND 19 Africentric Education: Enabling the BURNINGS IN WORLD Freedom to Read and Learn 38 Freedom to Read Kit Quiz HISTORY • POSTER ART By George J. Sefa Dei FOR 28 YEARS OF FREEDOM 39 Speak Out for the Freedom 20 The International View: to Read TO READ WEEK • LINKS TO Freedom of Expression in 2011 OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES 40 Freedom to Read Word Search • AND MUCH MORE . . . VISIT 23 Meanwhile in Quebec ... By Charles Montpetit 40 Banned Authors Word Search WWW.FREEDOMTOREAD.CA AND FOLLOW US ON 24 Award-Winning Activists FACEBOOK AND TWITTER and Writers of 2011 Position Statement FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREEDOM TO READ thebpc A statement of the basic tenets of the Freedom of Expression book and periodical council Committee of the Book and Periodical Council

The Book and Periodical Council is the umbrella organization for associations “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms . . . involved in the writing, editing, publishing, thought, belief, opinion, and expression.” manufacturing, distributing, selling and lend- ing of books and periodicals in Canada. — Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

MEMBERS 2011–12 Freedom of expression is a fundamental right of all Canadians, and freedom FULL MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS to read is part of that precious heritage. Our Committee, representing member Access Copyright organizations and associations of the Book and Periodical Council, reaffirms its Association of Canadian Publishers support of this vital principle and opposes all efforts to suppress writing and Canadian Authors Association silence writers. Words and images in their myriad configurations are the substance Canadian Library Association of free expression. Canadian Publishers’ Council The freedom to choose what we read does not, however, include the freedom to Editors’ Association of Canada choose for others. We accept that courts alone have the authority to restrict reading League of Canadian Poets material, a prerogative that cannot be delegated or appropriated. Prior restraint Literary Press Group of Canada demeans individual responsibility; it is anathema to freedom and democracy. Magazines Canada Periodical Marketers of Canada As writers, editors, publishers, book manufacturers, distributors, retailers Professional Writers Association of Canada and librarians, we abhor arbitrary interpretations of the law and other The Writers’ Union of Canada attempts to limit freedom of expression. ASSOCIATE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS We recognize court judgements; otherwise, we oppose the detention, seizure, Association of Book Publishers of British destruction or banning of books and periodicals—indeed, any effort to deny, Columbia repress or sanitize. Censorship does not protect society; it smothers creativity Association of Manitoba Book Publishers and precludes open debate of controversial issues. Book Publishers Association of Alberta Endorsed by the Book and Periodical Council Canadian Children’s Book Centre February 5, 1997 Canadian Copyright Institute Ontario Library Association Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario PEN Canada TO ORDER KITS The Word on the Street The Writers’ Trust of Canada AND POSTERS AFFILIATES Freedom to Read kits may be ordered Calyx Ground Transportation Solutions from the Book and Periodical Council Disticor Magazine Distribution Services for $16.50 plus shipping, handling Fraser Direct Distribution Services and HST. Orders for 10 kits or more, Georgetown Terminal Warehouses Ltd. shipped to a single address, receive a 20 per cent discount and may be Pal Benefits Inc. accompanied by a purchase order. Sameday Worldwide Flat, rolled, full-colour posters TransMedia Group Inc. are available for $10 plus Universal Logistics Inc. shipping, handling and HST. BPC EXECUTIVE (GST/HST#R106801889). All orders are non-refundable. Co-Chair: Anita Purcell (Canadian Authors Association) Book and Periodical Council Vice Chair: Jack Illingworth 192 Spadina Avenue, Suite 107 (Literary Press Group of Canada) Toronto, Ontario M5T 2C2 Past Chair: Stephanie Fysh Phone: (416) 975-9366 (Editors’ Association of Canada) Fax: (416) 975-1839 Treasurer: Joanna Poblocka E-mail: [email protected] (League of Canadian Poets) www.freedomtoread.ca www.theBPC.ca BPC STAFF Follow us on Facebook Executive Director: Anne McClelland and Twitter Program Co-ordinator: Erin Stropes

4 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 newsbytes By FRANKLIN CARTER

demanded the removal of all copies CANADA from schools. “We consider The Wars to be inappro- JUSTICE MINISTER CALLS FOR priate to be presented to a class where there are students under 18,” said REPEAL OF BAN ON HATE SPEECH Carolyn Waddell of Tiverton. IN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT The Wars tells the story of a young In mid-November 2011, Rob Nicholson, Canadian man who goes to France the justice minister of Canada, rose in to fight in World War I. He endures the House of Commons to urge MPs violence, horror and trauma. In 1977, from all parties to vote to repeal section the novel won the Governor General’s 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Literary Award for fiction. Section 13 bans the repeated trans- mission on telephones and the Internet HIGH COURT RULES ON of messages that are intended to expose INTERNET HYPERLINK CASE identifiable groups of people—usually On Oct. 19, 2011, the Supreme Court minorities—to hatred or contempt. of Canada ruled unanimously that “Our government believes that hyperlinking to defamatory sites on the section 13 is not an appropriate or Internet does not amount to publishing effective means for combatting hate Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (Obelisk Press, 1934) defamation. propaganda,” Nicholson said. “We Photo by Anthony Maddaloni People who merely hyperlink to other believe the Criminal Code is the best The library had acquired its copies, people’s sites cannot be held legally vehicle to prosecute these crimes ...” which were published outside Canada, responsible for any defamatory remarks “Our government is supporting earlier in 1961. Some library officials on those sites, the court said. But peo- the repeal of section 13 because it is wanted to resist the censorship, but the ple who repeat defamatory remarks on subjective and unnecessarily vague library board ultimately complied with their own sites may be sued in court. when it comes to informing Canadians the law. The Supreme Court of Canada also about what can and cannot be said In New York City, Grove Press had dismissed the appeal of Wayne Crookes, on the Internet,” added Julie Di published a new edition of Tropic of an activist for the Green Party of Mambro, press secretary for the Cancer in 1961. Legal authorities across Canada. Crookes had argued that Jon minister of justice. the United States and in other countries Newton had defamed him by hyperlink- MPs could vote to retain or repeal tried unsuccessfully to suppress the ing to sites that Crookes said defamed section 13 in the first months of 2012. book in the 1960s. him and other Greens. The dispute originated in British NEWSPAPER MARKS ANNIVERSARY ACCLAIMED NOVEL ESCAPES BAN Columbia in 2006. OF TROPIC OF CANCER’S IN ONTARIO SCHOOL DISTRICT Publishers and free speech advocates CENSORSHIP IN TORONTO In November 2011, the Bluewater District across Canada welcomed the deci- In November 2011, The Toronto Star School Board in southern Ontario decid- sion. They had feared that a victory marked the fiftieth anniversary of the ed to keep copies of Timothy Findley’s for Crookes in court would stifle free censorship of Tropic of Cancer—a The Wars in its secondary schools. expression on the Internet. sexually explicit memoir by U.S. author The board accepted the recommenda- Henry Miller—in Toronto. tion of a textbook review committee HIGH COURT HEARS DISPUTE On Nov. 25, 1961, the board of the which had studied The Wars and had OVER ANTI-GAY LITERATURE Toronto Public Library surrendered its concluded that the novel was useful in On Oct. 12, 2011, the Supreme Court only four copies of Tropic of Cancer to Grade 12 English classes. of Canada heard lawyers argue for and Canadian customs officials. The book Six months earlier, in May, some against the censorship of strongly had been banned as obscene in Canada parents had objected to depictions of worded anti-gay literature. since the 1930s. sex and violence in The Wars and had NEWSBYTES CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 5 NEWS BYTES

NEWSBYTES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 a friend. At the border, a Canadian cus- Grant Scharfstein, the lawyer speak- toms officer searched the man’s belong- ing for the Saskatchewan Human Rights ings, including his laptop computer. The Commission (SHRC), argued that hate- officer found sexually explicit manga— filled anti-gay literature poses a threat a Japanese style of comic book art. to gay people. He asked the court to The officer turned the laptop over to uphold the clause in the Saskatchewan Canadian police who charged the man Human Rights Act that authorizes the with possession of child pornography censorship of anti-gay literature. and intent to distribute child pornogra- Thomas Schuck, the lawyer for phy. If convicted, the man faces a mini- Christian activist William Whatcott, mum sentence of one year in prison. argued that the ban on anti-gay lit- The case could go to court in 2012. erature in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Act unjustly infringes the free expression rights of his client and other INTERNATIONAL Christians who condemn gay sex as unhealthy and sinful. Schuck asked the OFFICE OF SATIRICAL MAGAZINE court to strike down the ban. FIREBOMBED IN FRANCE In 2001 and 2002, Whatcott wrote and distributed anti-gay flyers in Regina During the night of Nov. 2, 2011, an and Saskatoon. In 2005, a tribunal of arsonist firebombed the office of Charlie the SHRC found that Whatcott had bro- The Wars by Timothy Findley (Penguin Books, 1996) Hebdo, a weekly satirical magazine, in ken the law by exposing gay people to Suburban—opposed the proposal Paris. No one was injured or killed. hatred or ridicule. because they suspected that government On the same day, Charlie Hebdo was The Supreme Court of Canada is certification meant a loss of journalistic set to release its latest issue which expected to rule on the law in 2012. independence and freedom. mocked fundamentalist Islam. The In April 2011, members of La Fédération cover bore the headline “Charia Hebdo” professionnelle des journalistes (“Shariah Weekly”) and a cartoon of QUEBEC CABINET MINISTER du Québec—a non-governmental the Muslim prophet Mohammed saying, EXPLORES IDEA OF CERTIFYING association of journalists—voted over- “100 coups de fouet, si vous n’êtes pas JOURNALISTS whelmingly for certification. But support morts de rire!” (“100 lashes if you’re not In the autumn of 2011, Christine for the proposal fell when members dying of laughter!”) St-Pierre, the minister of culture and learned that they would not establish French politicians—including Prime communication in Quebec’s government, the standards for professional status. Minister François Fillon, Minister of the launched public hearings to gather Interior Claude Guéant and Mayor of opinions about a plan to certify EXPLICIT DIGITAL COMICS LAND Paris Bertrand Delanoë—lined up to professional journalists. U.S. VISITOR IN LEGAL TROUBLE condemn the attack and defend the St-Pierre proposed certification to On June 24, 2011, two legal organiza- magazine’s freedom of expression. help the reading public distinguish tions joined forces to defend a U.S. Spokesmen for important Muslim between professional journalists—who man who was stopped at the Canadian organizations—such as the Association do original research, write in the public border and charged with possession of Imams of France and the French interest and produce quality work—and of sexually obscene comics. Muslim Council—also condemned the amateur writers such as bloggers. The two organizations—the Comic attack. She also suggested, in August 2011, Legends Legal Defense Fund of Canada One week after the firebombing, that certified professional journalists and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Charlie Hebdo released its next issue. could enjoy privileges such as better of the United States—also announced The cover bore a cartoon of a male access to government sources of their intention to raise $150,000 for the Charlie Hebdo cartoonist kissing a information. man’s legal defence. Muslim man on the mouth. The head- But several news agencies—such In 2010, a U.S. computer programmer line: “L’amour plus fort que la haine.” as La Presse, The Gazette and The in his twenties flew to Canada to visit (“Love is stronger than hate.”)

6 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 Hill responded by writing a column MISSOURI SCHOOL BOARD ENDS in The Toronto Star on June 20. He BOOK BAN BUT RESTRICTS spoke against book burning. He also STUDENT ACCESS explained that racial terms—words On Sept. 19, 2011, a school board in such as “Negro,” “black” and “African- Republic, Mo., ended a two-month-old Canadian”—have changed over time. ban on two novels: Kurt Vonnegut’s The title of Hill’s novel refers to an Slaughterhouse-Five and Sarah Ockler’s actual eighteenth-century document. Twenty Boy Summer. At the end of the revolutionary war But the school board put the two in the American colonies, the British novels in secure sections of school recorded the names of black loyalists libraries. Students were told to obtain in a ledger. The British then evacuated the permission of a parent or guardian the loyalists by ship to Nova Scotia. if they wanted to read a school copy of either novel. Slaughterhouse-Five and Twenty Boy AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Summer are available only for students’ NAMES MOST CHALLENGED BOOKS independent reading. Teachers may not In 2010, the most frequently challenged require students to read the novels. book in U.S. public libraries was And Teachers may not read the novels aloud The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Tango Makes Three, announced the in class. by Sherman Alexie. Art by Ellen Forney. American Library Association (ALA). (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2007) In July 2011, the school board voted The children’s book by Justin Richardson to remove both novels from schools in Before the book’s publication in and Peter Parnell tells the story of two the district. A Republic resident, Wesley September 2011, the CIA successfully male penguins raising a baby penguin Scroggins, had complained about pro- ordered the publisher, W.W. Norton & in a zoo. fanity, blasphemy and references to sex Company, to delete scores of passages Americans who sought to have And in the novels. from the text as well as photographs Tango Makes Three removed from In August 2011, the Kurt Vonnegut and the book’s index. libraries objected to the theme of same- Memorial Library in Indianapolis offered Soufan and his publisher, however, sex parenting. They complained that free copies of Slaughterhouse-Five to challenged the CIA’s order in court and the book was unsuited for children and 150 students in Republic to raise public hope to restore all the deletions in a often cited religious reasons for wanting awareness of the ban. later edition of the book. the book banned. The book has consistently appeared on U.S. SPY AGENCY ORDERS CUTS TO the ALA’s list of the 10 most frequently COUNTERTERRORISM MEMOIR DUTCH ACTIVISTS BURN COVER challenged books since 2005. OF CANADIAN NOVEL In the summer of 2011, the Central The second most frequently chal- Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United On June 22, 2011, anti-racist activists lenged book on the ALA’s list was The States successfully demanded deletions in Amsterdam, Holland, burned photo- Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time to the memoir of a former special agent copies of the cover of Lawrence Hill’s Indian by Sherman Alexie. This novel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Het negerboek. They objected to the tells the story of a teenager who is (FBI) who played a major role in fighting word “neger” (“Negro”) in the title. alienated from the white kids at his terrorism between 1997 and 2005. Lawrence Hill is the Canadian author high school and the Spokane Indians The Black Banners: The Inside Story of The Book of Negroes, an acclaimed who live on his reservation. of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda by novel about slavery in the eighteenth Americans who sought to have Ali H. Soufan argues that the CIA missed century. Het negerboek is the title of Alexie’s novel removed from libraries a chance to disrupt al-Qaeda’s attacks the Dutch translation. objected to the book’s language, in the United States in 2001 by with- Several days before the activists “racism” and sexual references. holding information from the FBI about burned their photocopies, Hill received In 2007, The Absolutely True Diary of two of the terrorists who were living in an e-mailed message from their leader, a Part-Time Indian won a National Book California more than a year before the Roy Groenberg. Groenberg told Hill that Award in the category of young people’s attacks took place. he planned to burn the book. literature. 

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 7 PERSPECTIVES Endur ng Advoci ate for Free Expression

John Ralston Saul in Conversation with Brendan de Caires KATESZATMARI

February of 2011, the Writers’ Union l’avenir/French for the Future, and founder and of Canada awarded John Ralston chair of the LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium on Saul its Freedom to Read Award. advancing an egalitarian and inclusive approach The award honours Canadians who to democracy. haveIn made a significant contribution to defending Saul’s award-winning books and essays— the right to read and write freely without fear of including The Unconscious Civilization, Voltaire’s reprisal. Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West Saul is the president of PEN International and and A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada a former president of PEN Canada. He was in- —have had an important impact on political and strumental in establishing PEN Canada’s Writers economic thought around the world. in Exile program. Some of his many titles include In June 2011, Brendan de Caires sat down with co-chair of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Saul to discuss his lifetime of work for freedom of founder and honorary chair of Le français pour expression.

8 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012

BdC When did your commitment to freedom of expression course, I was sitting there—the only Westerner at the table—and begin? everyone else was North African or Asian. So storming out was JRS In the 1980s, I spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia and just the silliest thing he could do. North Africa, and I had friends who were in trouble all the time. So we just continued and, in its latest statement on the sub- Intellectuals who were arrested, beaten up, forced into exile. ject, Geneva has dropped its desire to get status for religious When I went to those countries, I didn’t think that I would make defamation. That is an enormous achievement, and we can claim Advocate friends with people whose lives would be on the line because of at least 50 per cent of it. for Free Expression what they wrote or spoke. You win for freedom of expression by the simple fact that you It was naïve on my part. I was in my twenties, and I hadn’t keep going and you are there. You demonstrate that this is what thought through the implications for people who opened their civilized activity is like. This is what responsible citizenship is mouths. I had always been able to open my mouth. So in the like. Being silent, or accepting crumbs from the table, is the mid-1980s, I focused on PEN as a place to direct my primary worst thing you can do. effort outside my writing. BdC What are the most pressing issues of freedom to read and Here I am at 64 and the issues are the same and we are still freedom of expression in Canada? fighting them. JRS It’s very clear to me that education in Canada and elsewhere BdC Of all the campaigns that PEN took on, what are your proud- has been moving in what can best be called a utilitarian direc- est achievements? tion. The result is this idea of measurables—that things have to be measured—and, of course, that has a disastrous impact on JRS Of the recent things, I think the position on China has been literacy. very complex and very sophisticated. It’s very hard to pull free- dom of expression in China to the centre of the debate and hold Our levels of illiteracy and functional illiteracy are very high. it there. But if you look at it as a long-term or medium-term pro- Up to a quarter of the population is illiterate, or functionally illit- cess, it’s really quite successful. erate, because the educational approach toward language has lost its content. This utilitarian thing is a blow against freedom The members of the Chinese PEN Centre have shown incred- of expression. ible courage and professionalism. There are thousands of people making billions of dollars who do not want freedom of expres- If people can’t really read, they can’t take part in debate. If sion to be at the centre of the debate, and we just keep pulling they are not reading, they are not writing. Remember that the it back there. At the same time, we keep saying, “You know, we Charter of Rights guarantees freedom of expression. It is the are actually on China’s side. It’s just China that is not on China’s most important of those four guarantees. Freedom of expression side.” is about writing and reading, speaking and listening. The reading and the listening are as active as the writing and the speaking. Also, when I ran to be president of PEN International, I said So if you are not reading, you are not part of the debate and you that one of the most important things was to protect smaller have lost your freedom of expression. languages and endangered languages. The issue hadn’t been a big theme of PEN’s because it didn’t seem to be related to litera- I think that this is a real challenge. It is absolutely essential ture or freedom of expression. But of course the issue is directly to bring, if you like, the imagination and literature back into the related to both because all of these languages have literatures. core of learning to read at school. It’s not the fault of the teach- If you lose your language, you lose your freedom of expression. ers; it’s the fault of bureaucrats and the people who design the So it’s exciting that PEN International is now committed to work- programs. They are acting as if the students are stupid. They are ing in this area. not challenging the students. One other achievement. Last year, we joined a session in BdC How about freedom of expression outside the education Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Council to discuss system? the question of religious defamation.* We went with a group of JRS This is equally a problem across the big cities of Canada. If mainly Arab and Islamic writers. It really caught the attention of people aren’t engaging with real writing, then they are giving up the human rights community in Geneva. the fundamentals of how democracy works. We were helped by the fact that the leader of the other side, And you just have to remember that, in spite of some of who was the representative of Pakistan, stormed out and made the politicians around at the moment, Canada has a long list a terrible fuss and said PEN is a Western organization. And, of JOHN RALSTON SAUL CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 9 PERSPECTIVES Libel T  urism AROUND Shopping FOR THE Best Verdict

By HILARY MCLAUGHLIN

magine that a reporter files a story that Mayor his publication. And the onus will be upon the reporter and the Bloggs of East Pine Tree, Ont., is a tippler and publication to prove the veracity of the case. British libel courts not really up to the next job he seeks, that of are notoriously plaintiff-friendly. MPP for his area. There are a couple of photo- Libel basically refers to defamation in writing that calls into graphs—the nasty kind, where the person has question some action or behaviour. The purpose of libel law is to been caught as he is blinking and would look prevent reckless commentary on any person to his or her detri- drunk if he were eating a banana—and a reputa- ment without documented proof to substantiate the story. Ition is under threat. Not surprisingly, the way such laws are applied vary from coun- What should Mayor Bloggs do? Sue in an Ontario court? Not if try to country and, often, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction within he wants to win without cost. He will make sure that someone countries. But we might suppose that Canada, with its Charter has posted this story on the Internet and that the story has been of Rights and Freedoms, the United States, with its Bill of Rights, read in Britain—almost a given in this day and age—and take his and Great Britain, the cradle of democracy as it is understood case to London. There, where he—unknown to most of the great at home and elsewhere, are the freest of all. Not necessarily so. British public—has been defamed, he can sue the reporter and The other side of libel is the freedom to express: opinion,

JOHN RALSTON SAUL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 JRS It’s very simple. I keep saying that my job is to help drag of great leaders at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. the concept of freedom of expression into the absolute centre of Almost without exception they were intellectuals. The great prime public consciousness in the public debate.  ministers of Canada—Conservatives and Liberals—were all intel- lectuals. And the bad ones were not. They read. They thought. *Since 1999, the representatives of Muslim governments in the They considered ideas. That is how they were able to lead a U.N. Human Rights Council have voted for resolutions that call complicated country. for an end to the defamation of religion, especially Islam. Western If you don’t have an intellectual idea of a place—an imaginative governments and organizations such as PEN International, how- idea of the place—you are lost. ever, oppose the resolutions because they would effectively ban BdC In a few years, what would you like to be remembered for as the criticism of religion around the world and curtail freedom of president of PEN? expression.

10 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 investigation, straight reportage. When libel laws are too restric- be called upon to determine if the story meets the standards the tive, they may protect an innocent celebrity, for example, from Supreme Court has now added for free and fair expression: being labelled a drunkard if he or she is seen at a reception with 1. the publication is on a matter of public interest a glass of wine in hand, but they may also prevent a reporter who and has covered the celebrity for months and seen instances of alco- 2. the publisher was diligent in trying to verify the allegation, hol abuse from reporting the fact. If the individual in question is a having regard to private citizen, whose drinking patterns have little public interest, a. the seriousness of the allegation that fact alone might prevent such a story from ever making print. b. the public importance of the matter If the drinker is a politician, a famous actor or a religious leader, c. the urgency of the matter there might be some perceived public interest in knowing about d. the status and reliability of the source this trait. e. whether the plaintiff’s side of the story was sought and If Mayor Bloggs went to the United States, which also has accurately reported near-universal Internet access and where someone might have f. whether the inclusion of the defamatory statement was posted on the story from the East Pine Tree Screech, he might not justifiable be so lucky. Americans are well covered by the First Amendment g. whether the defamatory statement’s public interest lay in rights to freedom of speech, and the onus would be entirely upon the fact that it was made rather than its truth (“reportage”) the plaintiff to prove that his drinking was in no way accurately h. any other relevant circumstances reflected in the article. And, unlike in Britain, where most plain- tiffs file on a fee-for-win contingency, he would be up to his ears Britain has also—as recently as March 2011—introduced draft in legal fees, win or lose. libel legislation which will loosen some of the restrictions. Britain is a little sensitive about its reputation as a destination for “libel So why not just stay home and take care of the matter locally? tourism,” which allowed the sort of scenario sketched above for Until recently, that option would have been Mayor Bloggs’s best Mayor Bloggs to work heavily in his favour. Consider the celebrity course. Canadian libel laws were quite draconian, and the onus cases that were taken by stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and was very much upon the defendant to prove the veracity of any Michael Douglas or Roman Polanski to the British courts to get single statement. And truth alone was not enough of a defence: if restitution for things published about them in the United States the court had a whiff of malicious intent in the publication of the or elsewhere. story, the finding would still be for the plaintiff. How important was it for East Pine Tree to know that the mayor/MPP candidate And the United States, following in the wake of several states, liked a tipple? He would, after all, only have been following in including New York, is enacting federal law to make sure that the the footsteps of earlier Canadian politicians. (Why, Sir John A. freedom of its own writers to express legally acceptable mate- himself, father of our Confederation and all that ...) rial in the United States is not jeopardized by findings in foreign courts, even (especially?) friendly ones such as those in Britain. However, a couple of years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada opened up the issue by ruling that a defence of “responsible The next great battleground will straddle all countries and juris- communication” could be applied against liability. The justices’ dictions, as people scrutinize social media for potential abuses. comparisons of other Commonwealth guidelines and laws sug- The likes of Facebook profess to be hosting platforms instead of gested that Canada’s law was lagging behind because it infringed publishers, but if significant abuse appears within its platforms, freedom of expression and allowed “libel chill,” which prevented will they, too, become responsible for what their countless mem- reporters from investigating malfeasances to the detriment of bers publish, so far with relative (though not blanket) impunity? public interest. In liberal-minded Australia, the cases that have seen the light of day have involved things that breach other criminal conducts— And therein lies the conundrum. Mayor Bloggs—Joe—may cyber-stalking and threats—but can taking the mickey irrespon- drink with impunity, as long as he does so under law. (He is sibly be far behind? of age, he does not get behind the wheel of a car, he does no damage to person or property.) But Joe Bloggs—candidate for Like all laws, those regarding libel are intended, in a free soci- higher office, family values man, of a previously unblemished ety, for the protection of all. They are intended to protect you reputation—is seen publicly with a drink in his hand time after and me against being defamed unjustly as well as the right of a time. Does the constituency that will be called upon to consider reporter to opine, should we put ourselves forward, that we might electing him have the right to that information? not be up to the mark of some public office we wish to embrace. In the end, the issue does come down to responsible behaviour.  If the reporter turns out to be the scion of a family long associ- ated with another political party, his motives may well be called Hilary McLaughlin is an Ottawa journalist and communications into question. If, however, he has no axe to grind, a court may consultant.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 11 PERSPECTIVES

the Curtain on R Children’s Theatre By LUCY WHITE

laywright Joan fairy tales to hard-hitting contem- O MacLeod’s The porary topics such as bullying, Shape of a Girl drug abuse and teen pregnancy. tells the story Canadian TYA is produced for of Braidie. children as young as three and Braidie knows as old as 18. TYA companies face thatP being a teenager, even being a range of censoring behaviours a little kid, means often seeing from educators, parents and hideous behaviour from your other theatre professionals. peers. Content and context are the For years, Braidie’s best challenges in making theatre for friend has cruelly and painfully young audiences. Content, includ- harassed another classmate. ing language and subject, is what Now, from the television and the most often determines whether papers, Braidie learns about a principals or teachers will want to shocking case in a nearby city: bring the show to their schools. A a teenager murdered by another play that addresses one or more youth—“a monster in the shape curriculum topics is much more

of a girl.” The Shape of a Girl / Jewel by Joan MacLeod likely to be booked. Braidie worries. Could a mur- (Talonbooks, 2002) But the context is also extremely der happen here? Could her friend become a killer? important. When planning a show, professionals And if Braidie just stands by and lets murder happen, must consider the age of the audience, region of the will she be guilty too? Joan MacLeod pulls us into country, and urban, rural and cultural sensitivities. a tough and complicated teenage world—a world Certain topics or words will not be acceptable in where loyalty to a friend can have tragic results. some regions but will be acceptable in others. N The Shape of a Girl has played in schools and on In Quebec, for example, schools are much less main stages across Canada and the United States to worried about language or sexual topics than schools audiences in the thousands. The play is one of the in other regions. Big-city high schools are more inter- most in-demand plays on antibullying and personal ested in frank explorations of drug use or gang vio- responsibility for high school audiences of 13 years lence. Sex, or anything related to sexuality, is a big of age and older. It is also one of the most chal- no-no in conservative areas of the country. lenged plays. The word “fuck” is used twice. “Shape is a great play and bullying is a topic that G The Shape of a Girl is one of many plays written schools really want help with,” says Dean Fleming, specifically for Theatre for Young Audiences or TYA. artistic director of Geordie Productions in Montreal. TYA is professionally produced theatre for and about “‘Fuck’ is used for a good reason in Shape.” But when children. The topics range from traditional folk and booking a school tour to visit Quebec and Ontario

12 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012

schools, he adds: “Principals in Ontario said that if that word was used, they What is experienced as censorship at would stop the play and ask the company to leave the school. But there worst is also understood as choosing were no complaints in Quebec.” appropriate theatre for kids at best. Green Thumb Theatre in Vancouver produces four-to-six plays each year for the theatre company know they are keeper—the principal or parent—but we elementary, high school and young adult cancelling because of the subject. need content strong enough to appeal audiences. Like most TYA companies, This approach is what McDonald and to the teens who are the audience for the group has developed strategies for playwright Dave Deveau use in Out in the show.” Censorship does exist, but it dealing with censorship. War, a play that the Open. The play is about two boy- is often hidden in marketplace buying explores young male rage and anger hood friends. One comes out during a decisions. by Denis Foon, had the last few tour camping trip. McDonald is clear that All TYA practitioners are aware of and performances cancelled in one school many schools may object to the topic, sensitive to these issues. What is expe- district because a school board official but they won’t be able to pretend that rienced as censorship at worst is also deemed the play good except for one their reason is language. understood as choosing appropriate monologue which he found “too frank.” TYA practitioners worry that there is a theatre for kids at best. Theatres pro- “But we refused to cut the mono- lot of pressure to self-censor in language vide after-play talk backs, study guides logue,” recalls Patrick McDonald, artistic and content. It’s not well understood by and educator nights to educate, inform director of Green Thumb. “The school the educational and the family market- and welcome educators. But it’s getting board booked the play, and they knew place that theatre companies are not 100 increasingly difficult for theatre compa- the subject matter, so it was important per cent subsidized through government nies to create great shows. It’s no longer to have them acknowledge that it was grants. Theatre companies increasingly enough just to tell a great story. the vocabulary they objected to.” rely on ticket sales to make budget. The Once a play is developed—even one Another strategy is to ensure that the reputation of the company and positive that does meet one or more curriculum marketing materials are honest. Green word of mouth are important factors in requirements—there is the additional Thumb’s Blind Spot depicts a teen cou- selling tickets. The reverse is also true: barrier that the theatre company often ple who become aware that their actions one determined individual can harm has no idea who is choosing or not lead to tragic consequences. The girl pre- ticket sales and school bookings. So the choosing to book the play. Not so many tends to be dumb to attract another boy, market places pressures on theatres to years ago, individual teachers and schools and the boy has sex with her when she is create and present shows that will not had more flexibility and resources to too intoxicated to give consent. The mar- offend any audience segment. Resisting decide whether a production was suit- keting materials for Blind Spot alert the these pressures is difficult. able for their classes. Increasingly, the schools that violence, sexual violence Sexual content is another hot-button gatekeepers are school board officials and taboo language are in the play. topic with its own dilemmas for theatre who may or may not have the training “Parents will call the school—rarely companies. Relationships, sexual activ- and sensibility to make informed the theatre company—to complain if ity, teen pregnancy, HIV, STDs, rape and decisions about what is best for schools. they are unhappy,” McDonald says. homophobia are all covered in curricu- There is no doubt that censorship is “Some principals will just avoid booking lum. However, some parents also consid- happening at the decision-making stage. the shows that they expect will lead to er reproduction and puberty taboo sub- Despite the challenges, TYA compa- complaints. Although this show is selling jects. The ability of theatre to powerfully nies are committed to the power of live well, we know it won’t be booked in cer- explore difficult subjects means that the- theatre to entertain and educate young tain areas of the country where language atres grapple with these issues all the audiences. “Once you choose a play,” is a bigger issue than violence or sex.” time. For example, should the set design Fleming says, “then the most important TYA companies do not all agree on include a condom or Tampax dispenser? thing is to do it well whether for kids or strategies for dealing with the censor- How revealing should the costumes be? adults.”  ship of language. McDonald tells writers How exactly to explore the curriculum not to use certain swear words, so that without offending any sensibilities? Lucy White is the executive director of if schools refuse to book, or if they McDonald describes the process as “a the Professional Association of Canadian cancel after booking, the schools and dance in that we are selling to the gate- Theatres.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 13 PERSPECTIVES Changing

the StOry Aboriginal Characters in CanLit

David Bouchard JB What is the link between positive indigenous characters in in Conversation with Josh Bloch literature and literacy? DB To become readers, people have to see themselves in a book, David Bouchard is a tireless advocate for literacy, and they have to have the skills to read the book. Books have to and he is especially passionate about promoting be inclusive and accessible. Until recently, aboriginal people were reading in aboriginal communities. The Saskatch- not included in books. They have been denied the gift of reading. ewan-born writer says a major obstacle is that JB What does that exclusion look like? aboriginal readers rarely see themselves reflected DB Put all other issues aside and exclusion is disastrous. positively in Canadian literature. The other issues that I’m referring to are deep, meaningful and Bouchard was a reluctant reader. He did not read real: health, substance abuse, family-related problems caused for pleasure until his late twenties and wrote his by a century of residential schooling, poverty. Somewhere down that long list of “other issues” is an embarrassing student drop- first book at the age of 37. Since then Bouchard has out rate that is in part caused by students having been excluded written more than 50 children’s books including from books and thus being denied the opportunity of becoming bestsellers such as The Drum Calls Softly, I Am readers. Raven, The Song Within My Heart and The Great In North American libraries, both public and school libraries, Race. His books have received numerous awards, information that is related to aboriginal people was not, until and Bouchard was named a member of the Order recently, written by aboriginal writers. The books that did exist of Canada in 2009. were almost always poor representations of who aboriginal A former teacher and school principal, Bouchard people are. travels extensively on speaking tours to schools and The Song of Hiawatha, written by Henry Longfellow, is epic around the world. Everyone knows of, or has heard of, Hiawatha. communities to share his message that reading is a In his telling, Longfellow says: key component of a child’s education and success. By the shores of Gitche Gumee, Josh Bloch sat down with David Bouchard in July By the shining Big-Sea-Water, 2011. The following transcript of their discussion Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, has been edited. Daughter of the Moon ...

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“Nokomis” is “grandmother” in Ojibway, but Hiawatha was not generation readers. Time, role models and more of the right kind Ojibway. He was Onondaga. That would mean little to most read- of books should, over time, remedy this. ers, but to First Nations people this is very wrong, inaccurate and JB What do you think needs to be done to increase the reach of hurtful. How could anyone call an Onondaga man an Ojibway? these writers? One of the other many mistakes that Longfellow committed DB After the years that I spent as one who did not read, as one was that he intertwined a second personality into his telling. He who was a reluctant reader and as one who struggled with read- gave Hiawatha many of the characteristics and much of the histo- ing, I sincerely believe it takes three things to become a reader. ry of Peacemaker, a completely separate individual. Peacemaker First, it takes time. Children will read when they are ready and was neither Ojibway nor Onondaga. Peacemaker was Wendat. not when a teacher, a school or a system tells them they are ready. Hiawatha is one of many stories that include aboriginal people Second, children need a role model; they need a hero. Children but are complete misrepresentations. need someone to take them on that reading journey. In ab- The other book that you would have found in our libraries was original communities, those heroes were not present because The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. This is one of our Elders—the people whom we respect and in whose footsteps many books being pulled off bookshelves because of the ste- we want to walk—are themselves not readers. My goal is to reotyping and a plethora of inaccuracies. The few books that did get onto our reserves and into our communities and say to the include aboriginal people did not realistically depict them and, Elders, “You have to pick up the ball. Our kids have to become more than often, they were disrespectful. readers, and you have to lead them on that journey.” JB So why do you say that indigenous people are now being Einstein was right. Modelling isn’t one way to influence peo- included in the reading circle for the first time? ple; it’s the only way. DB First Nations people, Métis and Inuit are, for the first time The third and last prerequisite to become a reader is books: ever, starting to pop up in our libraries and in a much more books that are accessible and inclusive. Books that include First wholesome way. Books are now being authored by aboriginal Nations, Métis and Inuit readers have not been there but are writers. Joseph Boyden (Three Day Road; Through Black Spruce), starting to appear. In all this, it’s vital to make sure that these Richard Wagamese (Keeper ’n Me; One Native Life; Ragged inclusive books are accessible. That remains a problem ... Company) and the Ojibway writer Drew Hayden Taylor (Me JB You have been travelling across the country and speaking at Funny; Me Sexy; Motorcycles and Sweetgrass) are but three schools and communities. What message are you trying to com- prominent figures who are making an impact and a difference. municate? The problem in all of this is that, even though a number of DB It’s my hope to put books into the hands of readers: books books now include aboriginal people, not enough aboriginals that they can see themselves in and books that they can read. In are reading them. Their reading skills are not as strong as they order to do that, I write. I write using rhythm and rhyme and art have to be to grasp the fullness of these writings. There are and music. I include as many components as possible to draw several reasons; the least is that aboriginal people are second- DAVID BOUCHARD CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

The Secret of Your Name by David Bouchard An Aboriginal Carol by David Bouchard The Drum Calls Softly by David Bouchard and (Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd., 2009) (Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd., 2007) Shelley Willier (Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd., 2008)

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 15 PERSPECTIVES

Alberta’s Chilling Human Rights Amendments & pting ut in the Classroom By ANNE JAYNE classroom. It is an opt-out process. effect on at least some teachers as they ORecent changes to Alberta’s human This right does not apply to incidental make decisions about topics, resources rights law allow parents to remove their references to religion, sexual orienta- and assignments. Consider, for example, child from lessons that deal with sexual- tion or sexuality; this right also does an English teacher who allows students ity, sexual orientation and religion in not apply to non-instructional situations to choose a novel from a list of options. public schools. such as a teacher addressing bullying. Good fiction is full of ambiguity, and The former Bill 44, which became law Given the wide range of what is cov- readers interpret novels differently. Is in 2009 and came into effect in the fall of ered—courses, materials, instruction, Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at 2010, made two significant amendments exercises—parents and schools may the Whistle Stop Cafe “primarily and to the Alberta Human Rights Act (AHRA). differ on what is “incidental” and what is explicitly” about sexual orientation? The first amendment added sexual ori- “primarily and explicitly” about a topic, Might some parents interpret the novel entation to the law’s anti-discrimination as well as what a term such as “religion” that way? Should the teacher keep it on provisions, a mere 12 years after the means. For example, educators say that the list without notifying parents? Keep Supreme Court of Canada had ruled in evolution is science, but some commen- it but notify the parents? Drop it and Vriend v. Alberta (1998) that the province tators argue that section 11.1 should be substitute a novel that is certain to be a had to treat sexual orientation as a pro- interpreted to treat evolution as religion. safe choice that offends no one? tected ground. When disputes arise, school boards This situation isn’t completely new. The second amendment, which has encourage aggrieved parents to meet Alberta’s educators have a long tradition been called a counterbalance to the first with the teacher, principal or board. of notifying parents about anything that in some quarters and a sop to social However, since this new right is in the might be of concern and then working conservatives in others, created a paren- AHRA, not the School Act, parents must with parents and students to select alter- tal right in section 11.1 of the AHRA to lodge their complaint against the school natives if any parents have objections. remove a student from lessons that deal board with the human rights commis- This process has worked so well that the with religion, sexuality or sexual orienta- sion. That complaint can proceed to a tri- Alberta Teachers’ Association saw Bill 44 tion. bunal and then on appeal to the courts. as a solution in search of a problem. This new law requires public schools Advocacy groups may seek opportu- Section 11.1 makes parent-teacher to notify parents in writing if any aspect nities for test cases that will push the consultation more formal and bureau- of instruction—from an entire course, envelope on the interpretation of section cratic, and adds additional layers of such as World Religions, to instructional 11.1. oversight through the Alberta Human material to exercises—deals both pri- In school libraries, some complainants Rights Commission, tribunals and courts. marily and explicitly with religion, sexual try to keep what they see as a bad book As the stakes have gone up, so too has orientation or sexuality. out of the hands of all children, no mat- the risk that educators will move away Parents who object must submit a ter what other children’s parents think from teaching controversial issues. When written request for the student to be about it. In the same way, we could see teachers make decisions out of fear, excluded from that instruction. The complainants use the human rights pro- students will suffer from the narrowing request must state whether the cess to try to influence what is taught in of their education.  student is to remain in the classroom Alberta’s public schools. Anne Jayne is a member of the Calgary doing other work or to leave the Section 11.1 is likely to have a chilling Freedom to Read Week Committee.

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Access to Government Information in Canada’s Public Libraries

The overarching purpose of access to information legislation … is to facilitate democracy. It does so in the Classroom in two related ways. It helps to ensure first, that citizens have the information required to participate ut meaningfully in the democratic process, and secondly, that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable to the citizenry. Justice Gérard La Forest, Dagg v. Canada

By DAVID BURKE across the country about the manage- the federal government through a cen- and CAROL PERRY ment of digital content such as the tralized distribution service. This service The advent of born-digital government frequent disappearance of material from was offered to public, academic and documents has forever changed access government websites. These concerns government libraries. to government information. While there were compounded by structural changes The current goal of the DSP is are many advantages to the new format, within the academic library itself. “to ensure that free public access to there are also some challenges—espe- This article focuses on the initial stage published government information is cially for libraries that preserve and of our research: following the legisla- available in most communities through provide access to these materials. tive trail for government policy on public our library network across Canada and During 2009, we decided to examine access to information. We reported the freely accessible online.”1 the rapidly changing environment for results of this stage of the project at This goal is important for rural com- government document departments the Ontario Library Association’s Super munities (and other groups) where phys- within academic libraries and to inves- Conference in 2010. ical access to information is problematic. tigate the nature, causes and impact of The Canadian government’s Now rural citizens with Internet access these changes. Depository Services Program (DSP) was can locate material without making a trip After conducting a survey of academic established in 1929 to provide libraries to their nearest library. Rural libraries librarians, we found concerns expressed with access to information published by ACCESS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

DAVID BOUCHARD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 it will cost for you to regain much of what has been lost. In order readers into the books. And I attempt to do my books in native to help, on behalf of the people of Canada, I would like to pre- languages. For the many who do not speak their languages, I sent you with this blank cheque. Use it to build schools, train include a CD with the language read for them so they can follow teachers and publish books in your own languages. Good qual- along. I include anything and everything that can make my books ity books in Ojibway, Chipewyan, Slavey, Swampy Cree and the accessible to my readers. And even with that, getting them read- Haudenosaunee languages will be expensive to create. Please ing is challenging. accept our apology and this support.” JB What should the Canadian government be doing to support The average Canadian cannot see or understand the situation this goal? of schools in the North. The average Canadian is not aware of DB Quite frankly, I think that Stephen Harper’s apology to First the dropout rate of First Nations students in our country or of Nations people in the House of Commons in 2008 was sincere. the unbalanced proportion of aboriginal people in our penal It was profound and meaningful, but it fell far short of where it systems. should have gone. If Canadians knew, we would rally behind these causes. We are I believe the prime minister of Canada should have said: “For a kind people. We are a gentle and caring people. If they knew, having stolen your languages and so much of your culture, the they would become involved and force our governments to do Canadian people are sorry. We are sorry and we know how much what is right. 

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 17 PERSPECTIVES

ACCESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 change had occurred in the mandates or the request and included the necessary can also provide expanded access to goals of these programs over the years. $5 application fee. We paid a further walk-in users. Part of this examination involved mak- $105 in processing fees and awaited the In return for receiving these materials, ing an access-to-information request final response letter. participating libraries agree to long-term of the government of Ontario under the The final response to our access preservation of the resources and to Freedom of Information and Protection request was received 74 days after provide catalogue access, inter-library of Privacy Act (FIPPA). the date of application. Unfortunately, loan and reference services that ensure An informal request was made of the documents we requested were not public access to the information received ServiceOntario Publications in February located, and the decision letter states through the program. 2010 after we had discovered documents that “no responsive records exist in Similar programs are offered at the on its site which identified the authority custody of Archives.” As our search was provincial level within Canada and by for establishing the program and autho- only performed on some 14 boxes, this governments in other countries such rizing the distribution of government conclusion seems unwarranted. as the United States. The U.S. Federal publications free of charge. The docu- We had the option of filing an appeal Depository Library Program, for exam- ments are a Management Board Minute (with a $25 fee) to Ontario’s Information ple, was established in 1813. (August 19, 1970) and Management and Privacy Commissioner within 30 Over the years, libraries have faced Board of Cabinet Directive 65-3-1 (July days. Unfortunately, because of time increasing difficulties when dealing with 29, 1975). constraints, we did not appeal. To this digital government information which at We began by making an informal day, we do not know whether the docu- times appears and disappears from gov- request because an information need ments really don’t exist or whether the ernment websites. Long-term access to can be often met by a “routine disclo- access-to-information process served information is becoming problematic. sure.” Such disclosures can be quickly more to frustrate than facilitate this Lack of government preservation and easily handled because the legitimate information need. policies is a major contributor to the information within the documents is Access to information requests should problem. The Canadian parliamentary not personal, private or protected in receive timely and transparent respons- website (http://publications.gc.ca/) con- any way. Public bodies in many cases es despite which level of government tains no preservation policy but includes have already identified the kinds of or incumbent political party is involved. a disclaimer stating “access to the web- documents that may be released in There is much debate about whether site and content is provided as is.”2 this manner. the assessing of fees prevents abuse During the time of our research, the Unfortunately, our informal request of the system or whether it acts as an site also contained a statement that of ServiceOntario Publications was impediment or deterrent to legitimate material might be removed after consul- unsuccessful. The staff indicated that information requests. tation with interested parties. The site they could not help. In both instances of our formal and did not indicate how this process would The next step was to begin a formal informal requests, the responses were work. written access request under FIPPA. too vague to determine whether the There is another ongoing problem as The formal request was made of the information is truly missing. Our con- well. As government departments revise Information and Privacy Unit at the clusions from this stage of our project their websites, the URLs to documents Archives of Ontario because we felt and other information requests are that change and broken links appear in Archives was most likely to have access is not unfettered, it is filtered and library catalogues. This is probably the custody and control of the documents. it is extremely under-resourced.  most common cause of loss of access to Under FIPPA, every person has a right David Burke is the information manage- information. Previously, libraries would of access, and public bodies have an ment officer at the City of Saint John. have received paper copies of much of obligation to disclose. the material and would have chosen At the time, we felt confident that we Carol Perry is the research enterprise their policies and procedures to ensure would gain access to these documents, and scholarly communication librarian enduring access. despite their designation as Cabinet at the University of Guelph. We began our research by looking at records, because documents that are the agreements between these librar- more than 20 years old or cited as the 1 Canada. Depository Services Program. 2011. ies and a variety of governmental and basis for policy cannot be withheld, and http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/programs/dsp. html international agencies (such as the our documents fit both criteria. 2 Canada. Parliament of Canada. 2011. http://www. United Nations) to determine whether a We provided enough detail to facilitate parl.gc.ca/ImportantNotices.aspx?Language=E

18 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 fricentric Education aEnabling the Freedom to Read and Learn In September 2009, the Toronto District School Board From the beginning, the idea of a publicly funded opened the Africentric Alternative School. The small Africentric school was controversial. Opponents school teaches children in the primary grades. It is labelled the school segregationist. Proponents coun- located at Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West tered that enrolment in the school was voluntary. inside the Sheppard Public School. So far the school’s students have performed well on The Africentric school teaches the same curriculum provincial tests, and a proposal is in the works to open that other public schools in Ontario teach. But the an Africentric school for high school students. This school emphasizes African and African-Canadian per- proposal is also controversial. spectives and favours black teachers as role models. Professor George Dei is a faculty member of the The school board voted to create the school in Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the January 2008 to tackle the disproportionately high University of Toronto. A sociologist, he endorses dropout rate of black students in Toronto’s schools. the Africentric Alternative School. We asked him to Approximately 40 per cent of the city’s black students explain the link between Africentric education and drop out before they reach the end of high school. the freedom to read.

By GEORGE J. SEFA DEI right to demand an excellent education Canadian climate, we who demanded Africentric schooling, and its philosophy for their children. the school have long realized the of education, encourages the freedom Any attempt to curtail freedom of differential educational outcomes for to read and learn. The Yoruba of Nigeria expression and the voice for educational our youth, and we simply say that have an interesting proverb. It says that change cannot help a democracy. In the something else is possible. “one does not watch a masquerade spirit of searching for countervisions of To say that the current school sys- party or dance while at a standstill.” In education and trying out ideas, I want tem is serving all students is to be in other words, one must be a part of the readers to assess Africentric schooling. denial. Of course, the system works well action. The school is not defined by the colour for some students. There are African- I hold that education is for a public of the students who go there. The school Canadian students who succeed in good, and reading and learning about is guided more by its principles of edu- school. No doubt about that. the principles behind a particular educa- cation, teaching and learning. But conventional schooling as we tional advocacy are themselves signifi- There is a long history of African- know it may not work for everyone. cant. I similarly hold that the advocates Canadian advocacy for a fair and just Some of our youth are not faring well, for countervisions of schooling have a educational system. In the current AFRICENTRIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 19 PERSPECTIVES The International View Freedom of Expression in 2011

CANADA CJFE gave a grade of F– to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his government’s record on providing access to information. Under his leadership, CJFE said, gaining access to information takes longer than ever, and when released the information is often incomplete. Source: CJFE

UNITED STATES In Virginia, a school board removed A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan UNITED STATES Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, Flickr—a photography website— from Grade 6 reading lists after a parent faced criticism for taking down complained that the novel was “our an Egyptian activist’s photos of young students’ first inaccurate his government’s state security introduction to an American religion” police. Facebook also acquiesced —Mormonism. Source: The Guardian to an Israeli official’s demand to remove a page called “Third Palestinian Intifada.” PALESTINE Source: The New York Times The attorney general ordered the cancellation of a nightly satirical TV show after receiving complaints from public servants that they MEXICO were being ridiculed. Watan ala Water Journalist Javier Arturo Valdez (Country on a String) had become popular Cárdenas was named a winner of CPJ’s for its mockery of Palestinian leaders, International Press Freedom Awards. officials, corruption and nepotism. Valdez and his staff have suffered threats Source: Index on Censorship and attacks (including a grenade attack in 2009) for covering drug trafficking and corruption in Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s most violent states. Source: IFEX

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC On August 2, Joséí Agustín Silvestre was EGYPT kidnapped by gunmen and found dead hours In October, three newspaper later. A magazine publisher and TV show host, columnists and a film critic protested Silvestre had accused political figures in the military censorship in Egypt. Belal Fadl, city of La Romana of involvement in drug Omer Taher, Nagla Bedir and Tareq el-Shinawy left their columns blank, trafficking. Source: IFEX publishing only a few words to explain their decision. Source: Boston.com PERU In April, journalist Geovanni Acate, director ETHIOPIA of Radio Televisión Oriente, faced a 10-year On May 3, government officials prison term for reporting protests that took co-opted a UNESCO-sponsored World place in Loreto region in 2009. Acate was Press Freedom Day event by inviting only accused, among other things, of committing pro-government journalists to speak and “crimes against public peace.” Source: IFEX disinviting all independent journalists. Source: CPJ

UGANDA Between November 2010 and April 2011, 55 journalists were subjected ABBREVIATIONS to politically motivated violence, according to a report published in AFP: Agence France-Presse 2011 called Press Freedom Index. CJFE: Canadian Journalists for Free Expression The number of attacks spiked upward CPJ: Committee to Protect Journalists during elections in February. HRNJ—Uganda: Human Rights Network for Journalists—Uganda Source: HRNJ—Uganda IFEX: International Freedom of Expression Exchange UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

20 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 AZERBAIJAN RUSSIA The International View Freedom of Expression in 2011 In March, after spending four years in prison, Eynulla Fatullayev Five years after journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead was released. The journalist had written an article that accused in her Moscow apartment building in 2006, the Investigative high-ranking officials of being behind the murder in 2005 of Committee of the Russian Federation arrested a central figure Azeri journalist Elmar Huseynov. In 2007, Fatullayev was in the murder, Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, a former colonel in the imprisoned on unsubstantiated charges of 4th division of the Moscow General Internal Affairs Directorate. criminal defamation, threatening terrorism, Pavlyuchenkov is said to have organized the team of men who inciting ethnic hatred and tax evasion. Source: IFEX killed Politkovskaya. Sources: IFEX and The Nation

CHINA Ai Weiwei—one of China’s leading artists and dissidents— was detained for 80 days at an undisclosed location. He was not formally charged or tried but was apparently made to confess to charges of tax evasion. On June 22, after an international campaign called for his release, Ai was freed. But he may not talk publicly about his detention. Source: IFEX

MALAYSIA Zunar (the pen name of Zulkiflee Anwar Ul Haque) won the Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning from Cartoonists Rights Network International. For almost 10 years, the government has censored Zunar’s cartoons. His office has been raided and PAKISTAN his phone has been tapped. He has also Syed Saleem Shahzad, a prominent been arrested for cartooning. Source: IFEX Pakistani journalist, was found dead on May 31 about 150 kilometres outside Islamabad, where he had been abducted two days earlier. He was considered to be an expert FIJI on al-Qaeda and the Taliban. On August 26, the Source: IFEX Ministry of Information MYANMAR asked media outlets to The government’s chief censor, Tint Swe, called send all news headlines for press freedom in Myanmar and even suggested to censors half that his own department should be shut down. an hour before “Press censorship is non-existent in most other publication. The order countries as well as among our neighbours and, followed the photograph- as it is not in harmony with democratic practices, ing of soldiers removing press censorship should be abolished in the near anti-regime graffiti from public property. Fiji’s future,” he said. Source: AFP military-backed regime began BURUNDI AUSTRALIA requiring daily Officials of the National Council for Communication At the request of the government, Telstra and monitoring ordered the arrest and interrogation of journalists, Optus—the two largest Internet service providers in of all including Bob Rugurika and Patrick Mitabaro, to Australia—agreed to start blocking more than 500 news muffle criticism of the government. Outspoken “child abuse” websites. Anti-censorship activists stories lawyers, including Isidore Rufyikiri, have also raised concerns about the scheme’s effectiveness in April. Source: been jailed. Source: IFEX and lack of transparency. Source: Herald Sun Index on Censorship

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 21 PERSPECTIVES

AFRICENTRIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 principles of social responsibility, mutual We cannot say much for the social and this situation demands action. The interdependence, respect for elders and practice of segregation. When segrega- problem cannot simply be with the authority, transparency and account- tion was in effect in the first half of the youth themselves. Instead of putting ability. Classroom teachings centre the twentieth century, black people were the problem in the person, we must look learner in her or his own culture, history, excluded from meaningful participation critically at the structures and processes personal location and spiritual identity; in society. We were forced to sit at the that deliver education. they are important entry points to the back of a bus, to avoid certain restau- We usually conflate “dropping out,” understanding of local, national and rants or washrooms, and to drink from being “pushed out” and “school disen- global histories, experiences and designated water fountains! gagement.” But we need to distinguish knowledge. By contrast, Africentric schooling is between “dropping out,” being “pushed In making all of the students’ life designed to help students succeed in out” and “school disengagement.” experiences relevant to all parts of the their education and, at the very least, While these terms are connected, we curriculum, the Africentric school fosters give them a fighting chance in life. In an also know that some youth who appear the social, physical, spiritual and aca- Africentric school, youth have the free- physically in school are actually disen- demic development of students. dom to learn and become educated. gaged mentally, emotionally and psycho- Some have argued that creating the The least that people who are mis- logically. This disengagement eventually school is a call to balkanize the public informed about the school can do is becomes a “push out” for them. schools. They have asked: Where do we exercise their freedom to read to learn While we may ask for inclusive school- stop with such schools? Do we give in to about the school. In addition, we must ing that addresses the needs of all any group that wants such a school? My not forget that African-Canadian par- students, we must come to terms with response has always been that where ents are taxpayers like everybody else. the severe issues that affect certain youth (e.g., African-Canadian, aborigi- We have a right and a responsibility to students in school. For the disengaged nal and Portuguese students) have an demand a fair public school system for students, what we have in place now is educational disadvantage, we must our children. not working. These students do not feel never close the door to new educational I end with this simple analogy. a sense of ownership in their schooling options. Picture a train at the VIA station. It and learning. They have not become fully These schools do not represent a promises to take passengers from engaged learners, and when one talks reversion to the days of segregation. Toronto to Montreal. The train has been and listens to them, one hears an unmis- They are not intended to oppress any- making this promise for years, but it takable yearning for something different. one. Segregation in the past oppressed never takes passengers to Montreal. We cannot silence or dismiss their and discriminated. I ask: Whom does Then along comes a new train, and it voices and concerns and those of their Africentric schooling oppress? Who has makes the same promise. It would be parents and communities. been told he is not welcome in such a foolhardy for passengers to stay on the Philosophically, Africentric schooling school? Who is being forced to go to the first train and not try the second train aims to create schools as communities. school against her wishes? to go to Montreal!  Parents, elders, families, educators and students all have central roles to play. They create schools that give youth Africentric High hope for the future. The educational strategy focuses ore than two years after the Africentric elementary on the most vulnerable groups but school opened its doors in Toronto, the city’s public enhances the welfare of all students. Mschool board plans to launch an Africentric high school. Addressing questions of learners’ identi- In 2008, trustees of the Toronto District School Board promised ties (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, to study the feasibility of opening an Africentric high school. A disability) is significant for effective surprise bid to open the program in September 2011 at Oakwood schooling outcomes. Collegiate was abandoned after staff and students protested. There is a place for families, elders Advocates for an Africentric high school point to the success of and communities in schooling. The cur- the elementary school. In the fall of 2011, the elementary school riculum is targeted to their lived experi- had 188 students in kindergarten and Grades 1 to 7. The school ences, cultures and histories. There is a achieved higher than average results on provincial standardized teacher the student can identify with. tests for writing, reading and arithmetic. Africentric schooling works with the

22 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 Meanwhile in Quebec ...

By CHARLES MONTPETIT counter lack of transparency in politics and business. So far, the site has tackled wo new book chal- the construction and management of lenges came to light an amphitheatre in Quebec City by the over the last year. Quebecor Media consortium, as well as Both involved sec- plans by Radio-Canada and La Presse to ondary schools in act in synergy to maximize the impact of Laval, both took on news coverage. top creators in their respective fields, T Since the documents in both instances and both occurred so far from the media were available elsewhere, the “exclusive” glare that they went utterly unnoticed. part of the website’s mission statement Marc Delafontaine and Maryse was questioned, but at least the struc- Dubuc’s chart-topping comic strip series ture for future releases is now in place. Les nombrils made history when it was picked up by European publishing Noir Canada Update giant Dupuis for worldwide distribution. Still making news is Éditions Écosociété’s Nevertheless, in 2009, the books— book Noir Canada, which exposes mining which acidly depict the rivalry between practices in Africa. In 2008, the Canadian young, fashionable airheads and their Les nombrils by Marc Delafontaine firms Banro Corporation and Barrick Gold favourite scapegoat—were pulled off and Maryse Dubuc (Dupuis, 2008) had respectively sought $5 million and the shelves of the Mosaïque school for prompted the plaintiff to argue that $6 million in damages. troubled teens for fear that the charac- she did not want her son exposed to ters’ thin silhouettes might encourage the “promotion of Satanism and pedo- Since Banro’s lawsuit was filed in anorexia among students (a problem philia.” The complaint was rejected in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada denounced by the strips themselves). the end, and the book remains part of convened in March 2011 to study The decision was rescinded after the the curriculum. Écosociété’s motion to move the pro- graduation of the girls who had been On the plus side, Pierre Hébert ceedings to Quebec, where the case perceived as vulnerable. released La littérature québécoise et les might be dismissed in accordance with Then there’s Michel Tremblay. While fruits amers de la censure (Fides, 2010) the province’s law against frivolous libel the often provocative oeuvre of Quebec’s which examines the effects of censor- suits. The ruling was still pending at premier author had eluded challenges ship on the history of Quebec literature. press time. in the past, the run ended in the fall of And in February 2011, Libredelire.org As for Barrick’s case, which was itself 2010. The religious mother of a student was launched. Put together by inde- to be heard in Quebec, we will never at the École d’éducation internationale pendent librarians, this anti-censorship know its outcome, as it was settled out tried to get the school to ban the writer’s website invited its visitors to send in of court in September. To avoid the cost- first short story collection, Contes pour a picture of themselves posing with a ly trial, Écosociété’s insurance company buveurs attardés, which he created while challenged book and to comment about disbursed an undisclosed amount of still a teenager. These Lovecraftian tales it. The site was only active through money and the book was pulled off the have been a staple of the province’s March 15 but will be back in 2012, so shelves. We’ll provide further analysis in Grade 10 reading lists for many years. it should be considered a seasonal our next issue.  As Tremblay points out in his preface, companion of Freedom to Read Week. Charles Montpetit is the freedom of the stories tackle homosexuality, incest March 2011 also saw the birth of expression co-ordinator for the Union and encounters with the devil (although QuebecLeaks.org. This WikiLeaks- des écrivaines et des écrivains québé- these allusions are so veiled that they inspired website releases “sensitive, cois (UNEQ). E-mail him at cmontpetit@ are virtually undetectable). Such themes exclusive and authentic documents” to hotmail.com.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 23 PERSPECTIVES Award-Winning Activists and Writers of 2011

Ron Haggart Sotoudeh is an Iranian writer and law- On October 20, 2011, Canadian yer known for her advocacy of women’s Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and children’s rights. Her imprisonment announced that Ron Haggart was the is believed to be linked to her outspo- posthumous winner of a special Vox ken public defence of clients who were KHALED AL-HAMMADI Photo: CJFE Photo: AL-HAMMADI KHALED Libera Award. arrested after Iran’s violent presidential Haggart (1927–2011) was a journal- elections in June 2009. ist. He wrote for The Globe and Mail, In 2010, Sotoudeh was arrested in Toronto Star and Toronto Telegram in the Tehran. On Janary 9, 2011, a revolution- late 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s. Later, ary court sentenced her to 11 years in he became a founding head of news at prison for waging “propaganda against Toronto’s Citytv and a senior producer at the regime,” “acting against national the CBC’s The Fifth Estate. security” and “violating the Islamic “Ron was a giant in Canadian journal- dress code in a filmed speech.” She was ism, a brilliant newspaper columnist and also barred from practising law and leav- has worked as a photojournalist, cor- ing the country for 20 years. respondent and fixer for foreign news Her sentence has since been short- agencies. For his reportage in Yemen, ened to six years in prison. Khaled al-Hammadi has been threat- The One Humanity Award has a cash ened, attacked and harassed. He has value of $5,000. At the International been arrested and kidnapped, and he Festival of Authors, an empty chair with has had his equipment destroyed. Sotoudeh’s photo appeared on stage. “This year we recognize two journal- RON HAGGART Photo: CJFE HAGGARTPhoto: RON Mohamed Abdelfattah ists who have risked their safety to and Khaled al-Hammadi provide a true narrative of the events in the Arab Spring in their countries,” said On September 21, 2011, CJFE announced Carol Off of CJFE. “We recognize their the winners of its International Press strength and courage in devoting them- Freedom Awards for 2011. Two foreign selves to freedom of expression, speak- journalists won recognition for their cou- ing out when ordered to remain silent.” rageous reporting of the turmoil in the television producer who worked hard to Arab world. The Citizen Lab shed light on wrongdoing in society,” Mohamed Abdelfattah is from Egypt. On May 3, 2011, the Canadian Committee said Arnold Amber, CJFE’s president. He helped expose the story of Khaled for World Press Freedom (CCWPF) gave The Vox Libera Award is granted to a Said, the young man who was beaten to the Citizen Lab its Canadian World Press Canadian who has demonstrated an out- death by Egyptian police in 2010. Said’s Freedom Award. The Citizen Lab won the standing commitment to the principles death is believed to have been the spark award for its dedication to free expres- of free expression and has made an that ignited the Egyptian revolution in sion on the Internet. important and sustained contribution to January 2011. The Citizen Lab is based at the Munk those principles. Abdelfattah was also among the first School of Global Affairs at the University Nasrin Sotoudeh journalists to cover the revolution in of Toronto. Its team of thinkers and On October 19, 2011, PEN Canada Egypt. His reports were transmitted researchers investigates censorship, bestowed its One Humanity Award on by the CBC and CNN. While covering espionage and information warfare on Nasrin Sotoudeh at the International a large demonstration in Alexandria, the Internet around the world. Festival of Authors in Toronto. Because Abdelfattah was beaten and detained by “The Internet has changed forever the Sotoudeh is in prison in Iran, she could riot police. way we impart and receive information, not personally receive the award. Khaled al-Hammadi is from Yemen. He and it is critical that we keep it free,”

24 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012

MOHAMED ABDELFATTAH Photo: CJFE ALAN BOROVOY Photo by Josh Chan NAHEED NENSHI Photo: City of Calgary PATSY ALDANA said Rafal Rohozinski, senior research unpopular to defend,” said the CLA’s many years as president of Canadian adviser for the Citizen Lab. “We are press release. PEN, and now of PEN International, to greatly honoured by this award.” Throughout his legal career, Borovoy protect the rights of Canadians and The Citizen Lab also received a cash consistently opposed censorship and those around the globe to read, write prize of $2,000 and a certificate from the the episodic public apathy that enables and express their opinions without fear Canadian Commission for UNESCO at it. He also flattered Canada’s librarians of reprisal.” the CCWPF’s annual luncheon in Ottawa. as “the Clark Kents of political action.” “We as a union are honoured to cel- Three Cartoonists Borovoy served as the general ebrate Freedom to Read Week by recog- counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties nizing John Ralston Saul … for helping to On May 3, 2011, the CCWPF also Association from 1968 to 2009. He wrote make Canada safe to express our views announced the winners of the 11th numerous newspaper articles and four in writing and to create works of litera- annual International Editorial books. He is an officer of the Order of ture and art which in some cases may Cartoon Competition. For this year’s Canada. be controversial,” added Kelly Duffin, competition, cartoonists were asked executive director of TWUC. “We are also to portray WikiLeaks and its creators Naheed Nenshi proud to claim him as one of our own as as villains or heroes. On February 24, 2011, Mayor Naheed he is a longstanding union member.” This year, the competition received Nenshi of Calgary received the Calgary Turn to page 8 in this issue of Freedom more than 700 submissions from 50 Freedom of Expression Award for his con- to Read to read an interview with John countries. Marilena Nardi of Italy won tributions to free expression as a writer, Ralston Saul. first prize ($1,500). Jugoslav Vlahovic an educator and an elected official. of Serbia won second prize ($750) and The presentation of the award Patsy Aldana Sergey Elkin of Russia won third prize occurred at Sir Winston Churchill High On February 4, 2011, the Ontario Library ($500). School and was part of Freedom to Read Association (OLA) bestowed its Les The winning cartoons may be seen at Week. Fowlie Intellectual Freedom Award on www.ccwpf-cclpm.ca/cartoons-2011. The Calgary Freedom to Read Week Patsy Aldana at the OLA’s annual Super Committee presented the award. Fast Alan Borovoy Conference in Toronto. Aldana is the Forward Weekly, a news journal pub- On April 18, 2011, the Canadian Library publisher of Groundwood Books in lished in Calgary, sponsors the award. Association (CLA) named Alan Borovoy Toronto. as the recipient of its Award for the John Ralston Saul The OLA honoured Aldana “for her Advancement of Intellectual Freedom On February 23, 2011, the Writers’ Union insight and courage in publishing chal- in Canada. Borovoy, a lawyer and civil of Canada (TWUC) bestowed its Freedom lenging and inspiring books for children libertarian, earned the award for his to Read Award on John Ralston Saul, and for her passion in defending the dedication to social justice and freedom the president of PEN International. The right of children to read books that of expression. event occurred during Freedom to Read explore complex issues,” said Shelagh “Mr. Borovoy has been at one with the Week at a gala in Toronto. Paterson, the OLA’s executive director. Canadian library community, whose core “We are absolutely delighted to The award is named after Les Fowlie, values include a strong commitment to be able to present our award to John a former chief librarian of the Toronto intellectual freedom, a freedom under Ralston Saul,” said Alan Cumyn, TWUC’s Public Library and a staunch defender of continual challenge and frequently chairman. “He has worked tirelessly over Canadians’ freedom to read. 

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 25 PERSPECTIVES Challenges to Canadian Library Resources and Policies in 2010

By ALVIN M. SCHRADER Potter movie series. (A challenged concerns were initiated by patrons (65 and DONNA BOWMAN series is counted as the total number per cent) or by parents and guardians For the first time in five years, And Tango of individual titles.) (24 per cent). Two challenges each were Makes Three did not appear in the Challenges were multi-layered and initiated by grandparents, library admin- Canadian Library Association’s annual almost always involved more than one istrators and library staff members, and survey of challenges to library materials rationale. There were 142 objections one challenge each by a school student, and policies in Canadian libraries. to the 87 titles targeted in 2010. The a school administrator, an educational And Tango Makes Three is a children’s justification offered by a public library assistant, a chief librarian, a chief and picture book. It tells the true story of complainant about The Waiting Dog, a council, and an elected official. two male penguins raising a baby pen- picture book by Carolyn and Andrea Beck In all but two of the 87 challenges to guin—Tango—in New York’s Central Park published in 2003, illustrates this phe- library resources, targeted items remain- Zoo. The award-winning book was writ- nomenon: “violence; offensive language; ed on library shelves. Three-quarters of ten in 2005 by Peter Parnell and Justin age inappropriate; obscene content, retained materials remained unchanged Richardson. language and pictures.” in status. However, 16 per cent resulted Even so, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding— Three major reasons accounted for in restricted access and 9 per cent result- another gay-positive picture book, by 60 per cent of all complaints: “sexually ed in relocation or reclassification. Most Sarah S. Brannen—was challenged for explicit,” mentioned 33 times; “age inap- challenges were resolved within a month, the first time in 2010. This book tells the propriate,” mentioned 31 times; and “vio- but a few took six months or longer. story of Chloe, a little girl guinea pig. lent,” mentioned 23 times. There were Five policy challenges were reported in She worries that her uncle won’t have 10 complaints about offensive language. 2010: They sought to time to play with her after he marries his There were four or fewer complaints - ban restricted movies from those under guinea pig boyfriend, Jamie. based on each of the following reasons: 18 years of age, Altogether, 92 challenges were report- racism, nudity, insensitivity, sexism, - allow family members to pick up mate- ed in the 2010 survey that is conducted homosexuality, anti-ethnicity, inaccuracy, rials on hold for spouses, annually by the Intellectual Freedom drugs/drug use, political viewpoint, - extend library hours for an after-school Committee of the Canadian Library religious viewpoint, sex education or homework program for all students, Association (CLA). Of these challenges, “does not support curriculum.” - relocate college library print resources 87 were to library resources, and five Some two-thirds of all challenges to about sexual satisfaction in marriage, involved library policies. library materials involved books (38 from the general collection to the teacher A resource challenge is an attempt to titles) and graphic novels (21 titles), and resource section in the back room, and remove or restrict materials based on the 26 per cent of the others were to DVDs. - ban offensive material of a graphic objections of a person or group to pre- Two challenges were aimed at a news- nature. vent or limit access. A policy challenge is paper, two were aimed at magazines/ Four of the five challenged policies were an attempt to change access standards journals, and one was aimed at a sound revised in compliance with expressed con- for library resources. recording. cerns. One policy remained unchanged. The survey revealed that 85 unique Of the 21 challenges to graphic novels, Two items were reported in both the titles were challenged. Only two items 15 titles (70 per cent) were for children’s 2009 and 2010 surveys: the DVD docu- were challenged twice: the gay weekly publications in that genre. There were mentary Islam: What the West Needs to newspaper Xtra! West, and the Punjabi also 12 other challenges to children’s Know and the children’s book My Mom’s and English versions of the Sikh reli- picture books and three to children’s Having a Baby! A Kid’s Month-to-Month gious text Guru Granth Sahib (which is fiction. Four challenges were reported Guide to Pregnancy by Dori Hillestad also called Adi Granth). Neil Gaiman’s to young-adult fiction and nine each to Butler. works—American Gods and M Is for adult fiction and adult non-fiction. Findings of the 2010 survey provide Magic—received two challenges. The vast majority of both resource and clear evidence that attention to the core Two series were challenged: the Dark policy challenges—more than 80 per value of intellectual freedom remains Horse manga series which has 14 titles cent—occurred in public libraries, and central to the advocacy work of Canadian and is based on four of the Star Wars all but one of the other challenges took librarians and their allies. CLA President movies, and the seven titles in the Harry place in school libraries. By far the most Karen Adams observed: “Libraries have a

26 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 basic responsibility to maintain access to The Annual Challenges Survey, which tion’s policy and advocacy work for the right of all persons in Canada to have was initiated in 2006 by Toni Samek intellectual freedom on behalf of the access to all expressions of knowledge, who was then convenor of the CLA’s CLA’s membership. creativity and intellectual activity.” Intellectual Freedom Committee, has Participating in the survey is volun- With the high number of challenges been conducted now for five years. tary, and the self-reports forwarded to reported to entire series of titles over The Canadian survey was inspired by the committee represent only a fraction the last two years (four challenges to two precursors: the Edmonton Public of all challenges that occur during any a series of 10 books and one challenge Library’s challenged materials spread- calendar year. The American Library each to series of variously 15 books, 29 sheet and the confidential database Association estimates that for every books, 2 items, 7 DVDs and 14 manga), maintained since 1990 by the American challenge reported in its Web database, we encourage library decision makers to Library Association. four to five go unreported.  adopt a policy of requiring complainants The goal of the CLA’s Annual Challenges Donna Bowman and Alvin M. Schrader to fill out a separate reconsideration Survey is to document complaints about are colleagues on the Canadian Library form for each and every title in a series, materials and policies in publicly funded Association’s Intellectual Freedom if that policy is not already the practice. Canadian libraries to inform the associa- Advisory Committee. Challenged Resources as Reported by Publicly Funded Canadian Libraries in 2010

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS ARE PRIMARILY REPRODUCED AS REPORTED BY LIBRARY OFFICIALS. SERIES: ONE CHALLENGE EACH Egg Drop by Mini Grey Harry Potter DVDs (a series of seven titles) Fanny Hill, DVD, directed by James Hawes Star Wars, Vol. 3, Dark Horse Comics (a series of 14 manga) Gardens of the Night, DVD “Good Evening, Vietnam!” by Brian McNally, Vanity Fair (April 2008) INDIVIDUAL ITEM: TWO CHALLENGES EACH Grace, DVD, directed by Paul Solet Guru Granth Sahib The Great Mouse Detective, DVD Xtra! West Hot City by Barbara Joosse INDIVIDUAL ITEM: ONE CHALLENGE EACH In the Realm of the Senses, DVD, directed by Nagisa Oshima The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Islam: What the West Needs to Know, DVD The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Jay Wiseman’s Erotic Bondage Handbook by Jay Wiseman Akeelah and the Bee, DVD, written and directed by Doug Atchison Lost Song, DVD, directed by Rodrigue Jean Alice on Her Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman Alice the Brave by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Man Bites Dog, DVD American Gods by Neil Gaiman The Man Handler by Cairo Beauty’s Punishment by Anne Rice & Maria Monk by Sylvie Ouellette Big Bad Bun by Jeanne Willis; illustrated by Tony Ross The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz For a list of more The Bigness Contest by Florence Parry Heide Murphy’s Law by Colin Bateman Black Hole by Charles Burns Challenged Books My Mom’s Having a Baby! A Kid’s Month-by-Month The Boys: Herogasm #5 and Magazines Guide to Pregnancy by Dori H. Butler Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! visit The New Adventures of Jesus: The Second by Art Spiegelman www.freedomtoread.ca Coming by Frank Stack Bruno written by Sacha Baron Cohen and others Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak Calf Roping: The World Champion’s Guide to Winning Runs Pir by Vladimir Sorokin by Roy Cooper Real Outlaws, DVD Catwoman: Crime Pays by Will Pfeifer Rolling Stone magazine cover (September 2010) Certain People: A Book of Portraits by Robert Mapplethorpe See Inside Pirate Ships by Rob Lloyd Jones CFA: 100 Success Secrets—100 Most Asked Questions Slocum and the Lucky Lady by Jake Logan by Korbin Howard Swans in the Mist by D.E. Athkins Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul: 101 Stories The Third Woman by William Cash by Jack Canfield et al. Tintin in the Congo by Hergé Cold Feet by Cynthia DeFelice Trick ’r Treat, DVD The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault translated Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen by Neil Philip and Nicoletta Simborowski Victim Six by Gregg Olsen Dear Dumb Diary: Never Underestimate Your Dumbness Voices of Iraq, DVD by Jim Benton A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering Dino-Dinners by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom the New World by Tony Horwitz Don’t Be That Guy by Colin Nissan and Sean Farrell The Waiting Dog by Carolyn and Andrea Beck The Dumb Bunnies Go to the Zoo by Dav Pilkey War Stories, Vol. 1, by Garth Ennis Eastern Promises, DVD, directed by David Cronenberg Zift, DVD, directed by Javor Gardev

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 27 PERSPECTIVES

FACING BOOK CHALLENGES Two Canadian Authors’ Experiences

The Wives of Bath by Susan Swan (Vintage Canada, 2001) The Biggest Modern Woman of the World by Susan Swan Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (WestSide Books, 2010) (Lester and Orpen Dennys Publishers, 1983) Susan Swan would-be-censors will go back to the book with fresh eyes and realize they’ve made a mistake. HOW DOES IT FEEL to have your books censored? This summer, I explained that my novel was an act of homage First, having your work censored is not about people dislik- to Anna Swan and in a number of universities my novel is taught ing your books, which they’re entitled to do. Getting censored in feminist courses as a tale of female empowerment. is about preventing your work from being read by others. However, explaining intent or discussing the work doesn’t Unfortunately, this has happened to me several times, perhaps seem to matter to people who want your book banned. They because some of my novels deal frankly with sexuality. appear to be trapped in a literalism that won’t let them re- In 1989, my novel The Last of the Golden Girls faced an examine their point of view. It’s the kind of literalism that refuses obscenity charge after two Albertan women heard me reading a to understand metaphor or the idea that a literary narrative is a passage from it on CBC Radio and complained to the Edmonton work of the imagination and not a factual biography. morality squad, but the charge was dropped when one of the Back in the 1980s, I ran into another set of disapproving squad’s detectives read the section and deemed it charming. Swans who disrupted a reading I gave when my novel about the In the mid-nineties, a Canadian customs official seized my giantess was first published. They said I should have written a novel The Wives of Bath at the border from the briefcase of a biography about their great-great-great aunt, not a novel. I tried University of Waterloo professor because the customs official to explain my position until the people at the reading asked claimed the novel was obscene material. It was later returned to them to leave. the professor. I still feel that dialogue is important. And I wish literature were Then this summer, a gift shop in Tatamagouche was convinced more celebrated in our schools. But mostly it isn’t, and Canadian not to carry my first novel The Biggest Modern Woman of the authors are rarely on the curricula. Anyway, that’s another story. World about the Nova Scotian giantess Anna Swan because Read more about Susan Swan at www.susanswanonline.com. someone found it disrespectful to his relative (and mine) and the community where she came from. Cheryl Rainfield In each of these situations, my reaction has been the same: BOOKS SAVED ME—realistic books that helped me know I first shock and bewilderment and then cheerful determination wasn’t alone and fantasy that helped me escape. Books helped because I hope the problem will be an easy matter to clear up. me survive the extreme abuse that was my childhood and In each case, writing obscene or pornographic material wasn’t teenhood. I know how important it is to know you’re not alone what I had in mind. I need only explain my intent and the FACING BOOK CHALLENGES CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

28 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 ftr 2012 Facing Cuts to Library Funding

By RON BROWN responding to a 28 per cent cut in their was aghast that funding for such a vital funding by the British government. service could be cut, and she started a ibraries are funda- In the state of Victoria in Australia, the popular online campaign to oppose the mental to our freedom government of Premier Ted Baillieu has plan. to read. But libraries ordered cuts to local council budgets for Resisting calls to run for mayor, she are more than just libraries amounting to AU$5.7 million. said on Twitter that she considered her- book repositories. The move threatens library services, self too ignorant for the job, but added They offer banks of hours, jobs and even closures. ignorance “hasn’t stopped some.” computers to library patrons, services L And in Brooklyn, a 24-hour read-in In jest, she admitted to pondering the to new Canadians and places for com- took place in June 2010 on the steps of munity groups to meet. Libraries provide creation of a “TwinFord mayors” comic the library at Grand Army Plaza to roil strip. educational opportunities for youth who against cuts by the government of New Sadly, as of this writing, cuts are com- are less well off and unable to afford York City which could close up to 40 ing to Toronto’s public libraries (even computers of their own. libraries. as Calgary builds more). In response to Libraries are even forums for debate. So it should come as no great shock Mayor Ford’s demand for a 10 per cent PEN Canada, for example, holds its that Toronto’s library system is under a cut to all city services (except the police annual Freedom to Read event at the similar threat. who got a raise and a budget increase, Toronto Reference Library. It began when Toronto voters elected even though Toronto’s crime rate is the And in Canada, librarians often lead Rob Ford as their new mayor in 2010. lowest in decades), the Library Board the charge in the many fights against After promising to stop the “gravy train” has acceded to reducing staff and hours. book censorship. at city hall and guaranteeing no cuts to One library board member even sug- It is therefore astonishing that essential services during his election gested that all computers be removed provinces, states and municipalities campaign, the mayor ordered 10 per from libraries. But the suggestion met would even contemplate funding cuts cent funding cuts to all city services, with the appropriate ridicule and was to such a valuable community resource. including libraries. quickly quelled. In October 2010, in the United His brother, Toronto Councillor Doug Kingdom, a coalition of authors, librar- Ford, claimed that he would close Worldwide, library lovers are rallying ians, publishers and booksellers issued libraries “in a heartbeat” and that his against cuts to one of society’s greatest an urgent plea to local councils to ward had more libraries than it did Tim assets, its libraries. What better way to reconsider measures that would result Hortons. The opposite proved to be the enjoy freedom to read than through a in cuts to, and even closures of, local truth. healthy library system?  libraries in counties such as Nottingham, And that is where Canada’s literary Ron Brown is the chair of the Rights and Warrington, Leeds and Richmond. icon Margaret Atwood weighed in. Freedoms Committee at the Writers’ The local councils were themselves Ms. Atwood, like most Torontonians, Union of Canada.

FACING BOOK CHALLENGES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 Twitter—to let readers and my contacts know that Scars was in your pain. That’s part of why I wrote Scars. being challenged, and I asked for help to keep Scars in the library. There’s been so much silencing and oppression of queer There was a huge outpouring of public support which was people, incest and self-harm: all things I address in Scars. very heartening for me. The Boone County Public Library had to And my abusers frequently threatened to kill me if I spoke go through the process of the challenge and then voted to keep about the abuse. So when Scars was challenged at the Boone Scars on the shelves. What a good feeling to not have Scars County Public Library in Kentucky by a patron, I found it very removed—this time. painful. It hit me hard. I know that Scars has probably been challenged, banned or I know what it’s like to have no one to turn to, nothing to help quietly removed from many more libraries than I hear about you hang on, except books. To have a book that might help anoth- because the book deals with issues that many adults don’t want er teen be kept from them—it seems wrong to me on a deep level. to talk about. But Scars is still reaching readers who need it, and I was fortunate to have a librarian let me know that Scars was I’m grateful!  being challenged. I used my blog and social media—especially Read more about Cheryl Rainfield at www.cherylrainfield.com.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 29 P E N C A N A D A Is Journalism Worth Dying for?

By BRENDAN DE CAIRES n 2003, the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya—whose subsequent murder remains unsolved after five years of high-profile investigations, arrests and trials—asked her readers:I “Is journalism worth dying for?” Shaken by the attempted assassina- tion of a colleague in Ryazan, she noted Murdered in Mexico: poet Susana Chávez Castillo and journalist Humberto Millán Salazar (Photo Illustration) that “in Russia—[where] attempts to kill International Human Rights Program at faces no threats from drug trafficking journalists are no rarity—we, the ser- the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, organizations—are more vulnerable vants and slaves of information, ask our- it examines Mexico’s failure to honour to violence and intimidation than selves this question. If the price of truth “binding international human rights professional journalists.” It also notes is so high, perhaps we should just stop, obligations, including the right to life and that “this violence and intimidation and find a profession with less risk of the right to freedom of expression.” The comes, instead, from state officials major unpleasantness. How much would report also suggests ways that Mexico’s [as do two out of every three recorded society, for whose sake we are doing this NAFTA partners can press the Calderón attacks on journalists].” work, care? In the face of that, each of us government for credible reforms. With Politkovskaya’s doubts ever makes his or her own choice.” Ironically, one of the main obstacles present in the fearful atmosphere that Politkovskaya’s question has to be to reform has been the government’s has taken hold in northern Mexico, the answered daily in Mexico. Despite the proficiency in accepting criticism from report’s sobering conclusion is worth country’s recent transition to democra- human rights groups, and its capacity to quoting in full: cy—after 70 years of single-party rule— “simulate a serious response while tak- “Journalism in Mexico has reached little has been done to reform a culture ing minimal effort to effect substantive a state of emergency. Reporting the of corruption and impunity. President changes.” This “strategy of minimiza- news in certain parts of the country has Calderón’s five-year war on the drug tion” has allowed Mexico to receive at become as deadly an undertaking as cartels has claimed more than 40,000 least 1,000 recommendations from rights living in a war zone. But Mexico is not lives, including the lives of at least 34 organizations, and sign or ratify more engaged so much in a war on drugs as journalists. Scores of others have been than 80 international rights-related legal in a battle for its fledgling democracy, harassed, threatened and attacked. instruments while actually doing “little its grasp on the rule of law, and its very Very few of these crimes are inves- to address some of its most pressing future. It is a war with two fronts: terrify- tigated properly, and even fewer are human rights concerns.” ingly violent drug trafficking organiza- brought to justice. In August 2011, a For example, despite its impressive tions are pressing from one side and report by the Universidad Nacional title, the “Special Prosecutor’s Office Mexico’s legacy of impunity from the Autónoma de México concluded that “for for the Attention to Crimes Committed other. It is ordinary citizens who are feel- every 100 crimes committed in Mexico, against Freedom of Expression has no ing the squeeze, and journalists, in par- only three are charged, fewer than two formal ability to investigate crimes or lay ticular, who are caught in the middle. Yet come before a judge. Perpetrators get charges, nor is it empowered to tackle the media, which in a less violent context away with murder.” The report acknowl- cases involving drug traffickers or orga- would be exposing this situation for the edged “formal advances” in the recog- nized crime. As a result, during its first world to see, become quieter with each nition of human rights but noted that four years, the prosecutor has averaged passing day. Mexico’s journalists can no “much more must be done to establish just one prosecution per year.” longer take action to protect themselves effective means to defend those rights.” Corruption, Impunity, Silence also without putting their lives at grave risk. Corruption, Impunity, Silence: The War addresses the government’s misleading It is time for the world to act. The risk of on Mexico’s Journalists offers a compre- insistence that the culture of impunity is not doing so is far too great.”  hensive analysis of Mexico’s grave and an unavoidable consequence of the war Brendan de Caires is the programs and worsening human rights crisis. Published on drugs. The report finds that “commu- communications co-ordinator at PEN in June 2011 by PEN Canada and the nity radio broadcasters—a group which Canada.

30 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 BOOK PROFILE The Fog of War Is Journalism Worth Dying for? By Mark Bourrie (Douglas & McIntyre, 2011) Canadian Press Censorship in World War II

Reviewed by GRANT BUCKLER John Bassett—the publisher of DURING WORLD WAR II, NEWS Montreal’s Gazette—argued with of troop movements, U-boat attacks off censors and politicians more than once. Halifax and Japanese “balloon bombs” When the papers fought back, it was drifting across the Pacific was largely often more for competitive reasons— kept out of the Canadian media. Even because the lack of a clear and timely Canadian political speeches sometimes ruling from censors caused them to get went unreported. Armed with access scooped, for instance—than out of to the press censors’ files and to key concern for the public good. figures in the censorship mechanism, And Bourrie’s book paints a picture of freelance journalist Mark Bourrie has frequent racism in the Canadian press— told the story of how that was done in notably anti-Semitism in some of the The Fog of War: Censorship of Canada’s Quebec media and attacks on Japanese- Media in World War Two. Canadians in British Columbia’s papers. There is no clear line between heroes The Fog of War contains lots of stories and villains in this story. Media cen- and details, not all directly about cen- sorship for most of World War II was sorship. Occasionally Bourrie seems to in the hands of ex-journalists, most stray from his topic, as in the chapter notably Wilfrid Eggleston and Fulgence on the conscription debate, although Charpentier. Eggleston was a former in most cases the apparent digressions The Fog of War by Mark Bourrie Toronto Star reporter who later became (Douglas & McIntyre, 2011) help put censorship stories in context. the first dean of Carleton University’s government use censorship to protect But any reader not already knowledge- journalism school. Charpentier had been itself from embarrassment. able about World War II will learn some- a member of the Parliamentary Press The media, meanwhile, largely did thing about censorship and the war’s Gallery since 1920. as the censors told them. Canada’s effect on Canada as well. Eggleston, the chief press censor and World War II domestic censorship was Canada was fortunate during World later director of censorship, argued that essentially voluntary. Publishing certain War II to have censors who used their shielding Canadians from the war’s bad material could lead to charges under powers sparingly because they believed news could be disastrous. “He came to the Defence of Canada Regulations in in the role of the media. That attitude is believe France fell to the Germans in the War Measures Act. The censors’ role rare in government today. “These days,” 1940 because the French public lived was to warn media outlets what might Bourrie writes, “the Canadian federal in a dream world created by their get them into trouble. The publisher government, like most governments, government’s propaganda and censor- or broadcaster could choose to take has chosen to choke off news at the ship systems,” Bourrie writes. “The its chances. Few did. As Bourrie points source and to rely on public-affairs press must be allowed, even encour- out, the Quebec media took the most officers to shape much of the coverage aged, to print bad news so people chances, realizing that the Mackenzie of military activities.” We are unlikely would be angry and upset. Frightened King government would be very reluctant to see government-appointed officials Canadians would work and fight harder to risk alienating Quebecers, many of defending media freedom again any if they believed there was a real chance whom were already ambivalent about time soon. More than ever, journalists they’d lose the war.” the war. need to do that themselves.  The censors often pushed back against Newspapers did quarrel with the Grant Buckler is a freelance journal- government and military pressure, and censors occasionally. The Globe and Mail ist in Kingston, Ont., and a member of were especially reluctant to let the was more vocal than most, and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 31 The Man in Blue Pyjamas BOOK PROFILE By Jalal Barzanji (University of Alberta Press, 2011)

Reviewed by BRENDAN DE CAIRES the ice-cream vendor. Hama Ali, who was “I MUST PRESENT MY STORY IN half-blind, would rub his fingers against small pieces,” warns Jalal Barzanji at the the coin to determine its worth. He outset of his lyrical memoir, “because always accepted it as a genuine ten-flis my life has been in pieces.” and handed us our ice creams.” The choice serves him well, for the These memories are punctuated by surreal transitions that result from darker passages. Barzanji recalls that this scattershot approach conjure up a “[b]ecause at the time there was no such haunting impression of the uncertainties thing as a mental health hospital, those of Kurdish life under Saddam Hussein. who were mentally disturbed were taken One moment the poet is at home, drink- to the sheikh’s house where they were ing tea in his favourite pyjamas; the next tied up in a dark room and beaten with he is being clubbed by the secret police. wooden sticks. Somehow, someone had During a brief respite, he realizes that decided that this would make them his mother has also been detained, and better.” they enjoy the momentary consolation of Throughout the book there is an each other’s company. Then: “The man unsettling intimation of Death stalking who had insulted my mother turned to Barzanji, and often just missing its mark. his companions. It soon became apparent As a student in Bakour, he leaves a café what they were planning to do. The offi- The Man in Blue Pyjamas by Jalal Barzanji minutes before a bomb kills his drinking (University of Alberta Press, 2011) cers brought five young men—or I should companion. On his first day as a teacher say boys, for they all seemed to be young- The inmates are told to stand in single in a place called Sktan: “the village was er than eighteen—into the room. They file in the hallway. A treacherous Kurd pounded with artillery and small arms were blindfolded and shackled together. who works for the secret police then fire for several minutes. I sat inside the “I was still trying to figure out who declares: “The Leader-President Saddam house with the other teachers. None of they were when the shooting began. Hussein, may Allah bless him with His us spoke a word. As soon as the gunfire Within an instant they were all gone. protection, has decided on his birthday stopped, the soldiers came down into Right there in front of their parents. One to issue a general amnesty for prison- the village and started rounding up all mother, weeping and beating her chest ers. You are all included in the amnesty. the men. ... We later learned that of the uncontrollably, said to her husband, He has pardoned you for your crimes fifteen men who were taken away that ‘This was our son, Nawzad.’ Then she against the revolution. I want you from day, five were executed at Abu Ghraib turned to the officers: ‘I beg Khuda to now on to devote yourselves to our prison. The rest were given sentences come and blind you all.’” beloved leader. Keep him in your prayers ranging from three-to-fifteen years. I The grim account of prison life that and ask Allah to keep him safe and well.” never saw them again.” follows is replete with novelistic details. What sets Barzanji’s story above mere Appropriately, the most memorable There is some inevitable squalor and reportage is his poet’s eye for detail. His image in the whole book is the conver- brutality, but also unexpected humanity. recollections of childhood in Kurdistan sion of the local library into the prison Raconteurs in the overcrowded cells dis- are as absorbing as anything that takes that will eventually house Barzanji. This tract others with droll stories; during a place within the prison. Consider, for sacrilege becomes a potent symbol of prison visit, inmates agree to ration their instance, his discovery that train tracks the Ba’ath party’s wider despoliation of time atop a heap of dirty blankets so can multiply the value of coins: “Kh. Kurdish culture. Once Saddam Hussein that each gets a minute peering through would scramble in front of the approach- assumes control, the pleasures of a hole in the ceiling for a glimpse of their ing train and carefully lay a flis on the reading are banished almost immedi- loved ones. At times it sounds almost track. I never ceased to be amazed by ately. Rousing memories of an attractive like a Jesuit boarding school—except for what the train could do to a coin! It could librarian fetching books from the higher the routine torture and occasional disap- magically turn a simple flis into one the shelves, and dusting them on her bosom, pearance of the prisoners. size of a ten-flis coin. Once the train had give way instead to the horrors of After more than two years, the night- disappeared into the distance, Kh. would incarceration. mare ends as absurdly as it began. pick up the squashed coin and run off to BLUE PYJAMAS CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

32 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 The Master Switch: The Rise BOOK PROFILE and Fall of Information Empires By Tim Wu (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010)

Reviewed by WAYNE MACPHAIL campaign donors. At other times—for IN THE LATE SIXTIES, WHEN example, during the break up of AT&T I was a boy growing up in Dartmouth, into the Baby Bells—the government N.S., I built myself a crystal radio set lost its taste for the venal monopolistic from an inexpensive kit. With a copper practices of industrialists and dropped wire antenna strung along the length the anti-trust hammer. Then the Wild of our home’s eavestrough, I could lull West rode into town again. This swing in myself to sleep with the rig’s round plas- communications technology—from open tic earphone sandwiched between my to closed to reopened—Wu calls “the soon-aching ear and my pillow. cycle,” a process he believes no medium, When I skated the needle up and not even the Internet, is immune to. down my hand-wound tuner, I heard the In cautionary tale after cautionary call signs of distant hams, ship-to-shore tale, Wu lays out the case that we may radio, AM signals and a flanging of for- be living through the Golden Age of the eign languages bouncing and skipping Internet. Like the ham radio operators I off the ionosphere. I didn’t know it then, heard as distant voices, we may be mer- but in the dark I was listening to the rily sharing our statuses, hashtags, blog last vestiges of a radio whose time had posts and videos with abandon and with- already come. out stricture or sanction. But, Wu argues, In my teens, my radio was a store- The Master Switch by Tim Wu (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) the Internet really is dependent on a bought transistor, and the signals it picked by commercial, industrial or legislative series of pipes. These pipes are owned by up were the repetitive bubble-gum pop restrictions, the infant media embraced large cable and telecommunications com- and prog rock of the dominant FM and innovation and divergent alternatives in panies who also own content they’d love AM stations that now flooded the electro- a gleeful, unfettered Darwinism. us to consume over those same pipes. magnetic spectrum like the white glare of Then, inevitably, industrialists Most recently we’ve seen that Shaw a sports arena’s lights in a night sky. The swooped in, stealing patents and credit, has placed bandwidth caps on its Internet acoustic Wild West I had marvelled at as delaying developments, crushing inde- services, but it has also announced that a boy was now a tamed suburb. pendents and turning the gilded, youth- the Internet video service it provides will The medium’s transition—from an open, ful medium into a jaded and mercenary not count against those caps, thereby everything-goes Golden Age to its corral- adult only interested in the gold. These favouring its content over all other ling, curating and commercializing—is the new monopolists held the “master Internet traffic. Wu would call that a subject of Tim Wu’s The Master Switch. switch” of the medium—AT&T’s owner- canary in a coal mine to anyone who In his exhaustive book, Wu, a profes- ship of long-distance lines. is a student of media history. sor at Columbia University, argues that At times, as Wu tells it, the industrial- Wu’s solution is what he calls the media—the telephone, radio, television, ists were aided and abetted by govern- “separation principle,” a church-and- film—all began life as the playthings ments only too willing to listen to the state proposition that would not allow of inventors and hobbyists. Unfettered reinvented histories spun by major Bell Canada or Shaw or Rogers to own the pipes and the content and that BLUE PYJAMAS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 Muqtada.” (Muqtada al-Sadr is a promi- would also hold the government in The final sections cover Barzanji’s nent Shi’a cleric.) check so it does not legislatively escape from Iraq, through Turkey, “As the new day dawned, a line I had favour a dominant player. before he finds refuge in Edmonton. heard some time back popped into Wu’s cry is clear and clarion. It may The book ends with his family comfort- my head: ‘It is hard to live in the same also, if Shaw is any kind of bellwether, ably established in their new life and world forever, isn’t it?’”  be too late.  Barzanji just back from a trip to Jalal Barzanji has lived in Canada since Wayne MacPhail is the president of post-Saddam Kurdistan. Watching 1998. He was named PEN Edmonton’s w8nc, a Canadian marketing and com- television reports of Saddam’s execu- first writer in exile in 2007. The Man in munications company that specializes tion, he is troubled by the scaffold Blue Pyjamas is the first translation of in emerging technologies. He writes a mob’s chants of “Allah u Akbar his work from Kurdish into English. weekly technology column for Rabble.ca.

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 33 Freedom to Read Week Activities and Events Across Canada 2011 Below is a list of the events that took place before, during and after Freedom to Read Week 2011. You’ll find great ideas among the speakers, displays and activities for your own Freedom to Read Week event in 2012.

Airdrie Public Library Edmonton Public Library AIRDRIE, ALBERTA EDMONTON, ALBERTA We Dare You! Celebrate Your Freedom to Read An Evening with Amy Goodman The library displayed photos of patrons with challenged books. The Amy Goodman—award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist display included interactive panels, photos and challenged books. and host of Democracy Now!—led a discussion about the role of Patrons were quizzed on the history of book challenges in Canada. independent media in promoting social justice.

The ARTery First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto EDMONTON, ALBERTA TORONTO, ONTARIO Freedom to Read … Out Loud: Risky and Risqué Stories for Adults Freedom to Read Week Discussion Linda Paksi and Tim Anderson read erotic tales and poems. Franklin Carter, researcher for the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee, discussed censorship and book Book and Periodical Council challenges in Canada. TORONTO, ONTARIO Challenging Books: Who Should Decide What Our Children Read? Forest Heights Collegiate Institute Panellists Patsy Aldana, David Booth, Eve Freedman and Peggy KITCHENER, ONTARIO Thomas joined moderator Ken Setterington to discuss the censor- Altered Books Display ship of childrens’ books in schools and libraries. The Writers’ Union The Grade 12 Visual Arts class created an exhibit of sculptures made of Canada presented its Freedom to Read Award to John Ralston from discarded books. During Freedom to Read Week, the sculp- Saul. tures were displayed at the Forest Heights Community Library. Grande Prairie Regional College Calgary Freedom to Read Week Committee GRANDE PRAIRIE, BRITISH COLUMBIA CALGARY, ALBERTA Freedom to Read Cards Presentation of a Challenged Book Staff and faculty created cards for Freedom to Read Week. Patrons Anne Jayne presented a challenged book to city council: filled in their names and the names of challenged books that they The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. had read or planned to read. Calgary Freedom to Read Week Committee Innisfil Public Library and Fast Forward Weekly (FFWD) INNISFIL, ONTARIO CALGARY, ALBERTA We Recommend: Freedom to Read Week Edition Annual Freedom to Read Week Celebration Staff members celebrate the freedom to read all year round, but for The celebration included the presentation of the 2011 Calgary Freedom to Read Week they recommended only banned books and Freedom of Expression Award to Mayor Naheed Nenshi. The highlighted the works that they had read. winners of the Calgary Public Library’s Who Chooses What You Read? contest were also announced. Library Association of Alberta (LAA) ALBERTA Calgary Public Library Annual Freedom to Read Contest CALGARY, ALBERTA The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the LAA ran a contest that Freedom to Read Week Contest encouraged Alberta’s libraries to celebrate and promote Freedom to Students in Grades 7 to 9 expressed their thoughts on Freedom to Read Week. Libraries were asked to submit their event ideas for a Read Week by drawing, painting, taking a photograph, writing a chance to win $300 to help with the cost. poem or story, or making a film. Library Association of the National Capital Region Coho Books OTTAWA, ONTARIO CAMPBELL RIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA LANCR Presents Freedom to Read Week 2011 Reception/Free a Challenged Book The association hosted a discussion about current local and inter- At a reception to celebrate Freedom to Read Week, people enjoyed national censorship. Special guests appeared: Donna Presz, library refreshments and discussed intellectual freedom and book censor- services supervisor at the Derry Byrne Teacher Resource Centre ship. Coho Books released challenged books into the community. in the Ottawa Catholic School Board; Alan Cumyn, author of The

34 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 Famished Lover and chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada; and Mary New Glasgow Public Library Cavanagh, public librarian and assistant professor at the University NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOTIA of Ottawa’s School of Information Studies. Public Domain Movie Marathon To celebrate the freedom to watch, the library hosted a public Libre de lire domain movie marathon. A list of films was posted to the library’s QUEBEC website; patrons voted for the movie they most wanted to see. Website Launch Independent librarians celebrated Freedom to Read Week by launch- Norfolk County Public Library ing Libre de lire. The website posts photos of readers holding their NORFOLK, ONTARIO favourite banned, challenged or other books. The website also lists Freedom to Read Week Readings banned and challenged books. Visit http://libredelire.org. The library asked a local author to visit each of the library’s branches during Freedom to Read Week. Josie Penny, author of Literary Arts Windsor So Few on Earth: A Labrador Métis Woman Remembers, visited WINDSOR, ONTARIO all five branches, read from her book and answered questions. Writers in Prison and in Exile Ava Homa, an Iranian writer in exile, read from her book Echoes Okanagan Regional Library from the Other Land and led a discussion about writing in prison KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA and exile. Audience members read passages about writers who Visiting Author Series had been in prison. The library invited writer Patrick Lane to speak. His Poems, New and Selected won the 1978 Governor General’s Award. He has published Mount Royal University a memoir, There Is a Season, more than 20 books of poetry and a CALGARY, ALBERTA novel, Red Dog, Red Dog. Freedom to Read Week Discussion Dr. Ann Curry talked about intellectual freedom, access to Okotoks Public Library knowledge, creativity and the expression of thoughts in public. OKOTOKS, ALBERTA She discussed the heckler’s veto in law, social media, and Freedom to Read Week Book Sale Canadian universities and colleges. The library hosted a book sale. Patrons could fill a bag with titles for $3. Nan Boothby Memorial Library COCHRANE, ALBERTA The Olds Municipal Library Comments Corner/Freedom to Read Week Forum OLDS, ALBERTA During Freedom to Read Week, the library provided a “comments Freedom to Read Week (Weak?) Teleconference corner” where patrons could discuss their views on the freedom to Dr. Ann Curry reviewed recent censorship incidents in Canada read and censorship. The library also organized a panel discussion and the United States and discussed whether our freedom to that featured community leaders in education, journalism and read is becoming stronger or weaker. She challenged librarians commerce. to be more active in defending intellectual freedom. The Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association discussion was broadcast live to libraries across the province. (NLLA) PEN Canada and the Toronto Public Library NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TORONTO, ONTARIO Freedom to Read Photo Contest What We Talk About When We Talk About Hate The NLLA invited people to visually represent their freedom to read. Journalist Steve Paikin moderated a debate about hate speech People submitted their photos about free expression, freedom from in Canada. Special guests appeared: Susan G. Cole, author, play- censorship and promotion of the written word from all over the wright, broadcaster and senior editor at NOW Magazine; Janet province. The winning photo appeared on the NLLA’s Freedom to Keeping, president of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics Read Week poster which was circulated to libraries throughout the in Leadership; Richard Moon, professor of law at the University of province. Windsor; and Rinaldo Walcott, sociologist at the Ontario Institute New Glasgow Public Library for Studies in Education. NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOTIA Pink Triangle Press and the Toronto Public Library Freedom to Learn/Freedom to Read/Freedom to Write TORONTO, ONTARIO The library hosted several events. First, Canadian Women for Sexual Outliers: Censorship, Advocacy, Women in Afghanistan showed the film Return to Kandahar. A Journalism and the Gay Press discussion and free seminar followed the screening. Next, writers Pink Triangle Press, publishers of Xtra and Fab, presented a lively Bijou Dlamini and Maureen Hull presented a discussion in honour discussion about the moral puzzles of censorship and free expres- of Freedom to Read Week. The library also celebrated the freedom sion in the gay press. The discussion looked at how queer com- to write by screening A Call to Consciousness, a documentary film munities struggle to reconcile the fights for freedom of sexual and that depicts memorable speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 35 ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 Foster led an audience on a lively romp through challenged works. political expression with the fight against homophobic expression. Subjects included The Odyssey, WikiLeaks, historical revisionism, Case studies included Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and the and the challenges writers face in closed societies, societies open- Toronto Pride Parade, murder music, and the Canada Border ing up to free expression and our own seemingly open society. Services Agency and queer-themed film. Stettler Public Library Queen’s University Learning Commons STETTLER, ALBERTA KINGSTON, ONTARIO Free the Words! Freedom to Read Week Public Readings Library patrons were invited to decorate a bird with a word and Queen’s University Learning Commons hosted public readings in symbolically set it free. The library was decorated with freed words. Speaker’s Corner to raise awareness of censorship. Patrons were also invited to record each book that they had read from the challenged book list. Queen’s University Stauffer Library KINGSTON, ONTARIO Toronto Public Library Panel: Changes to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn TORONTO, ONTARIO The staff organized lunchtime activities for Freedom to Read Week. Banned Books: Madame Bovary Students attended a panel discussion on changing the text of Mark The library hosted a discussion about the nineteenth-century Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The featured speakers French novel that sparked such moral outrage that the author were Dr. Elizabeth Lee, Dr. Laura Murray and Dr. Barrington Walker. and publisher were put on trial. Quest University Canada Toronto Public Library SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA TORONTO, ONTARIO Freedom to Read Week Discussion Censoring Manga for Fun and Profit The library hosted a presentation featuring Dr. Lisa Nathan of the Chris Butcher, who writes about comics and manga at Comics212. University of British Columbia’s School of Library, Archival and net, talked about the many surprising and unfortunate ways that Information Studies. The presentation was entitled Intellectual manga comics are censored in North America. Freedom v. Censorship: Leveraging Information, Technology and Policy in Support of Societal Change in Rwanda. Vancouver Island University Reading and Writing Centre Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA the Saskatoon Public Library Freedom to Read Marathon SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN The students at the Cowichan campus celebrated their freedom to Shhhh! Don’t Read This read by dedicating themselves to reading more. By Freedom to Read Local authors Mari-Lou Rowley and George Khng and librarian Ann Week 2011, participating students had read more than 6,000 pages and had made a chart to highlight their progress. Wellington County Library: Fergus Branch Displays of Banned Books FERGUS, ONTARIO Freedom to Read Week Photo Contest/Book Sale These organizations displayed challenged The library asked patrons to take photos of other people reading. and/or banned books. The winning photo submissions were displayed during Freedom to Canadian Library Association (University of Western Ontario) Read Week, and the winners were given banned books. The library and Librarians Without Borders also hosted a book sale. Coho Books (Campbell River, B.C.) Winnipeg Public Library and Manitoba Writers’ Guild Concordia University College (Edmonton, Alta.) WINNIPEG, MANITOBA The Fraser Library at Simon Fraser University Freedom to Read Marathon Grande Prairie Regional College The library and the guild celebrated Freedom to Read Week with Medicine Hat Public Library public readings from challenged books. Volunteer readers were Morinville Public Library asked to fill 10-minute time slots. Nan Boothby Memorial Library (Cochrane, Alta.) Writers Guild of Alberta and WordFest Okotoks Public Library CALGARY, ALBERTA Prince George Public Library WGA and WordFest Present Judge John Reilly St. Catharines Public Library Judge John Reilly, author of Bad Medicine: A Judge’s Struggle for Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Justice in a First Nations Community, spoke in a candid interview. Wascana campus library In 2010, the controversial book was the target of legal action by officials of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. 

36º | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 Get Involved Ideas for Educators The Get Involved section is based on the articles that appear in politics, society, history, law and other courses about intellec- the preceding pages of Freedom to Read. The objectives of this tual freedom. The Get Involved activities are designed for section are to classroom instruction and discussion. Get Involved is also intended for citizens outside the class- • highlight freedom of thought and freedom of expression as room who wish to plan community events. This section includes universal human rights; ideas for publicizing challenged books and magazines in • examine the educational value of controversial texts; Canada, organizing events that draw attention to freedom of expression and generating publicity for local events. • emphasize tolerance of other people’s viewpoints as a vital We encourage you to use these ideas to Get Involved during principle of democratic education. Freedom to Read Week and all year round. We sincerely hope The target group for this section includes high school, college your efforts have an impact in your classroom and in your and university students who discuss language and literature, community. Winners of the Calgary Public Library’s Freedom to Read Contest Each year, the Calgary Public Library holds an essay-writing contest for Freedom to Read Week. In 2011, the contest included poster and video submissions. Here are the contest winners. WINNING STUDENT ESSAYS in Tunisia and Egypt. However, we must all remain vigilant against governments and others who may attempt to restrict Freedom to Read By Matthew (Grade 9) our access to information. We all have a role to play in protect- Democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a ing our online freedom to read. wall up to keep our people in. john f. kennedy Who Decides What We Read? By Jun (Grade 7) John F. Kennedy was referring to the Berlin Wall and how the Who should decide what we read: families or peers or the Soviets had to forcibly keep people away from the ideal of powerful government? democracy. However, this observation could just as easily refer These forces have significant influence over our lives, but to the virtual wall put up by China or by the current govern- who should control what we read? ment of the USA. The truth is that we have the power to control what we Internet publications are more susceptible to censorship should read. Some things can indeed influence what we read, than traditional publications because of all the technology but how much of it can they control? required to access the Internet. While the printed word in its Sure, the government could burn all the books in the country simplest form only requires a piece of paper and a pen, digital and ban books, but would you not be able to go somewhere publications require a myriad of servers, cables and towers to else and read them? get that information onto your screen. And even if one doesn’t have enough money to go else- One of the great Internet censors of our age is China. Since where, does not one have a brain? The sheer glory of it is that 2003, all Internet media have been censored by the Golden the human brain has imagination! One cannot destroy the Shield Project. This prevents Chinese citizens from accessing creativity of the human mind. content that the government has decided is “unacceptable” for We can create books, then read them! its citizens. We could burn previous literature, such as the works of However, China is not the only country that flies a tattered Shakespeare and Mark Twain, but no one can control the flag in this regard. The USA also tries to censor what informa- thoughts in your head. In fact, if the government burned all tion its citizens have access to online. WikiLeaks, the contro- books, could you not create your own book? versial whistleblower of the Internet age, has been dropped One could say that only we decide what we read, and we as a customer by most of the major American corporations. create what we read. Our peers or parents can recommend Amazon, MasterCard and Visa all ceased providing services to a book, but you can accept or refuse it. It’s more likely that WikiLeaks after the government put pressure on them to stop. you would like a book better if you chose it than if somebody The Internet has the prospect to strengthen democracy forced it on you. around the world by allowing people to communicate with each In short, people may have influence on you and there may be other and express ideas and opinions more easily, as it is doing WHO DECIDES WHAT WE READ CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 37 WINNING STUDENT POSTER Ananya (Grade 9) submitted this winning poster.

WHO DECIDES WHAT WE READ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 Hamish X by Sean Cullen certain barriers, but you will control what you read. And perhaps WINNING STUDENT VIDEO you may even write a book of your own. Gina (Grade 9) created the winning video. Its title is “Who These books are worth reading: Chooses What You Read?” and it can be seen at this URL: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott http://old.calgarypubliclibrary.com/teenscreate/index. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&Itemid=89 Freedom to Read Kit Quiz 1. In “Opting Out in the Classroom,” Anne Jayne writes about shelves of the Mosaïque school for troubled teens. What was a law that affects the teaching of controversial issues in public the school’s concern about this series? schools. What right does the law give parents if their children 5. Charles Montpetit also writes about a website in Quebec that are taught lessons that address sexuality, sexual orientation or was inspired by WikiLeaks.org. The newer website promises to religion? release “sensitive, exclusive and authentic documents” to coun- 2. In “Access to Government Information in Canada’s Public ter the lack of transparency in politics and business. What is the Libraries,” David Burke and Carol Perry write about the name of this website? challenges that librarians face when they try to gain access to 6. In “Challenges to Canadian Library Resources and Policies in certain government documents on the Internet. What service 2010,” Alvin M. Schrader and Donna Bowman write about the was established in 1929 to provide libraries with access to Canadian Library Association’s latest annual survey of challeng- information published by the federal government? es to library materials and policies in Canadian libraries. What 3. In “Dropping the Curtain on Children’s Theatre,” Lucy White happened for the first time in five years? writes about plays that run into problems when they are per- 7. In “Changing the Story,” David Bouchard describes factual formed in schools. One such play is The Shape of a Girl. Who inaccuracies in The Song of Hiawatha, Henry Longfellow’s epic wrote the play? poem. What First Nation did Hiawatha actually belong to? 4. In “Meanwhile in Quebec ...,” Charles Montpetit writes 8. In “Africentric Education,” Professor George J. Sefa Dei about Les nombrils comic book series which was pulled off the FREEDOM TO READ QUIZ CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

38 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 Speak Out for the Freedom to Read There are many ways to speak out about freedom of expression in Canada. Here are just a few suggestions to help you organize and get involved.

A Book Club Discussion L Create a Display of Defaced Books Select a banned book for your next book club meeting, or start Ask library staff to collect books that have been defaced a book club that reads only banned books. (e.g., with racist, anti-gay or other slurs) or destroyed to B Banned Book Booklist prevent other people from reading them. Post a list of banned or challenged books on your website, or M Forum on Freedom of Expression publish the list as a bookmark. Host an author, a publisher or an advocacy group which C Banned Book Swap has been sued to silence them. Organize a book swap and create a space where people N Ninety Second Megaphone share stories and experiences about book banning. See Set up a Freedom to Speak Station where anyone can pick PaperbackSwap.com as a model. up a megaphone and speak his or her mind for 90 seconds. D Banned Book Electronic Display O Free Speech Board Create a slide show of covers of banned books on your comput- Set up a Free Speech Board that allows anyone to post er. Display them on a computer monitor at your library or school. messages, quotes, poems or ideas. E Panel Discussion: Authors of Banned Books P Chalking for Free Expression Host a panel discussion of authors whose books have been Collect famous quotations on freedom of expression, and write banned or challenged. Invite the public to attend. them in chalk across the school campus or on city streets. F Challenged Plays Q Write a Letter to the Editor With a local theatre company, organize a staged reading of a Let your local newspaper know how you feel about banned or challenged or banned play. challenged books. Such letters are important even if they don’t G BookCrossing get printed. Register banned books online at BookCrossing.com and follow R Host a Photo Contest them on their journeys from reader to reader. Ask participants to submit photos about freedom of expression H Banned Book Display or anything that promotes the written word. Display the sub- Create displays of banned books in your library or school. missions during Freedom to Read Week, and give out books as I Read-a-thon prizes to the winners. Host a 24-hour reading marathon. Have students and authors S Organize a Debate read aloud from banned books. Consider raising funds for an Have students debate the pros and cons of banning specific organization that defends free expression. books, teaching certain issues in schools or curbing certain J Book Challenges and Privacy Issues kinds of speech in Canada. Host a talk about the defence of intellectual freedom. T Create a Video K Film Screenings Create a short video about a banned or challenged book. You Curate a series of films to illustrate the many faces of film could write the script as a news story or dramatize the debate censorship. Include the role of government and focus on that precedes the banning of a book. Here’s an example on Canada. Suggested films include Sedition by Min Sook Lee YouTube:

and Little Sister’s vs. Big Brother by Aerlyn Weissman. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwyRGYKWXDA&feature=related

PEN International PEN

FREEDOM TO READ QUIZ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38 11.

communication” could be applied against liability. against applied be could communication”

The court ruled that a defence of “responsible of defence a that ruled court The explains why he supports Africentric alternative schools. 10.

The Second World War World Second The In what Canadian city did an Africentric school open in 2009? 9.

Toronto

9. Mark Bourrie’s The Fog of War explores Canadian press 8.

Onondaga

censorship during what era? 7.

And Tango Makes Three. Makes Tango And No challenges were reported to reported were challenges No 6.

QuebecLeaks.org 10. In “Libel Tourism,” Hilary McLaughlin writes about libel 5.

law in Canada, the United States and Britain. What did the anorexic. become to students some

The school feared that the series might encourage might series the that feared school The 4.

Supreme Court of Canada do to change Canada’s libel law?

Joan MacLeod Joan

11. Of which international organization is John Ralston 3. The Depository Services Program Services Depository The

Saul the president? 2. from the classroom. the from The law allows parents to remove their child their remove to parents allows law The Quiz Answers  1. FREEDOM TO READ 2012 | 39 i e c f n m r e n s p n e i m b n Freedom to Read r b b y r s a n l e a l e t f o c Word Search e w t a i c s c i i s j l r i o n t s u e n n e h e i t i e t n k t See if you can find the words listed below. y a o l t n i i e n b e a t m c r In the puzzle, the words could be written in any direction: up, down, diagonally r c k l e m e l e r s m r u t l d and backward. t d a o r t m d a p r o s a n u r e t e r n c t r e o v i r r c b m 1. banned 13. journalism 2. censorship 14. theatre o s p t e u y e f e c n e s l y e 3. children’s lit 15. poetry p r s n t t c n r k s a d l h t g 4. literacy 16. music i r e o h h i s u w d e r p i i a 5. libel 17. borders e n r c m s i l a n r u o j y r p 6. access 18. control 7. controversial 19. free speech e r m o s a v i l t l i b e l e h 8. library 20. megaphone u e e e l c h t a s r k t n n r o 9. information 21. read e t c p e c r e i n r i t i s i n 10. book club 22. Internet 11. literacy 23. silence i c p n y s h o i t s i l e n c e 12. letter writing 24. speak out a e y a e t c r e r o n n s s g n

Banned Authors Word Search See if you can find the surnames of the authors in the puzzle. The surnames are listed below in boldface type. All these authors have had their books challenged or banned somewhere in Canada. In the puzzle, the surnames could be written in any direction: up, down, diagonally and backward.

1. Mordecai Richler (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz) d k r e b a n a o h l a n g 2. Anthony Burgess (A Clockwork Orange) g o i d u r a s a t w o o d 3. W.P. Kinsella (Dance Me Outside) 4. Stephen King (Different Seasons) s n u n r w b y e l d n i f 5. Margaret Laurence (The Diviners) 6. Peter Turnbull (Embracing Skeletons) r e t u g a l h b c z e s l 7. Piers Anthony (Faun and Games) a c u g e s h k h a r r i s 8. Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) 9. John Ball (In the Heat of the Night) e n r y s a i c l r l e t r 10. Yuk Yuk’s (Jokes Men Only Tell Other Men) 11. D.H. Lawrence (Lady Chatterley’s Lover) l e n o s n r e t u g l i b 12. Alice Munro (Lives of Girls and Women) 13. Marguerite Duras (Man Sitting in a Corridor) r r b d s i z b n i a o e p 14. John Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men) t u u e c w t n n w r i c n 15. Jimmy Pritchard (The New York City Bartender’s Joke Book) g a l h a r o i r e u p o a 16. Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses) 17. Charlaine Harris (The Southern Vampire f l l e u e r e i d h s u r Mysteries series) 18. J.F. Gonzalez (Survivor) a e r h a a n t h o n y a u 19. Kate Allen (Takes One to Know One) r e c h a c u s k u y k u y 20. William Pierce (The Turner Diaries) 21. Jonathan Nasaw (Twenty-Seven Bones) h o h y e o m n i u e a b l 22. Timothy Findley (The Wars) 23. Jane Rule (The Young in One Another’s Arms)

40 | FREEDOM TO READ 2012 open

F ICTION

A R TICL E

V E RSE D RAFT 0 ILLUSTRATI O N M AGAZINE CONTENT JOURNAL HANDWRITING LI T ERATURE N O VELLA

ESSAY mind GRAPHIC ZEUGMA XEROGRAPHY QUOTE RE PORT PL A Y U P D ATE STUDY W O R D P L A Y YARN OPUS TRANSCRIPT KNOWLEDGE BIOGRAPHY www.freedomtoread.ca Book and Periodical Council