06. Jun 2010

ICORN consolidates and looks forward at successful Frankfurt assembly

More than 90 delegates, writers, observers and other guests from 30 countries convened 1-3 June for ICORN's first general assembly as an independent, international membership organisation. Three days of fruitful encounters, intense discussions and conscious deliberations brought the new organisation many important steps further, says ICORN's executive director Helge Lunde.

From ICORN General Assembly 2010 In addition to standard assembly procedures, the member city delegates adjusted and consolidated the foundational documents of the organisation, discussed and decided upon the new ICORN Charter and elected the following persons to constiute the ICORN board until the next general assembly:

Chair: Peter Ripken (Frankfurt)
Vice Chair: Dagny Anker Gevelt (Kristiansand)
Board member: Raffaella Salierno (Barcelona)
Board member: Philippe Olle Laprune (Mexico City)
Board member: Chris Gribble (Norwich)

A considerable number of ICORN Guest Writers took part in the assembly, exchanging views and experiences between them, and reminding the young organisation what its work is all about. Strong messages was brought forward to the assembly by three of them, Sihem Bensedrine (Tunisia/Barcelona), Philo Ikonya (Kenya/Oslo) and Parvin Ardalan (Iran/Malmö).

Sara Whyatt from International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) and Larry Siems from PEN American Center presented an overview over the current situation for freedom of expression, noting that 50 years after the creation of WiPC their work is still much needed, and that the last ten years have seen a deterioration in the protection of free speech. (To read Sara Whyatt's speech, go here .)

Throughout the days of the Assembly, a wide range of great writers - among others, Fatima Mernissi, Uday Prakash, Ilija Trojanow, Easterine Iralu, Herrad Schenk, Horacio Castellanos Moya, Carmen Francesca Banciu, Faraj Bayrakdar, Mansur Rajih, Pegah Ahmadi, and Carlos A. Aguilera - took part in a series of reading encounters, organised by litprom .