Ljubljana City of Refuge (ICORN)

In April 2011 Ljubljana became a member of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). Since 2006, more than 50 cities around the globe have joined the global network, and no less than 130 writers and artists have found shelter in an ICORN member city thus contributing to the freedom of expression in a practical way. Writers who were persecuted in their homeland as a direct consequence of their creative activities, are offered a 2 year residency to continue with their work, involved in a network of local and international cultural programmes.

In Slovenia the residency is managed by the Department for Culture of the City of Ljubljana and the Ljubljana City Library, in cooperation with the Slovene PEN Centre. So far Ljubljana has hosted Ali Amar and Zineb El Rhazoui (both from Morocco), and Girma T. Fantaye (Ethiopia). In May 2014 the Municipality of Ljubljana hosted the ICORN Network General Assembly.

Background

In 1993 the Cities of Asylum were founded by the International Parliament of Writers (IPW) that was established by Salman Rushdie, Vaclav Havel, Margaret Drabble and Jacques Derrida among others, in response to the assassination of writers in Algeria. Though the Parliament was later on dissolved, a network of over 30 cities across the world remained active, including Stavanger where the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) is based.

ICORN by ICORNvideo on YouTube

Residents in Slovenia

Ali Amar, a Moroccan writer and journalist, who was censored and persectued because of his inquiries into the Moroccan monarchic system, was guest writer in Ljubljana City of Refuge from 2011 to 2013. During this period, Ljubljana hosted also Zineb El Rhazoui, a journalist, writer and human rights advocate who strives for a real democracy in Morocco. The Shahrazad - stories for life multiannual European project invited the two residents to join the Manal al-Sheikh and Mansur Rajih on the stage of the World Literatures - Fabula Festival in Ljubljana in 2012.

Ethiopian poet, writer and journalist Girma Fantaye who stays in the city of Ljubljana, presented his versatile experience and work at the Days of Poetry and Wine Festival in Ptuj as well as at the Oton Župančič Library.

"Free Palestine" by ICORN rapper Khaled Harara by ICORNvideo on YouTube

External links

Ljubljana City of Refuge (ICORN)

Contents

Background

Residents in Slovenia

See also

External links

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