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H.E. Mrs. Valgerd Svarstad Haugland,
Minister of Culture and Church Affairs
Highlights of her career include: Secretary-general of the Women's Organization of the Christian Democratic Party of Norway; Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs; Member of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs; Minister of Children and Family Affairs; Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party; Member of the Storting for Akershus County; First Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party; Deputy member of the Storting for Rogaland County; Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Youth League Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Council for Research and Development of Expertise in European Affairs; Member of the Council on lowering the school age; Member of the Council on Ethics and the Community; Member of the board, Modum Bads Nervesanatorium; Member of the Council for the Women's University; Member of the board, Alva Myrdal Fund; Member of the Christian Democratic Party Strategy Committee. |
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Ismail Serageldin
Director, Library of Alexandria
Ismail Serageldin is Director of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Library of Alexandria, and Distinguished University Professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands . He was formerly Vice-President of the World Bank for Environmentally Sustainable Development and Chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) at the World Bank. He joined the Bank in 1972 where he designed and managed a broad array of poverty-focused projects in developing countries. Educated at Cairo University and Harvard University where he earned a Ph.D., Dr. Serageldin is an internationally published author on economic development, human resource issues, the environment, architecture, urbanism, the Arab world, Islam and culture. He has received numerous international awards and honors for his work and civil society efforts. |
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Desmond Tutu
Bishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp, Transvaal . His father was a teacher, and he himself was educated at Johannesburg Bantu High School . After leaving school he trained first as a teacher at Pretoria Bantu Normal College and in 1954 he graduated from the University of South Africa . After three years as a high school teacher he began to study theology, being ordained as a priest in 1960. The years 1962-66 were devoted to further theological study in England leading up to a Master of Theology. From 1967 to 1972 he taught theology in South Africa before returning to England for three years as the assistant director of a theological institute in London . In 1975 he was appointed Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg , the first black to hold that position. From 1976 to 1978 he was Bishop of Lesotho, and in 1978 became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Tutu is an honorary doctor of a number of leading universities in the USA , Britain and Germany .
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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of national leader General Aung San (assassinated on July 19, 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. She received her BA in philosophy, politics and economics, St. Hugh's College, Oxford University 1964-1967 (elected Honorary Fellow in 1990).
Some of her official appointments include Assistant Secretary, Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, United Nations Secretariat, New York 1969-1971; Research Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan; Visiting Scholar, Center of Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University 1985-1986; Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla 1987; Proposed the formation of a People's Consultative Committee during the democratic uprising in Burma August 15, 1988; Addressed half-million mass rally in front of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon and calls for a democratic government. August 26, 1988; The National League for Democracy (NLD) is formed, with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as general secretary. September 24, 1988. The military regime that seized power from the people on September 18, 1988, placed her under house arrest in Rangoon under martial law that allows for detention without charge or trial for three years.
She went on hunger strike to protect the students taken from her house to the Military Intelligence Interrogation Center and was recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International July 20, 1989. Awarded, in absentia, the 1990 Rafto Human Rights Prize. October 12, 1990. Awarded, in absentia, the 1990 Sakharov Prize (human rights prize of the European Parliament) July 10, 1991. Awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize October 14, 1991. Released from house arrest. July 10, 1995. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Freedom of the City honor March 12, 2000 in recognition of her activism in her Southeast Asian country.
US President Bill Clinton has conferred America 's highest civilian honor on Burma 's pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi December 07, 2000. She was freed after 19 months of house arrest, the military government said in a breakthrough toward ending the country's political deadlock. In a written statement released earlier, government spokesman Col. Hla Min said Monday would mark "a new page for the people of Myanmar and the international community." The statement did not mention Suu Kyi by name, but said: "We shall recommit ourselves to allowing all of our citizens to participate freely in the life of our political process, while giving priority to national unity, peace and stability of the country as well as the region" on May 6, 2002.
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Ahmed Abdel Mooti Hegazi
Ahmed Abdel Mooti Hegazi, one of the pioneers in the field of modern Arabic poetry, began publishing poetry at the age of 20, including " Heartless City ", Monody of Beautiful Age, and Creatures of the Night Kingdom and some of this has been translated into several languages. He has published more than 20 books in poetic criticism, cultural and artistic reviews, inter alia, Poetry is My Partner, Tuesday Talks, City of Light , Kingdom of Poetry , Life and Religion. He lived a number of years in France , where he worked as a professor of Arabic Literature in Paris VIII and La Sorbonne Nouvelle. Won number of Egyptian, Arabic, and International awards. He began his career as an editor in Rose Al-Yusuf. Mr. Hegazi is currently working as a journalist in Al-Ahram, and is a permanent member of the Supreme Council for Culture.
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Rune Hersvik
"Art for Freedom" Exhibition
Mr. Hersvik was educated and worked as a Civil engineer but quickly moved into work with social issues as Coordinator of the Scandinavian contribution to the "Live Aid" event, (including video production and international TV distribution to 1,5 billion viewers -in cooperation with BBC TV producer Mike Appleton), followed by Director of International Fundraising and awareness campaign for Sub Saharan Africa at the UN HQ -IFAD in Rome; Mobilizing support from Governments and sponsors in the OECD and OPEC regions by using international contemporary artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Hamilton, Armani, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, the Norwegian sculptor Bård Breivik and 85 Nobel Laureates as catalysts for the UN IFAD awareness campaign which achieved objective; 300 million us $ for the IFAD Sub Saharan Program.
In 1991 to 2003 Secretary General and co-founder of the Media and Human Rights organization Worldview Rights and "the Nobel Peace Laureates Follow up Fund", and later became Director of the Lillehammer Olympic cultural event/concert "voice of the voiceless" organized on behalf of the Lillehammer Olympic Committee. He was Co-founder and executive producer of the Nobel Concert in Oslo Norway, and Executive producer of "the Nobel Concert statements" for the TV Concert program; Executive producer of the live broadcast and web cast of the Nobel centennial event in support of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi with all present Nobel Laureates (28) plus personal contributions from Desmond Tutu, Jose Ramos Horta and Bono among others.
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Ms Kay Raseroka
IFLA President-elect (2003-2005)
Kay Raseroka, President-elect of IFLA, was born in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and her career in librarianship spans over three decades, starting as a Library Assistant in 1969 and rising to the pinnacle of librarianship in 1981, when she was appointed the University Librarian of the University of Botswana Library Services department. The University has developed under her leadership from a small collection of 60000 volumes to close to half a million currently as well as providing cutting edge pro active information services in support of learning, teaching and research. Kay is a member of the Botswana Library Association, the Library Association ( United Kingdom ) and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA). She was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh in 1987-88, and in 1998 received the Library Association Royal Charter Centenary Medal Award from the Library Association of the United Kingdom . Mrs. Raseroka is widely published and is a Rotarian.
She has served IFLA since 1987 in different capacities such as Chair of the Africa Section and Chair of the Division of Regional Activities for the Third World . She has been a member of the Executive Board since 1997. |
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Arne Ruth
Born in 1943, living in Stockholm , Sweden . Trustee, writer and journalist. He was editor-in-chief of the liberal Dagens Nyheter 1982-1998, leaving his position critical of monopoly tendencies involving the media conglomerate in control of the paper, now the largest such group in Northern Europe . He has since held three Visiting Professorships, teaching Journalism at the Stockholm University Department of Journalism and Media Research, Civil Rights at the Norrköping-Linköping University Department of Ethnic Studies, and Journalism and Freedom of Expression at the Oslo University Institute of Media and Communications.
Mr. Ruth has been active as a lecturer, panellist and cultural commentator in Europe, the United States , Asia and Africa . As an author and essayist, he has contributed to Scandinavian, European and American journals, focusing on journalistic ethics and international human rights issues. He is on the board of the Swedish Helsinki Committee, the Reporters Sans Frontiers, The Swedish-Norwegian Cultural Centre Voksenåsen in Oslo , the Article 19 Freedom of Expression Research Centre, a member of the advisory board of Index on Censorship, and is the chairman of the Stig Dagerman Prize Committee (a yearly literary award) among others.
He was the Chairman of the Swedish Rushdie Committee until the committees were dissolved in 1998. Awards: Stora Journalistpriset in 1997 (The Grand Prize for Journalistic Achievement), Axel Liffner Prize (for Arts Journalism) in 1998 and the Torgny Segerstedt Award (given yearly in recognition of positions taken in support of human rights). 2001 Doctor Honoris Causa at University of Stockholm . Publication: "Trans Europe Express", 1979; Co-Author "Samhället som teater" (on arts policies in the Third Reich), Stockholm , 1983. |
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Dr. Mostafa El-Razzaz
Mostafa El Razzaz was the Chairman of the General Organization of Culture Palaces in Egypt from 1997-1999. He was the Dean of the Dokki College of Education for Art, Music and Media, in Giza , Egypt from 1988-1996. He is also a Professor of Design in the Faculty of Art Education in Cairo . He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from New York State University at Buffalo , U.S.A. , and a Masters and Bachelors degree from the Faculty of Art Education in Cairo , Egypt He has also done postgraduate studies in arts and crafts at Oslo University in Norway .
El Razzaz is chairman of the Visual Art Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture and Folklore Art Society. He has public and environmental art projects in Cairo and Giza , Egypt . Known as a pronounced scholar in the fields of Art, Education and Culture of Egypt, he has published numerous research papers and participated as chairman & a lecturer in numerous conferences and symposiums throughout Denmark , Egypt , England , India , Morocco , Norway , Sweden , Turkey and the U.SA. He has served as Chairman and jury member for various art committees in National, regional and international art events, symposiums and workshops.
Dr. El Razzaz's publications include Buffalo Talk, Buffalo Press, New York 1978, Art Curriculum (students and teachers) in Cairo 1981-1994, Art Articulation, Cairo 1993, and Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil "The Man and the Museum" (French and Arabic), Cairo 1995. |
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Alex Byrne
chairs the Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression and is a member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA - http://www.ifla.org). He is the University Librarian and a Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at the University of Technology , Sydney in Australia . |
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Andrew Puddephat,
Andrew Puddephat, former leader of Hackney Council, Director of Charter 88, Liberty, and Article 19 for the past 15 years. Andrew is a visiting lecturer at Westminster University teaching on the Power and Empowerment module. He says his sense of justice arose from various events in childhood, and various things that shaped him in early age and he grew up with an acute sense of what was fair and what was not fair.
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Amb. Abdel Raouf Elreedy
Ambassador Abdel Raouf Elreedy is a Member of L'Institut d' Egypte (in Existence since 1998), Cairo , Egypt . He is also Chairman of Board of Mubarak Public Library, Giza , and Cairo , Egypt . During the eight years as Ambassador of Egypt to the U.S.A, Ambassador EL REEDY dealt with major political and economic Issues related to Egyptian-American relations. In Particular, he dealt with the Middle East Peace Process and the Gulf Crisis.
On the Economic front, he actively participated in the negotiations leading to the Economic reform Agreements in 1991 between the government of Egypt and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He was also a Key member of the Egyptian team whose efforts resulted in the cancellation of the Egyptian Military Debt to the U.S.A., and the reduction of the overall Egyptian debt to the Paris Club countries; While serving in the Egyptian Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in Geneva and New York, and the department of international Organizations in the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador EL REEDY represented his country in numerous international forums dealing with a wide variety of political, economic, legal and humanitarians issues.
He attended more than fifteen sessions of the U.N. General Assembly in New York; Furthermore, he participated in several international conferences including the U.N. Conferences including the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, world Health Assemblies, International Labor Conference, international Conference on Refugees, U.N. Special Committee on the Definition of Aggression, and the U.N. Legal Subcommittee on the Peaceful Users of outer Space. In January 1984, he addressed the European Security Conference Meeting in Stockholm , Sweden . |
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Hani Shukrallah
Managing Editor of Al Ahram Weekly
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Bendik Rugaas
Director General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport, Council of Europe Bendik Rugaas grew up in Kirkenes, close to the Russian border. He was, as he says, the most frequent borrower in the Kirkenes Library,which was counted as one of the best in Norway when it was opened in 1952. After degrees from the University and the Library School he worked himself up to become Rector of the Library School . He was Chief of the University Library in Oslo , and Chair of the IFLA Section of Library Education. He was Chairman of NORDINFOR's Board of Directors. In 1994 he was appointed National Librarian, and afterwards became the first IT minister of Norway .
He has been working as an expert and advisor on several projects including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Author, illustrator, translator, Mrs. Newth has published 20 novels and picture books for young adults and children that have been translated into 17 languages, in addition to 40 essays and articles on art and society issues. She has received 17 Norwegian, Nordic and International prizes for best book, illustrations or translation since 1974 and Participated in collective and single exhibitions since 1977 in Bologna/ Italy, Tokyo/ Japan, San Diego, USA, main cities of the Nordic countries and main Norwegian cities.
She has also been a guest lecturer at colleges and universities in Norway , the Nordic countries and internationally since 1979 on literature and art related subjects. Since 1976 Mrs. Newth has held the following positions: Chair of the Norwegian Society for Writers of Literature for Children and Juveniles; administrator and thereafter Chair of the Norwegian Council of Artists; Chair of the Norwegian National Council of Reading and Writing; Leader of the Norwegian Artists Organizations joint negotiations with the Norwegian Ministry of Culture on remuneration for copy rights and lending rights.
Her professional occupations have been Principal of the National College of Art and Design in Bergen ; Administrator of Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression; and Principal of the Oslo National College of Art.
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Mette Newth
Author, illustrator, translator, Mrs. Newth has published 20 novels and picture books for young adults and children that have been translated into 17 languages, in addition to 40 essays and articles on art and society issues. She has received 17 Norwegian, Nordic and International prizes for best book, illustrations or translation since 1974 and Participated in collective and single exhibitions since 1977 in Bologna/ Italy, Tokyo/ Japan, San Diego, USA, main cities of the Nordic countries and main Norwegian cities. She has also been a guest lecturer at colleges and universities in Norway, the Nordic countries and internationally since 1979 on literature and art related subjects.
Since 1976 Mrs. Newth has held the following positions: Chair of the Norwegian Society for Writers of Literature for Children and Juveniles; administrator and thereafter Chair of the Norwegian Council of Artists; Chair of the Norwegian National Council of Reading and Writing; Leader of the Norwegian Artists Organizations joint negotiations with the Norwegian Ministry of Culture on remuneration for copy rights and lending rights. Her professional occupations have been Principal of the National College of Art and Design in Bergen; Administrator of Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression; and Principal of the Oslo National College of Art.
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Frode Bakken
President Norwegian Library Association
Norway Frode Bakken is a librarian of profession and has worked in public, county, college and research libraries. Frode is currently President of the Norwegian Library Association, also holding the post from 1996 to 1998 and then again from 2000. Official EBLIDA (European library association) representative at the WIPO copyright conference in Geneva December 1996. Active in IFLA since 1991 and has been member of Standing committees on Document Delivery and Interlending (1991-1997), Public Libraries (1997-2001) and member of IFLA Copyright and other Legal Matters committee (1998-2001).
At the moment member of IFLA FAIFE committee (Free access to information and Freedom of expression). Co-member of IFLA, Council of Europe and UNESCO mission to Kosovo in 2000 to evaluate library situation and co-author of IFLA/FAIFE report "Libraries in Kosova/Kosovo" (Copenhagen 2000) together with Carsten Frederiksen. Co-coordinator of EBLIDA working group on WTO and libraries-issues. |
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