Jon Ronson - 14.06.12 - University of Surrey

by Victoria Ashdown

What springs to mind when you hear the word psycho? Personally, I hear the jarring screech of violins from the classic film, and consequently picture a madman, in a dress, with a knife. However, after reading Jon Ronson’s critically acclaimed ‘The Psychopath Test’, my somewhat stinted views on the subject have altered. Throughout his writing, Ronson explores what it means to be deemed a psychopath and takes an in-depth and comical journey through the human condition and the ways in which society classifies the psychotic. He consults Robert Hare’s list of twenty qualities widely used to classify a psychopath and employs wit and humour in suggesting that many people in positions of power do, in fact, display psychopathic tendencies. His use of case studies and primary research make Ronson’s work intriguing, comical and slightly disturbing! He blurs the boundary between sanity and insanity and leads the reader to question both themselves and the people who surround them. Will Self, a critic from The Guardian, described ‘The Psychopath Test’ as ‘achingly funny’ and ‘naggingly painful’, acting to ‘force us to think more deeply about the subject in hand.’         

In addition to this thought provoking text, Ronson has won acclaim with his journalistic pieces, created a number of film documentaries and has written a variety of best-selling novels. One of which is the popular title ‘The Men Who Stare At Goats’, which was recently adapted into a film starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. Based on true events, the novel focuses on the connection between the US Army in the late 1970s and the potential military applications of the paranormal. In 1979, a covert unit of the US Army was established that held the belief that there were soldiers trained to walk through walls, become invisible, and most bizarrely, kill a goat with a single glance. Ronson’s novel reveals the extraordinary - and very strange – national secrets at the heart of George Bush’s War on Terror and makes some profound links to current affairs.

The University of Surrey has been provided with the exciting opportunity to have an audience with Jon Ronson as part of the Surrey PEN Writers Series that will take place on June 14^th. This will give a valuable insight into the mind of a best-selling author and will give you the chance to ask questions about his work. Please support the work of a talented author and come along, you might be surprised what you learn… here’s hoping it’s not that you’re a closet psychopath. 

Tickets are £3 / £5 / £10 and the event will be followed by a wine reception and a book signing.

Go to www.PENsoc.org for more details and to buy tickets. 

New Bill “celebrated” as it aims to reform Libel Laws

By Alexandra Dawson

A new Bill, introduced to protect freedom of speech and free expression, will help to reform current libel laws and was proposed last Wednesday. The brief announcement of the new Bill in the Queen’s speech, which was published Friday, has been hailed a triumph by campaigners.

The Libel Reform Campaign, which consists of English PEN, Sense About Science and Index on Censorship, hailed the announcement as an immense victory, as the campaign has been calling for legislation to reform libel law since November 2009. Director of English PEN Jonathon Heawood, stated “Our libel laws allow people accused of funding terrorism or dumping toxic waste in Africa to silence their critics whilst ‘super-injunctions’ stop the public from even knowing that such allegations exist. We need to reform our libel laws now, and that’s why we’re launching a national campaign to persuade our politicians to do so.” Whilst there is still work to be done, a spokesman for the campaign said: "The Bill will open the way to ending libel tourism and protecting free expression for journalists, writers, bloggers and scientists around the world.” Despite this, the campaign added, “There is still work to be done and we will carry on campaigning to make sure that the detail in the final Bill will truly deliver reform."

The Bill will work to re-stabilise laws on freedom of speech, and to ensure individuals who have been defamed are able to defend and protect their name and reputation, reducing unjustified threats of libel proceedings. Scientific and academic debates will also be protected, enabling debates on matters of academia and education to be freely expressed, regardless if individuals of such debates are critical of products made by wealthy global companies.

Tireless campaigning has enabled the announced of the new Bill, as Sense About Science managing director Tracey Brown said: " We are really pleased to see the Government has moved closer to honouring its promise of a fairer law and protection of free speech in today's Queen's Speech. This opens the way to developing a law guided by public interest not powerful interests."

Index on Censorship chief executive Kirsty Hughes said "The 60,000 people who signed the Libel Reform Campaign will be delighted that the Government has announced this reform, though we'll be awaiting the detail."

Editor Jo Glanville of Index on Censorship added: "We have now have a chance for libel legislation that's fit for the 21st century.”The introduction of the single publication rule and greater protection for internet service providers will help to put an end to the chilling effect online."

However, Justine Roberts, co-founder and chief executive of the Mumsnet website, stated that whilst the Defamation Bill is “ a very good start,” she criticised the government for “not going far enough to protect freedom of expression, particularly in the online environment,” in relation to social-networking sites.

She added "Websites and hosts of user-generated comment risk becoming tactical targets for those who wish to clamp down on criticism or investigation of their activities."

The reforms that are expected to feature in the Defamation Bill include addressing the current libel laws and the detrimental effects they have on freedom of expression, in relation to academic and scientific debates. The work of non-governmental organisations in accordance with journalism will also be addressed, whilst the debate over libel tourism remains an ongoing concern.

Greater protection for publishers and booksellers will also be tackled, whereas website operators will be protected in regards to online material posted by uses of sites which it hosts. At present, website operators must remove material when they are told it is defamatory or face a risk of libel action. This has lead to many “innocent” cases, where website operators have not been in a position to know whether or not content uploaded by uses onto their sites is in fact defamatory.

In the future, most cases of defamation could be settled by a judge sitting alone. This will significantly reduce costs of cases and time taken to resolve such claims, many of which are identified as “unjustified and trivial.”

Freedom of speech is a gift that should not be abused: use yours.

Join English PEN at Surrey at: http://www.PENsoc.org or http://www.Facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN

PENsoc News

by Tom Goulding

February has been a busy month for Surrey PEN. From our postcard campaign to themed cupcakes, we have been working hard to promote the importance of free speech across campus. Elsewhere, the English Department has successfully launched its Censorship & Freedom module, proving that efforts to engage with political expression aren’t just important for Surrey students, but Surrey lecturers too.

We kick started the month at Refreshers Fayre, where a dedicated team of helpers were on hand to distribute flyers, literature and bribe new members with the promise of chocolate. Our competition to finish the sentence ‘The worst part of censorship is...’ was also a popular addition; the winning suggestion ‘that it gives way to ignorance’ was thought provoking, sincere and deserving of first prize. To top it all off, the day’s proceedings were of course supervised in ironic silence by our new mascot: Sylvia the Pink Free Speech Bear.

This was quickly followed by the Do>More Volunteering Exhibition, where we encouraged people to write postcards to Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize winning literary critic and humans right activist who is currently being detained due to his work calling for fair political reform in China. The importance of writing postcards is to show appreciation and support for those without a voice, reminding them that they are not alone and have support throughout the world. Our attempt to demonstrate this at the exhibition was not only successful, but also crucial in showing Liu Xiaobo’s efforts have not been in vain.

Finally, the iExhibition proved to be a great conclusion to the month’s events, with our team baking cakes, painting faces and providing more information on how to get involved. “The iExhibition was a great experience for the society”, said PENsoc President Shaun Millis, “We had a lot of support from students of all nationalities and it was great to see so many people having their faces painted in support of free speech throughout the world.”

With even more activities planned for March, including an afternoon with English PEN guest speaker Rob Sharp, there hasn’t been a better time to join Surrey PEN. To find out more or to join as a member, go to Facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN.

Women's Writes

By Victoria Ashdown

It is International Women’s Day on March 8^th this year, so what better time to open your eyes to the daily injustice suffered by women? In Mexico, since 2006, at least forty-five journalists, writers and bloggers have been murdered or have simply ’disappeared’ for speaking out against injustice. Many of whom were women, who paid with their lives in an attempt to gain equality between the sexes.

Susan Chavez Castillo was a prominent poet and social activist in Mexico. She increased awareness towards injustice and headed marches campaigning against the unsolved murders of women who had been raped by their attackers in Ciudad Juárez. The thirty-seven year old activist was found strangled, with a bag over her head and her left hand cut off in the centre of Ciudad Juárez on 6 January 2011. The authorities were very quick in stating that the murder had no links to Castillo’s poetry or activism. However, the symbolism behind the removed hand arguably speaks volumes about the motives of her attackers. Officials have claimed that the attack was random, and that the deliberately removed hand was an attempt to make the murder look like organized crime.

María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe was a reporter for the daily newspaper El Diario de Zamora in Mexico. She was last seen leaving her home in November 2009, and is now declared as missing. Her disappearance occurred after publishing articles on organized crime and the local corruption of higher authorities. She published many controversial pieces, such as a reveal on the arrest of a local politician’s son in relation to organized crime and a report on police abuse, which forced a high-ranking police official to resign. Cansimbe is still missing; her relatives are giving up hope.

English PEN is committed to helping the causes of these, and many other, cases. They provide support for the families of those who have been unjustly murdered and declared missing. They are also working to change the law in Mexico, to make crimes against journalists a federal offence. They aim to spread the news about these abused women in the form of campaigns, protests, and in publishing obituaries.

So, how can you help? You can help English PEN’s valuable work by writing to the Mexican government to demand an end to impunity and detailed investigations into the cases of writers who have been murdered, or have disappeared. Lend your voice and state that crimes against journalists should be made a federal offence, punishable under the law. Details of where to send letters can be found on English PEN’s website.

English PEN; It's About Science Too

by Victoria Ashdown

Since its inception, PEN has been committed to preventing censorship caused by the unjust libel system in England. Combining forces with Index for Censorship and Sense about Science, English PEN created The Libel Reform Campaign in an attempt to preserve freedom of speech. The libel laws in England promote an archaic system that benefits the wealthy and powerful. Pursing libel trials often costs an excess of £1 million, forcing individuals such as journalists, academics and performers to drop their appeals for justice.

A recent example of a victim of this system is Dr Ben Goldacre, a scientist and journalist. He visited South Africa in 2007 and was shocked to discover a company claiming that Antiretroviral drugs were ineffective in treating AIDS. Matthaias Rath, a German millionaire, began an advertising campaign in South Africa built on claims that lacked any firm evidence. He stated that the commonly prescribed Antiretroviral drugs should be replaced by his own brand of vitamin pills for successful treatment of the disease. On his return to England, Dr Goldacre wrote a number of articles exposing the injustice of what he saw, and was consequently sued for libel by Mr Rath. The ensuing case lasted for nineteen months, before Mr Rath dropped his charges and cost The Guardian newspaper £535,000 in legal costs. They were eventually awarded over £200,000 to compensate for their losses, but were forced to pay highly for their perusal of justice.

Another case of the negative effects of libel laws in England is that of Simon Singh, an acclaimed author and journalist. In 2008, he published an article in The Guardian newspaper stating his opinion on the British Chiropractic Association’s treatment of children. He wrote that there was ‘not a jot of evidence’ to support the treatments promoted by the BCA for younger patients. Despite publishing his article through a newspaper, Singh was sued personally by the BCA and in early 2009 the judge ruled in their favour. The court decided that Mr Singh’s claims were stated as fact, ignoring his insistence that the article was based on opinion. Therefore, it was viewed as a direct attack on the BCA and implied that they were being deliberately dishonest. However, the case was retried in a court of appeal later that year, and Mr Singh was found innocent of misconduct. As a result of the case, he was charged £20,000 in fees and lost two years of his salary.

These are just two of many cases where the right to express personal opinion is being suppressed. The Libel Reform Campaign acts to help those who are abused by this system and restore justice to our legal system. Show your support, join English PEN at Surrey at: http://www.facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN and sign the petition at: http://libelreform.org/.

Freedom in Burma, Justice in England

By Tom Goulding

January has been an exciting time for human rights campaigners around the world, and a promising start to 2012. In a significant step forward towards democratic reform, authorities in Burma have released over 600 political dissidents following international pressure for greater clemency in the country. The prisoners included prominent student leader Min Ko Naing, a central figure in Burma’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising, and Khun Tun Oo, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy who had been serving a 93-year sentence under the charge of high treason.

Burma has repeatedly been subjected to sustained periods of military rule since 1962, which have been accompanied by strict censorship, torture and forced labour. Since the appointment of a civilian government last year, talks have been in progress to lift current EU and US sanctions on the country; by releasing the prisoners, the Burmese government has started to meet the conditions that will end its isolation from the international community. A ceasefire has also been negotiated with the Karen National Union, though violent clashes between the government and other ethnic groups bordering Burma are still some way from being resolved.

Closer to home, English PEN has been celebrating the success of a campaign not to deport Cameroonian playwright Lydia Besong and her husband from the UK. Besong has written three plays dealing with her life as an asylum seeker and political oppression in Cameroon, where she was imprisoned for her involvement with the SCNC pressure group. There, she was subjected to torture and rape before seeking asylum in the UK in 2006.

The UK Border Agency’s decision to deport Besong and her husband received widespread condemnation, while leading British writers wrote to Home Secretary Theresa May to try and reverse the decision. Those who voiced their dissatisfaction with the Border Agency included Monica Ali, Hanif Kureishi, Nick Hornby and former children’s laureate and War Horse author Michael Morpurgo.

Besong, who was detained separately from her husband at Yarl’s Wood removal centre, told The Guardian that she feared returning to Cameroon following the success of her plays, and the indefinite incarceration that awaited her there. The decision was repealed on Friday 20^th January due to mounting public pressure, only hours before her scheduled deportation.

Yet for every victory against oppression, there are many more writers who can only enjoy creative freedom at the cost of their personal safety. A new year often means a new start; a time for resolutions, self-improvement, and a fresh perspective on life. What better way to start 2012 then, than to get involved with English PEN at Surrey? If you would like to learn more about what we do or become a member, make sure you visit our stall at Refreshers Fayre on Friday 10^th February, or go to Facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN.

PEN: Mightier Than the Sword

by Victoria Ashdown

‘Justice’ is defined in the English dictionary as ‘fairness or rightness in the treatment of other people.’ This is what we expect as part of our rights as a citizen: as a human being. However, there are many people to whom this definition of justice does not apply.

In many places around the world, people are being imprisoned simply for speaking their minds. Writers who express their opinion on politics or religion, and question the convictions of a higher authority are being abused and confined. What kind of person do you picture as a long-term convict? Someone who is a danger to others, to themselves? As you read this, somewhere in the world an innocent writer is being imprisoned, whose only crime was putting pen to paper.

The University of Surrey has recently created a society that supports PEN, an organisation that acts to help the wrongly imprisoned. As a society, we aim to raise awareness of the cause, promote freedom of speech and help those in less fortunate situations. In the 50 years English PEN has been established, it has provided invaluable support and given the gift of hope to the desperate. English PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee raises awareness through demonstrations, sends letters of appeal to authorities, aids the family of the imprisoned and helps in any way to improve the situation of the convict. Prisoners receive books and letters from PEN members, reminding them that they are not alone in their struggle.

Ai Weiwei, 53, is just one person who PEN is currently concerned with. He is an internationally acclaimed artist and was imprisoned in China in April 2011 due to unspecified ‘economic crimes’. It is widely believed that it came as a result to Ai’s complaints about the government. After his release in June, Ai was fined the extortionate sum of 12m Yuan (€1.3m). PEN is working to demolish this fine and free Ai from persecution.

English PEN also acts to give a voice to the oppressed through their Writers in Translation Programme. Their aim is to improve understanding between cultures and share the experience of people from contrasting backgrounds. This is achieved through translating and publishing texts from writers around the globe into English, so that their messages reach further. The organisation also works in schools and prisons to improve literacy, promote the positive influence of literature and encourage writers from disadvantaged backgrounds. They work with refugees, offenders and young people in the UK and offer them freedom of expression in the form of writing.

Freedom of speech is a gift that should not be abused: use yours.

Join English PEN at Surrey at: http://www.facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN.