Cape Town joins the Worldwide Reading for Edward Snowden
PHOTO: GHALIB GALANT
On the evening of Monday, 8 September, a Cape Town reading took place at the AVA Gallery on Church Street in Cape Town as part of the Worldwide Reading for Edward Snowden co-ordinated by the International Literature Festival Berlin (ilb). The readings were hosted in support of 'liberty and recognition' for Snowden, the whistleblower who leaked classified information from America's National Security Agency (NSA) in order to reveal the extent of global surveillance programmes' infringements on the privacy of individual citizens. Snowden, whose US passport has been revoked, is currently living in Russia and seeking asylum in the European Union.
The event was initiated by APC doctoral researcher, Alexandra Dodd, and co-organised by online content specialist Anne Taylor and Vainola Makan from Right2Know, a partner in the event. 'We initiated this Cape Town reading as we believe there is no freedom without privacy, and the global issues of surveillance, the protection of civil liberties and freedom of expression have special pertinence in a South African context,' reads a statement by the organisers. 'The aim of the event is to raise awareness in support of transparent governance, open/active democracy and respect for those whistleblowers who have taken risks to expose fraud, corruption and wrongdoings within the state and parastatal apparatus.'
Over 200 authors across the globe expressed their support and participation in this global day of readings, which unfolded in cities across the world, from Paris to Reykjavik.
At the AVA event in Cape Town, the night's featured readers were: Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg Njabulo Ndebele, activist and co-director of Ndifuna Ukwazi (Dare to Know) Zackie Achmat, trailblazing cartoonist Zapiro, author Henrietta Rose-Innes, performer and satirist Masello Motana, author and researcher Christi van der Westhuizen, Public Lead for Creative Commons South Africa Kelsey Wiens, Creative Director of Artscape Mandla Mbothwe, Vinayak Bhardwaj, formerly of the M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism (amaBhungane) which recently won South African investigative journalism's highest honor, the Taco Kuiper prize, Gabrielle Lubowski, activist and facilitator of the Anton Lubowski Educational Trust and South African whistleblower Roberta Nation who suffered harassment, intimidation and the loss of her job after she blew the whistle on fraud in South Africa's State Security Agency. (She has continued to fight this through the Labour Court to clear her name.) Ghalib Galant from Right2Know was present at the event and highlighted the important work they are doing in South Africa.
Readers across the world read the same text supplied by the ilb - a selection excerpts from interviews with Snowden, his manifesto and related comments. The building and deployment of 'Massive Data Repositories' revealed by the excerpt read by Zackie Achmat sounded a particularly chilling note for Archive & Public Culture scholars:
'My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them. The US government, in conspiracy with client states, chiefest among them the Five Eyes.