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CAMPAIGNS AND ACTION An important objective of Freemuse is to support musicians in need and observe at their trials. Below you find a presentation of campaigns and other activities Freemuse has taken part of or launched. Music Freedom Day 2011: Messages from participants Messages from organisers, broadcasters, musicians and students about their activities on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2011 Music Freedom Day 2010 becomes a truly global event 3 March 2010 is Music Freedom Day where radio and tv broadcasters world-wide focus on music censorship, and where seminars and concerts are held in various countries Music Freedom Day 2010: Messages from participants Messages from organisers, broadcasters, musicians and students about their activities on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2010 Music Freedom Day 2010 - index Index page - about the plans for Music Freedom Day on 3 March 2010 Freemuse Music Freedom Day in Gdansk on 2 March 2010 On 2 March at 6 PM the seminar 'Music freedom and freedom in music' will take place in the Cultural Centre in Gdańsk-Morena, followed by a concert Music Freedom Day in Den Haag on 3 and 4 March 2010 Over two days the organisation Music Force marks Music Freedom Day in the Netherlands. Cameroon / USA: American lawyers prepare UN petition for Lapiro Cameroon keeping Lapiro imprisoned is a violation of international law, argues a team of four lawyers from a US law firm Cameroon: Free-for-download album in support of Lapiro de Mbanga Mondomix has launched a free-for-download album in support of the imprisoned cameroonian singer Lapiro de Mbanga Cameroon: Lapiro de Mbanga wins global award Imprisoned musician Lapiro de Mbanga is the 2009 winner of the 'Freedom to Create' Imprisoned Artist Prize Cameroon: Lapiro shortlisted for global award High profiled panel points at imprisoned musician Lapiro for the final shortlist of The Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize Help free Lapiro de Mbanga! Sign the petition Freemuse in action Cameroon: International lawyers support imprisoned singer Lapiro Freedom Now, a US based lawyers’ advocacy organisation, is now officially monitoring singer Lapiro de Mbanga's case Cameroon: Lapiro is the one who has to pay for all In this complicated case, there are problems of leadership, tribalism and politics. Lapiro de Mbanga’s case is a political persecution in disguise, writes journalist Jen Bell Cameroon: Interview with human rights advocate about Lapiro's case “This was an unfair trial. Now there must be lobbying actions,” said Dr Hilaire Kamga is president of NHRC, New Human Rights Cameroon, about Lapiro's court case Jen Bell Cameroon: Interview with Lapiro de Mbanga "This is the trial of the voiceless," said singer Lapiro de Mbanga when he was interviewed just a few hours before a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, Cameroon Jen Bell Cameroon: Lapiro's case taken to Supreme Court of Appeal “We are full of hope”, said Lapiro de Mbanga’s lawyer, Me Augustin Mbami, in an interview about which procedures are to be undertaken next, after losing the Appeal Court Cameroon: Singer Lapiro de Mbanga loses appeal court Cameroon power system strikes back at the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga. It seems obvious that he has not got a fair trial, says Freemuse programme officer Cameroon: New verdict, same prison sentence to Lapiro Lapiro de Mbanga’s sentence of three years imprisonment and the fine of FCFA 280 millions was confirmed at a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, reported Jen Bell Jen Bell Protest petition: African artist's tour cancelled due to blocked visas A petition 'against EU visa discrimination of musicians’ was started after the European tour of Zimbabwean Mokoomba was forced to be cancelled United Kingdom: New visa rules threaten dozens of concerts and festivals A report reveals that more than 20 major arts events have been cancelled or badly affected by new UK visa regulations United Kingdom: Visa system forces Russian ballet company to cancel shows A Russian ballet company has been forced to cancel its 2009 programme after failing to obtain UK visas for its dancers in time The Stage Visa report highlighted but serious problems remain While visa issues continue to create controversy, the Freemuse white paper ‘Visa / the discordant note’ plays an essential role in various international fora Freemuse Award 2009: video report and interview from Stockholm Video interview with Tao Rodriquez-Seeger who received the Freemuse Award on his grandfather's behalf on 3 March 2009 How Music Freedom Day 2009 was observed in Stockholm Two seminars and concert in Stockholm on 3 March 2009 became a beautiful, yet serious and powerful manifestation for musicians' human rights Music Freedom Day 2009 - index About what will happen on Music Freedom Day on 3 March 2009 Freemuse Music Freedom Day 2009 - main page 3 March 2009 is Music Freedom Day where radio and tv broadcasters world-wide focus on music censorship, and where seminars and concerts are held in various countries Music Freedom Day 2009: Messages from participants Messages from organisers, broadcasters, musicians and students about their activities on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2009 Freemuse Music Freedom Day events in Sweden - 2009 The Nobel Museum, Re:Orient, Konserthuset and the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, SR, co-operate with Freemuse about organising events in Stockholm List of audio files in high resolution for broadcast Audio files with interviews with censored musicians - for broadcast in relation to Music Freedom Day Freemuse Award 2009 Singer, songwriter, activist, environmentalist, and peace advocate Pete Seeger receives the Freemuse Award 2009 Cameroun: Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces new trial Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces a new trial on 20 March 2009 because of accusations that a song of his led to the destruction of a banana plantation Freemuse campaign: Visa issues damage the music industry European countries need to make visa and work permit procedures and the general access to the European market for artists more flexible, transparent and homogenous Sweden: Minister of Migration welcomes visa white paper “The ‘white paper’ points its fingers at very essential problems,” said Tobias Billström, the Swedish Minister of Migration, in a live radio programme Cameroun: New campaign for release of Lapiro Vigier, the company that has supplied the singer Lapiro de Mbanga with a guitar, launches a new campaign for the release of the Cameroonese musician White paper launched at Womex: 'Visa issues – the discord note' White paper on visa issues launched at an international music trade fair: 'European countries need to make visa procedures more flexible, transparent and homogenous' Freemuse Award to Tiken Jah Fakoly The first Freemuse Award is given to Tiken Jah Fakoly from Côte d’Ivoire - an outspoken reggae singer who has tirelessly denounced political corruption. Kristina Funkeson Freemuse Award statuette created by world-renowned glass artist World-renowned Swedish glass designer Göran Wärff has created the Freemuse Award which is presented for the first time ever in Dublin on 23 August 2008 Ole Reitov Cameroun: Appeal for songwriter detained for his lyrics International Pen Writers in Prison Committee sent this appeal on 7 august 2008 protesting the arrest and four-month detention of singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga Campaign: Urge for immediate release of Burmese musician Freemuse joins campaign supporting Win Maw, arrested on 27 November 2007. His arrest is thought to be part of the wider crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Campaign: Urge for immediate release of Cameroonian musicians Freemuse joins campaign supporting the two musicians arrested in Cameroun Campaign: Urge for immediate release of Tibetan singer Freemuse joins campaign supporting the Tibetanian singer and song-writer arrested by Chinese authorities Music Freedom Day 2008: Messages from participants Messages from organisers, broadcasters, musicians and students about their activities on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2008 Freemuse Music Freedom Day 2008 - index About what happened on Music Freedom Day 2008, 3 March 2008 Freemuse Music Freedom Day 2008 - main page 3 March 2008 is Music Freedom Day where radio and tv broadcasters world-wide focus on music censorship, and where seminars and concerts are held in various countries Freemuse Award announcement at Music Freedom Day 2008 Announcement of the first Freemuse Award winner: Tiken Jah Fakoly from Côte d’Ivoire Marie Korpe Music Freedom Day event in Norway - 2008 The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo will host a music censorship seminar, and a concert celebrating Music Freedom Day on Monday 3 March 2008, broadcasted by NRK. Freemuse campaign: 'Safe cities' should include all artists Freemuse initiates a campaign for inclusion of musicians and other artists in the Danish 'safe cities' system Freemuse Award 2008 A Freemuse Award will be presented for the first time in 2008. The first person to recieve the award will be announced on the Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2008 Freemuse campaign: Visa issues kill music In collaboration with international artists organisations Freemuse launches an investigation of visa and work permit procedures in order to influence policy makers Ferhat Tunç campaign 2007 International campaign in support of musician on trial for remarks on Kurdish issue. Freemuse request the Turkish State to drop its case against singer Ferhat Tunç Freemuse Press Statement: Drop the cases against Ferhat Tunç Freemuse Press Statement requesting immediate dismissal of all cases against Mr. Ferhat Tunç Freemuse News Alert: EU-MP joins Freemuse at Tunc court case in Izmir This Freemuse News Alert was sent via e-mail to 312 journalists and media houses world-wide on Thursday 27 September 2007 at 16:11 GMT Statement against the use of music as torture Freemuse supports the Position Statement on Torture adopted by the British Society for Ethnomusicology Freemuse Song for Music Freedom Day 2008 Recorded for Freemuse and the Music Freedom Day, the rap song '152 mesures contre la censure' features 10 rappers who are concerned with censorship issues in Algeria Freemuse enters MySpace If MySpace was a country it would be among the ten largest countries in the world. On 2 May 2007, Freemuse became a citizen there. Read why Freemuse has entered MySpace. Mik Aidt Bahrain: Freemuse declaration read aloud A request to Bahranian politicians in response to fundamentalist attacks on culture festival Music Freedom Day 2007 - press info 3 March 2007 is Music Freedom Day where radio and tv broadcasters world-wide focus on music censorship Declaration demanding abolishment of Turkey's Article 301 29 non-governmental organisations have released a joint declaration demanding abolishment of Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code and other articles violating freedom of expression Freemuse Signature song for Music Freedom Day 2007 Recorded for Freemuse and the Music Freedom Day, the song 'Navai' features the Iranian singer Marjan Vahdat in a musical collaboration with the British guitarist Jason Carter Ferhat Tunç campaign 2005 International campaign: Freemuse and musicians world-wide request the Turkish State to drop its case against singer Ferhat Tunç The case of Gorki Luis Águila Carrasco The controversial Cuban rock artist Gorki Luis Águila Carrasco who was sentenced to four years imprisonment in 2003, was released 16 March 2005.