The last days have been brainblasting and very exhausting. The Edinburgh Radical Bookfair was on the last days, and it was good. My personal highlight was the event on Saturday afternoon about the media misinformation and propaganda. A new book was presented about Israel, which definitely rocks and certainly is one of the best books ever published about this topic, and I can say that without even having read it.
It has just been published and came fresh from the press to the bookfair.
Its title is Bad News from Israel. And what makes this book so special is that it had taken 3 years to write it, and is based on intensive research in several countries. And it is per se not about the Israel- Palestinian conflict as the main point of view, but how it is portrayed by the media, and what problems the audience and the journalists face in the conflict.
On Thursday the news got announced, that the next G8 meeting in 2005 will in fact be in Scotland, which means about an hour drive away from Edinburgh.
There are already some websites about protesting against the G8 meeting next year. One is the Dissent website, and then there is also another one on Enrager.
Also, Indymedia Scotland new website has been first nominated and is now shortlisted for The New Statesman Media Award 2004. It is quite good and comforting to know that it is the same award Indymedia UK received some years ago, too.
I was pretty astonished about the nomination and shortlist, because the Indymedia Scotland website is just been up and working since May basically, and we still haven’t got yet everything sorted out and wanted to take our time and make decisions slowly. However, I am quite happy about the appreciation and compliment to the website.
The other really gripping event of the Bookfair was this mornings discussion about feminism and the middle east. It was one of the best discussions I have heard in the last few years. A woman from Iran, a woman from Iraq and a woman from Palestine, all three of them highly educated and actively participating in feminist and women’s groups in the three countries were so knowledgeable and passionate about their believes and on the other hand so honest, too, it was impressive. Especially the talk of the Iraqi woman about the Equal Rights for Women in Iraq group was fascinating.
So, these are just a few of the events happening in the last few days. Unfortunately, I am so tired, I can’t write much more.