The campaign was launched by I'lam Media Center, a Palestinian NGO that works to protect citizens' freedom of expression and give them a sense of control and empowerment.
I’lam Media Center, a Palestinian NGO based in Israel, recently launched a video campaign on self-censorship entitled “Remove the sticker and help others remove theirs”.
While freedom of the press is a legal right and freedom of expression through media a human right as outlined by the UN’s Universal Declaration, this means little if we are not willing to use this right to express ourselves. Growing up with values that are subject to social and political templates can limit a person’s ability to express themselves freely, and in time these limitations can become self-enforced.
I’lam’s campaign highlights the importance of resisting the internalization of our own suppression by pointing out that the issue is as much about having the courage to not remain silent as it is about having the right to speak.
Centered on repression in the home, school and public space, the campaign depicts the process that leads an individual to internalize his/her own oppression. With time, individuals starts to place limits on their own freedom of expression, taking into account all the perceived limitations and personally applying them to their lives.
Protecting citizens’ freedom of expression and giving them a sense of control and empowerment is central to the work of the I’lam Media Center. Click here to learn more about the center’s activities inside Israel.
