Principal Endorsers
- Eva Joly
I am proud to advise the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative's proposal to create a global safe haven for investigative journalism. I believe this proposal is a strong way of encouraging integrity and responsive government around the world, including in Iceland. In my work investigating corruption I have seen how important it is to have have robust mechanisms to get information out to the public. Iceland, with its fresh perspectives and courageous, independent people seems to be the perfect place to initiate such an effort towards global transparency and justice.
- Index on Censorship, the UK's leading press-freedom organization.
The Icelandic Modern Media Initiative addresses the key issues for free expression in the digital age, and may yet be the catalyst for the kind of legislative reforms that all 21st Century democracies will need
- Icelandic Digital Freedoms Society
The ideal of achieving freedom in the digital realm can only be reached with the establishment of a solid legal framework that protects the values that are important to our society. Our participation in the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative has been a reflection on this growing need.
- The Sunshine Press / Wikileaks, leading publisher of censored government and corruption reports
To expose corruption we have had to go to great lengths, including encrypting our communications, distributing our infrastructure around the world and outspending the largest private Swiss bank in court. But we cannot expect every publisher and every civic organization to take on such demands. The largest newspapers and even the BBC are now routinely censored by legal costs, and smaller corruption busting groups, from Global Witness to the TCI Journal are hounded from one end of the earth to the other. It is time such abuses were stopped. It is time the entire global community said, enough is enough, justice must be seen and history must be preserved. That is why we're proud to have advised the Icelandic Modern Media Intiative. Iceland understands the value of transparency and deserves to be celebrated for its support of the public's right to know.
- Róbert Marshall MP, former head of the Icelandic journalists association and parliamentarian for the Social Democratic Alliance (largest governing party).
This is a good project for political change. We have been through a difficult period and this is an initiative that can unite the whole political scene. A haven for free expression will help counter the growing practice of libel tourism. British courts in particular, have become a favoured destination for complainants seeking to take advantage of the UK's plaintiff-friendly libel laws.
- Birgitta Jónsdóttir MP, parliamentary leader of The Movement
(short)
During the financial meltdown it became obvious that we needed fundamental changes in order to never go back down the same track. The crises sharpened our perspective on what really matters. We found out the hard way that we did not have a vibrant free press that could report without fear of those in power. If we had, perhaps some of the calamities our country now faces could have been prevented. We need to learn from our experiences and create a future for Iceland as a beacon of freedom of expression and information.
(long)
In October 2008 full blown financial meltdown hit Iceland. Our banks, which were 10 times larger than our economy all failed. Before that event, Iceland was ranked the most developed nation in the world. Our financial crisis was the biggest of its kind.
The collapse woke up the nation and by rallying together we pushed through historical changes. The government was forced to resign, the central bank manager was forced to resign, the head of the financial supervisory authority was forced to resign. The people of Iceland realized that by joining forces real change could and would take place.
People woke up to the fact that the infrastructure they had put their trust in, had failed. Our academics, the government, the parliament, the central bank, and the media had all failed. It made us understand that the media was weak, that there was a lack of transparency and that in order to live in a healthy society, we had take part in shaping it.
We have come to understand that fundamental changes need to take place to strengthen our democracy and that a new legislative package is needed to that promotes transparency and political accountability.
Because the world is connected by financial and information flows, suppression of the truth is not only our problem, but everyone’s problem. The right of the people to understand what is happening to their societies needs to be strengthened. I believe in supporting the world’s most courageous journalists and writers with the best legislation possible. That is why I am proud to be a part of the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative.
Parliament proposers of the parliamentary resolution
- Birgitta Jónsdóttir (The Movement)
- Atli Gíslason (Left-Green Party)
- Árni Þór Sigurðsson (Left-Green Party)
- Ásmundur Einar Daðason (Left-Green Party)
- Erla Ósk Ásgeirsdóttir (Independence Party)
- Eygló Harðardóttir (Progressive Party)
- Guðfríður Lilja Grétarsdóttir (Left-Green Party)
- Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson (Progressive Party)
- Lilja Móesesdóttir (Left-Green Party)
- Lilja Rafney Magnúsdóttir (Left-Green Party)
- Margrét Tryggvadóttir (The Movement)
- Róbert Marshall (Social Democratic Party)
- Sigmundur Ernir Rúnarsson (Social Democratic Party)
- Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson (Progressive Party)
- Vigdís Hauksdóttir (Progressive Party)
- Tryggvi Þór Herbertsson (Independence Party)
- Þór Saari (The Movement)
- Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir (Social Democratic Party)
- Ögmundur Jónasson (Left-Green Party)