User:Melodycb/sandbox

The Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom (RBFF) is a human rights foundation created by Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi and his wife Ensaf Haidar alongside Evelyne Abitbol in September 2015. It aims to “contribute to the realization of free Arab societies and countries in peaceful intellectual exchange and cultural interaction with the rest of the world.”

The foundation was created and named after Raif Badawi, who has been jailed in Saudi Arabia since 2012 after being accused of “insulting Islam through electronic channels”.

Origin

Raif Badawi ran a blog titled “Free Saudi Liberals” from around 2008 until his arrest. In it, he spoke about the importance of free speech and expression, and criticized theocratic governments for limiting those human rights. On June 17th in 2012, Raif Badawi was arrested on a charge of insulting Islam through electronic channels, and in December of that year was also accused of apostasy, a conviction which accompanies an automatic death sentence. He was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison, a fine of one million Saudi riyals, and 1000 lashes. His blog supposedly expressed support for more liberalism in Saudi Arabia, which included more rights for women and non-Muslims. Human Rights Watch stated that Badawi's website had published material criticizing “senior religious figures”. Badawi had also suggested in his blog that Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University had become “a den for terrorists.”

Mission

According to its website, the foundation serves as a free platform enabling international dialogue as well as a resource centre providing academic research on legal and social topics, especially concerning the Arab world.

The Foundation's objectives lie mainly in the field of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, primarily inside the Arab world. The main focus is on human rights and free societies.

Activities

The foundation funds a wide variety of programs relating to the foundation’s mission worldwide, such as:


 * Research in human rights issues throughout the Arab World in collaboration with other NGOs;
 * Regular publications covering human rights and free speech issues throughout the Arab world;
 * Training such as workshops and seminars covering human rights, free societies and liberalism;
 * Training seminars and workshops for journalists and bloggers in the human rights field;
 * Organizing conferences, seminars and workshops for the exchange and encouragement of free societies and to contribute to fundamental research by university professors and scientists;
 * Giving out the Raif Badawi Media Award for Human Rights Journalism, an annual award created by the Foundation for Human Rights Journalism.

Honorary Members

Many notable figures have expressed their support for Raif Badawi and his cause, therefore several of them have been given honorary membership of the foundation. These members consist of:


 * Desmond Tutu – Archbishop in South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1984
 * Salman Rushdie – Author
 * Jimmy Wales – Humanitarian activist, co-founder of Wikipedia
 * Peter Gabriel – Musician and humanitarian activist
 * Ricken Patel – Co-founder of Avaaz
 * Émile Proulx-Cloutier – Comedian
 * Mme Nabila Ben Youssef – Humorist

Sources:

Taking action for freedom of speech - official launch of raif badawi's foundation for freedom. (2015, Sep 11). Canada NewsWire Retrieved from http://www.ubishops.ca:2048/docview/1710977980?accountid= 8636

http://www.raifbadawifoundation.org/

Peer Review by Sbaig17
- Could use some history about how/why Badawi started writing in favor of freedom of expression and against Saudi Arabia curbing on free speech. Was there a tipping point that led to to Badawi's arrest? If so what was it

- How is the foundation raising awareness about Badawi's arrest? reasons for arrest legitimate or not - Information about International figures, authors, public speakers, members of government that have raised a voice about Badawi's arrest-- any response from the Saudi government

- Ensaf Haider has a very active Twitter account. Could be some useful stuff regarding the foundation on there.

Peer Review by Hwebster24
- I find it very interesting to divide the origin and the mission but it would be good to have more information about the origin.

- Talking more about what they do would be useful to better understand how they work and function.

- Having the honorary members is interesting but also explain how they might have played a role in the foundation.

- Has anybody else been arrested for the same reason? Is it a regular occurrence and how to people such as the government and the public respond to the arrest.

- Develop on how they go about making a change.