At a meeting in Stavanger, Norway this week, representatives from Norwegian, European and North-American cities of asylum for persecuted writers agreed to establish a new, international network. (25-FEB-05)
Text: Elisabeth Dyvik and Ole-Gunnar Solheim.
On February 21. and 22. 2005, representatives from Norwegian and international cities of asylum convened in Stavanger to discuss the establishment of a new, international network. The city of Stavanger, Norway first city of asylum, previously took the initiative to host the meeting after INCA (International Network for Cities of Asylum) went bankrupt and shut down its activities last fall.
The meeting agreed on the importance of an international network for the exchange of information, ideas and experiences. The meeting asked the representatives from the city of Stavanger to explore the possibility of the new network being based at the city´s cultural centre “Sølvberget”. Pending a decision from city officials, Norwegian PEN and the representatives from the city of Stavanger will work together in order to explore funding possibilities for the network.
