What does the freedom of speech mean to you? To us, it is the ability to share ideas and to talk about what you believe.Perhaps the most famous of all freedom of speech moments comes from the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution which reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The idea of free speech actually goes back to early religions and was well articulated during the European Enlightenment in the 15th century when England’s 1689 Bill of Rights granted “freedom of speech in Parliament.” In 1789, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen specifically affirmed freedom of speech as an inalienable right stating that: “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.”

More recently, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, declares that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

We believe that literacy and access to education is also a human right for all and are dedicated to helping bring peace, enlightenment and progress to the world through education one book at a time!

Freedom Writers is a great example of the good that

comes from sharing through stories.

by BWB Quality Assurance Specialist, Janet Robinson Stevens

I am writing you from the hotel lobby of the Casa Adino Centro in Miaflores Lima Peru. Lima is to my surprise a desert region snuggled between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It never rains here. We took a guided tour today and our guide told us that because it is so dry here that if the people did not clean every day, within two days they would be able to write their names on the table tops inside their homes. However, the humidity ranges from 85 to 100% daily, so even though it is cool you still sweat.

The people here are very kind and thoughtful and patient, especially with my Spanish (or lack there of).

On our first day after our arrival we went to a Catholic school in the hills within one of the many districts here. When we arrived we were welcomed as if we were rock stars. It was very grand. The children were waving flags and cheering. They were all dressed in uniforms and presented banners and their flag. We were serenaded by the children, and then we turned the corner and saw just how many children this school supports. There were over 800 kids there. It blew my mind. Everyone is so incredibly kind and generous.

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Where could a textbook be more important than in a school where students will eagerly sit in the hot desert sand for a chance to learn from teachers who have little more education than themselves?  Where could a thrilling story bring a greater sense of escape or hope than in a camp where refugees have been stuck for eight years, with no prospect of returning home?How can we get Darfuri refugees the books they need? You can help by simply buying a book for yourself.

Credit: UNHCR / H. Caux
Caption: A young mother attends class with her baby on her back in Djabal refugee camp. Many girls drop out of school or attend classes very irregularly once they get married and even more when they have babies. Early marriages and early pregnancies- as young as 11 or 12- prevent girls from having even basic education. Djabal, eastern Chad, August 10, 2007.

Support with us the amazing collaboration of best-selling and award-winning authors and poets, What You Wish For, a book about wishes for young adult and middle grade readers.  The 501(c)(3) nonprofit Book Wish Foundation organized the all-star lineup of contributors – including the authors of The Princess Diaries, Goosebumps, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The Baby-sitters Club, Inkheart, Looking for Alaska, and much more – and will donate 100% of its proceeds to UNHCR to fund libraries in Darfuri refugee camps in Chad.  Better World Books is donating its profits, too, to help maximize the impact of each copy you buy.

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