As parents, we sometimes feel conflicted about Minecraft. We want to shut it down because it’s screen time but we also recognize the creative worlds foster real world skills like math skills, spatial reasoning, and perseverance, while building confidence. Now Minecraft Uncensored Library has given us one more reason to love the game.
In the United States, the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees us Freedom of the Press. The media works to monitor the actions of government at all levels and is free to report information about public affairs.
In other countries, the media is banned or severely restricted. Journalists are intimidated into silence with imprisonment, digital and physical surveillance, and other forms of harassment. While this is a violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, journalists in other countries are censored. Citizens in such countries lack access to websites, social media, and blogs because they’re controlled by oppressive leaders.
Due to a concern that young people are forced to grow up in systems where their option is heavily manipulated by governmental disinformation campaigns, Reporters Without Borders created the Minecraft Uncensored Library. The Uncensored Library is filled with books containing articles that were censored in their country of origin.
Reporters Without Borders found a loophole bypassing internet censorship to bring back the truth within Minecraft. Censored articles become uncensored books in Minecraft. The library serves as a way to provide access to forbidden articles by republishing them as books.
The Uncensored Library provides access to young people around the world through a medium they can playfully interact with. Journalists from five different countries now have a place to make their voices heard, despite having been banned, jailed, exiled, and even killed.
The Minecraft Uncensored Library makes it possible for youth to read important articles by:
- Jamal Khashoggi about Saudi Arabia
- Yulia Berezovkaia about Russia
- Nguyen Van Dai about Vietnam
- Javier Valdez about Mexico
- Mada Masr about Egypt
Articles written about these journalists may have been censored by their governments but in the Minecraft Uncensored Library, readers have the chance to educate themselves about the real political situation in their countries while also learning about the importance of freedom of the press.
Kudos to Reporters Without Borders for finding this loophole and creating a rich library that aims to provide youth with the knowledge they need to fight oppressive leaders.
To access The Uncensored Library, visit the Reporters Without Borders Minecraft server. You can also download The Uncensored Library Minecraft Map and invite your friends if you scroll to the bottom of the UncensoredLibrary.com.
Share this post to spread the word about this project that fights global cyber censorship and use the hashtag #TruthFindsAWay.
For a look at the making of The Uncensored Library, check out this video!
No compensation was received for this post. Images are courtesy of The Uncensored Library.
