For most of us in America, free speech isn’t something we think hard about and mull over every day, and we take it for granted. Unless your interests touch the topic of freedom of the press, most cannot name events that have to do with the restriction of it. But, this is not the case for most of the world. We, here, may be able to freely access all sorts of articles and media detailing controversial topics, but for people in countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia, where the control of information is especially high, independent journalism and journalists are a rarity. With the internet came a new and highly effective way of communication and free information sharing, but, as it grew, so did governments’ abilities to censor it. In an effort to combat and raise awareness of such censorship, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) created the Uncensored Library, a server in “Minecraft” that carries wrongfully prohibited journalism from across the globe.

RSF is a leading non-profit organization dealing with “the defense and promotion of freedom of information,” according to their website. It was founded in Montpellier, France in 1985, and has since spread and gained recognition internationally. The organization publishes press releases and reports “about the state of freedom of information throughout the world and how it’s being violated” in a multitude of languages. They also created the World Class Freedom Index, a list that ranks countries by their level of freedom. It has undertaken projects that redistribute censored information before—the Uncensored Playlist was released on Mar. 2018. Its purpose was to convert illegal articles written by five journalists from China, Egypt, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam into songs that were then released on free music platforms. Music-sharing platforms, like Spotify, are still legal in even the most controlling countries, so RSF used it as a way to deliver information to people who wouldn’t otherwise get it.

The same idea is present in the creation of the Uncensored Library. “Minecraft”, being marketed as a simple game, is still legal across the entire world, with huge communities of players. Its ability to reach millions of people, especially those living in places with heavy censorship and children, alongside the difficulty in censoring made it ideal to host their trove of forbidden knowledge. The library holds hundreds of illegal articles in book-form, allowing visitors to freely browse. 

The building itself was ironically built in a clean, formal style often associated with governmental powers (think of the White House). The first “room” you encounter from the entrance is a large, dome-like structure, with a world map on the floor and flags of each country on the ceiling. A lectern sits in the center of the map, with the World Class Freedom Index inscribed upon it. Above each flag is a book detailing the state of freedom in its country. There are sections devoted solely to the countries of Russia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Egypt, with structures in each representing how media exists in that country. The entrance explains the structures as well as the books that are displayed within it, which are written in both the country’s native language and English. 

Mexico’s section has 12 memorials dedicated to journalists who have been murdered for their work, as it is the deadliest country for free speech.

Saudi Arabia hosts a massive cage, representing the country’s relentless imprisonment of reporters, with the writing of Jamal Khashoggi within, who was killed for criticizing the government. Currently, it also has a section dedicated to the censorship of COVID-19, stating how the Chinese government’s attempts to squash the notion of a virus led to a slow response. There are teleport plates placed throughout the building for easy travel since it is quite expansive.

RSF worked with the “Minecraft” building company Blockworks to create this masterpiece, taking five months to plan and build. Since its unveiling on Mar. 12, 2020, they have faced some resistance, but the attempts fell short. They had chosen “Minecraft” because it was hard to shut down, after all. The world is downloadable, so it’s easy for anyone to take and reupload, and they have a backup server in case the original is hacked. Servers, in general, are also quite difficult to shut down. Basically, the only way for the library to be wholly blocked is to ban “Minecraft” itself.

It seems that the library’s intent of sharing banned information is working so far, with the server reaching 175 out of 195 countries. The countries that have been singled out have also had multiple citizens visit. So, assuming that you have the game, consider visiting the server at visit.uncensoredlibrary.com.

Picture courtesy of UNCENSOREDLIBRARY.COM