At 2 PM (EST) on October 9, 2010, the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, will teach viewers more about the man who has won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, Liu Xiaobo. Other digital media resources are available to learn about the 2010 Nobel Prize winners.
Who is Liu Xiaobo?
It is good that the Nobel Committee is offering a free webcast about Liu Xiaobo, because according to a web-based poll that is running on the Nobel Prize site, the number of people who have heard of Liu Xiaobo is about even with the number of people who have not. The webcast can be watched on the Nobel Peace Center live streaming page.
Another resource to learn about Liu Xiaobo can be found from Art Zine China. In the 2006 interview, Liu Xiaobo interviews artist Meng Huang. The interview is done from Liu Xiaobo's position as a writer, but his concern for Chinese politics and life in China is reflected in his questions in "A Conversation between Meng Huang and Liu Xiaobo." When discussing the shifting opportunities for Chinese artists during different times of turbulence, Liu Xiaobo says, " Generally speaking, the greater the pressure from the world around us, the tougher people become." Later in the same conversation, he says that if a person's hero falls, "it strikes a fatal blow to a person’s idealism. From that point on, the world in one's eyes becomes empty." Liu also released a statement saying "I have no enemies" on December 23, 2009.
Podcasts about Liu Xiaobo
Just as the Art Zine China article shows Liu Xiaobo before he became a Noble Prize winner, it is interesting to listen to podcasts about him before he was nominated for the prize. There are several podcasts available for free to help people learn more about Liu Xiaobo's work, imprisonment, and contribution to world peace.
RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) has followed Liu Xiaobo's situation for some time. They have several podcasts with video available. They can be downloaded from iTunes or from rthk.hk.
The PEN American Center podcast "Writers Rally for the Release of Liu Xiaobo" from January 6, 2010 has a particular relevance as it was the President of the PEN American Center, Kwame Anthony Appiah, who nominated Liu Xiaobo to the Nobel committee.
For people who want to learn about Liu Xiaobo before listening to the Nobel webcast or exploring one of the the podcasts about him, check out Brian Palmer's essay on Slate. Palmer wrote an excellent summary of China's policy about free speech and Liu's arrest for Charter 08 in "Is There Freedom of Speech in China" for the "Slate Explainer" on October 8, 2010.
Sources
"Liu Xiaobo: 'I have No Enemies: My Final Statement' was given December 23, 2009. It was translated by David Kelly of the China Research Centre at University of Technology Sydney and published by Donald C. Clarke on Chinese Law Prof Blog on February 7, 2010
Information about the Nobel Prize webcast was accessed from "On Demand: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2010" on Nobelprize.org on October 9, 2010. The webcast is sponsored by Telenor Group.
"A Conversation between Meng Huang and Liu Xiaobo" by Liu Xiaobo was pubished by Art Zine China and was accessed on OCT Contemporary Art Terminal on October 9, 2010. The article was written on 2006, but no more detailed information is offered.
RTHK podcasts were produced by Radio Television Hong Kong in January 2010.
"Writers Rally for the Release of Liu Xiaobo" was produced by the PEN American Center in January, 2010. It is available on iTunes.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
